The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-19
DEMOCRATIC IMBBCILITY.

The Democratic House of Congress is dem
onstrating that party's absolute incompetency
to meet the obligations it owes to the public.
Having urgently sought and having been in
trusted with the work of formulating national
legislation the Democratic members of Con-
gress had it in their hands, at least, to manu-
facture campaign capital, and to this end their
best energies have been bent. But with no
coherent idea what was best for the govern
ment they have naturally fallen to wrangling
among themselves, and the cat-hauling has
been going on ever since the session
opened, with no prospect of harmo-
ny, except under the caucus
lash and no hope of desirable legislation. The
Morrison bill, the only pretense yet made to-
ward serious legislation on the great question
of tariff, has been and still is the apple of dis
cord at the Democratic feast. 1t satisfies
neither one side nor the other Of the Demo
cratic party. 1t is insincere, inconsiderate
and impractical. To save the trouble of con-
sidering the merits of the question the author
of it measured everything with a sword and
proposed to incontinently cut off a swords
length from every dutiable article, regardless
of consequences. The bill does not
command the confidence of even its
friends" But they hope that it will be "a
good enough Morgan" until after the Novem-
Der elections; and then, if the party, by
stroke of undeserved and unexpected good
luck, should find itself in power, some now ex
pedient may be devised to tide it still further
along. The cry is for something that will
succeed. Good people and dear rabble, is the
cry, ask what you will, you may have it; only
give us the spoils. Needed legislation goes
begging, while specious tricks for transient
popularity receive the most consid-
crate attention. The old device of
cutting down appropriations has again
been resorted to, though with little hope
of deceiving the public. 1t was tried in In
diana, and the people of this State have not
forgotten how the low taxes of one year were
supplemented the next and the next, and the
next, with deficiency bills and money borrowed
at interest. It has been tried with the same
end in view and with exactly the same result
in national legislation. The dodge is too
transparent to deceive anybody of intelligence,
but it will be tried once more, along with other
schemes equally dishonest. The Morrison bill,
in CANA YoodiHad form, NAV ba ,,aoead yroha-
bly, will be, passed over the protests of the
better elements Of the Democratic party, the
hope being that the good of present reduction
in the rate of taxation will blind the people to
the inevitable outcome of the un-American
policy of free trade
Meanwhile the weeks and months are rapid
ly passing away, and no good is being done at
Washington. Even this Morrison bill is still in
an unfinished condition, and its supporters are
at their wits end to devise some way to snug
gle, rush or bulldoze it through the House.
The Democrats realize that they will have
big fight among themselves, and in
anticipation the leaders have arranged to
have the usual appropriation bills ready, to
throw one in from time to time to divert at
tention and give the combatants opportunity
to temporarily haul off for repairs and pour
ointment on their many wounds. The Demo
cratic party does not need a leader so much as
it needs coherency and principle. 1t is united
and consistent only in the desire to get at the
public offices. It's campaigns are fought with
the utmost desperation, and no scheme is too
hostile to our free institutions to be adopted
and pushed, if it promises even the slenderest
hope of success. The Democratic House is
little better than an organized, expensive farce,
manfestly afraid to do anything, yet hoping
to make little political capital through APP
peals to prejudice and ignorance. With no
defined purpose beyond that of getting con
troll, by fair means or by foul, it blunders and
stumbes, to the disgust and alarm of all not
blinded by partisan prejudice. The country
will feel easier when adjournment at last
comes and the worst is known
-
DIR. NEwMAN's know nothingism is an of
tense to the good sense of the people of the
country, native as we'll as naturalized, There