The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-11-26
THE FoRTY-NlNTH CONGRESS.

democratic president will, send mes
sage to congress, a the country will
look with much interest to the formu-
lation of policy by the grand old
d mocratic party. Heretofore the re-
publican party, with almost purely a
war policy,Or one constituted 60 meet
the exigencies Of a civil war, has ruled
the country, and the democratic party
has had to be content with defensive
policy.
Perhaps the country will never
know the extent Of its Indebtedness
to the democratic party for the cour-
age with which it has con-
ducte7 that defensive policy,
aga the radical innovations /
So It by the republican party to be
ene rafted On the organic principles of
the government. When an aggress~
i've army has been defeated, md Z city
preserved from pillage and ruin, the
obligations on the part of its citizens
does not seem half so great to their
defenders as if those defenders had
attacked and driven out an army of
occupation that had subjected the
citizens to every extortion and hui
initiation. Therefore, people whose
rights have been successfully preserv-
ed by the defensive policy of party
out Of power, is not as fully felt as if
that same party had been in power,
and rendered the people great service.
But for the democratic party stand
ing as lion in its path, there is 60
telling what cruelties and general
ruin would have marked the
policy of the republican party
towards the southern states, just sub
sequent to the war, bur defeated again
ard again, the democratic party has
neither been discouraged, or disorgan-
lied, or panic-stricken, but, raliying
its cohorts, it has lowered about the
TANKS of the enemy, cutting off their
supplies and eXhausting their pa
thence, until, at last, gathering up its
forces for another grand struggle, it
won the battle and seated a demo-
cratic president.
The people became convinced that
if the republican party ever had a
mission, the causes for that mission
had disappeared from the arena of
politics. The people have felt that
the republican party had fully served
it's purposes, like those extraor-
binary Incidents in history where
providence seemed to be using an evil
engine or influence to effect good OBJ
ject, and that il in the history of this
country that good had been accom-
plished, it was time to lay aside the
evil engine or influence, adapted to
different state of affairs.
The whole policy of the republican
party was formed on war basis. 1t
had its birth in the angry passions of
civil discord and was warmed into life,
and depended forts existence upon the
fires that were kindled by sectional
hate and Typographical envy and Bit
ternes Another national spirit Of
mutual forbearaace- aad Gsaasrgiveaess
began to take growth in the land, and
like the guillotine of the French revo-
luton, that had its purposes,it has been
laid aside. That sentiment culti-
waited by the heroic devotion of the
democratic party to consti
tutlonal freedom a7d tho rights
| Of all men, under a republican
] oouorDpoopf +riu cd oD5 o,1,,oi1o+
ed in the election of democratic pres
1dent.
Heretofore the democratic party in
Icongress has been purely defensive,
now it assumes the offensive under
some embarrassing circumstances,
but the people will expect the presi-
dent, in his message, to formulate a
policy by which the country is to be
| governed.
Unfortunately, the president and
the lower house of congress being
democratic, cannot form that policy
with the hope of entire success, while
| a republican senate stands 10 its way,
but perhaps that is the least of the
| embarrassments of the democratic
party. The leading issues upon
which the presidents message is ex-
pected to treat, is tariff reform. civil
service reform. and the repeal of the
Bland bill, and upon no one of these
important issues is the democratic
party a unit. There is not much
doubt about the position the presi>
dent will take on each of these meas~
ures, but whatever side he many take
on either question, unless some COM
promises are made, he will find lack
I of support, if not opposition in the
ranks Of his own party in congress.
Before the people Mr.. Clevelandis adj
/ ministration seems to be eminently
popular, but there is Mr.. Randall
with respectable following, who
would oppose any material change in
/ the tariff laws. On this question the
| indications are that the president will
1 recommend the placing of raw ma
4 terials on the free list, reduction
of duties on articles of general use and
an increase of duties on luXurieS,
The average tax rate on imported
goods at present is about forty-six per
| cent. and is levied quite indiscrimi-
| nately and it is to be
hoped that the president will
indicate policy that will be sufficient
ly conservative to unite the party in
congress. Again. the silver question
is an issue within the democratic par
ty, and the country looks to the presi-
dent for satisfactory solution of that
issue: The civil service reform is OPP
posed by few democratic leaders, as