The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1885-11-28
The Forty.Nin.h Congre...


dressed to it at the beginning Of its
labors will be penned by democratic
President. The fact is significant
in many ways. One of its lessons is
perhaps the demonstration it seems
to afford of the fact that for safe,
conservative, business-like and eco
administration of its affairs
the country looks to the popular
party. The republicans, from having
been in power during the period
when secession had to be dealt with,
obtained a strong hold upon the af-
fections of the people in many States,
but when war issues became obsolete
and the peculiar views of that party
on federal and economic questions
were put. forth for popular accept
ance, their power began to wane. To
add to their discredit with the masses.
the civil service of the country in
their hands became corrupt and in
efficient, and though a law was pass
ed to correct its deficiencies in some
of the lower grades, little confidence
was felt that the republicans, if con-
tinued in power, would ever be able
to institute the thorough and search
ing reforms in administration that
the times demand. The popular and
electoral vote of 1884 being therefore
a declaration in favor of the ideas
and reforms advocated by the oppo-
sition, the country will observe with
close attention the policy of the de-
mocracy as developed in President
Cleveland's first message and the
attitude of the democratic House of
Representatives toward the measures
therein recommended. The Presi-
dent will doubtless discuss the silver
question and urge the repeal or sus-
pension of the Bland act as threat
ening the financial security of the
country. The tariff, it may be as
sumed, will be dealt with in a con-
sentative manner. The average tax
rate at present on imported merchan-
disc is 46 per cent, which is levied
with little or no discrimination OF
raw material from finished manufac-
lures, or of articles of necessity from
articles of luxury. The President
will probably urge the placing of
raw materials on the free list, re-
duction of duty on articles in COM
mon use, and some increase of duty
on luxuries. The present tariff is a
confused medley, and even though
the average rate should remain the
same, reconstruction of it on intel
ligible principles would be great
blessing to the people. It is prob
lem, however, whether the Senate,
being republican, will look with favor
during the coming session upon eth
er silver or tariff legislation that
emanates from a democratic House
of Representatives. Mr.. Sherman,
at any rate, will most probably think
it better politics to reserve the
passage of popular bills for repub-
lican Congress, and twit the democ-
racy in the next campaign with in
capacity to pass useful measures in
to law. Another subject that prom
Uses to largely engage the attention
of the Forty-ninth Congress is the
building of improved vessels for the
navy and the provision of adequate
defenses for the cities of the Atlantic,
Gulf and Pacific coasts. A new and
better method Of dealing with the
Indians is wanted, and discussion
of the Indian problem will probably
constitute feature of the Presidents
message. Our foreign commerce is
a dwindling interest. The President
will wish, no doubt, to see a move
ment for it's revival inaugurated,
but he is perhaps too sound demo-
crat to suggest recourse to such fall
lacious remedies as bounties. AS an
instrument better calculated to eff
feet the desired object, he will prob
ably point to tariff reform and to
the results or Secretary Bayard's eff
forts to collect and lay before our
merchants the facts upon which they
must proceed in opening or extend
ing commercial relations with lands
beyond the sea. Whether the Nicar-
ague canal will fare better with the
Forty-ninth than with previous Con-
gress is questionable. The improve
ment of the Mississippi and the con-
struction of the Maryland and Della
ware free ship-canal are matters Of
more immediate interest. The sub
ject Of civil-service reform is one
that the President has made pecu-
liarly his own He may, perhaps, in
his message suggest some slight
extension of the application of the
civil-service law and the correction
of some of the laws obvious defects,
but he is unlikely to take the extreme
course the mugwump would wish
him to pursue. What he has to say
on this and other topics will be re-
ceived with great interest and re-
spect by the country, and it is
not, perhaps, too much to say that
the future of the democratic party,
as the dominant party in the field of
national politics, depends very large
ly upon the action taken by the