New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-02-25
RELATED REPENTANCE.

One week from to-day, this Congress Will
cease to exist Part of this remaining week
the Democrats in Congress are to spend III n
desperate effort to lift the country out OF peril
in which they insisted it should be kept, so long
nc there was a chance of Republican success IN
the Presidential election. Uncertainty as to the
future, distrust of capital, prostratlon Oh IN
dustry. all these suited them, so long as they
tended TO bring about defeat of the Repnbli-
can marty. Now they begin to be anxious that
the consequences of their own persistent refusal
to suspend the silver coinage may not bring
disaster on the coming Administration. 80
there "a to be a desperate effort, as If the men
had inst walked up to the fact that the coinage
of many millions of useless silver threatens
rcnudiaton of public obligations, and COM
mercial and industrial earthquake. What nave
these men been doing all these years ! HOW
does it come to pass that here, at the very emu
of the session, they are suddenly seized win
desire Immediately to undo what they have been
doing for seven long years I Democialc re-
indicators in Congress forced through the silver
bill at the outset and passed 1t over the veto Oh
n Republican President. Again and again they
refused TO give Republican President any
mower whatever to avert National disgrace or
industrial calamity by suspending the coinage.
Then il suited them perfectly that National dis
grace and industrial calamity should come. A
Republican Administration heing in power, they
hoped that distress and discomfort, and the DIS
organization of industry, would help to bring
about political change.
Now these men are particularly anxious to
stop the very work in which for seven years
they have been engaged. The mlschiel has
heen done. Nevertheless. If they have the
decency TO propose a Straightforward ana honest
suspepsion of the coinage they will find kepuo-
Iicans ready TO help. But that is not what they
want They are not willing to confess that
their own conduct during all these years has
been against the public welfare. They want to
| secure for an untried Democratic President the
unnrecedented trust of exercising discretion
arv mower in this matter. AS to that they de-
serve to fail Let them stop the coinage like
men. by a direct vote, on the ground that IT.
longer continuance is dangerous to the public
If thew dare not do this, let them prepare to lace
| the consequences.
| few men, it is said, can now defeat any
measure proposed by flibusterng. Very likely
and whose fault is it that action on this matter
has been delayed year after year. month aitel
! month"; and week after week, until II Is possible
| for a few men to defeat action Why was moi
the coinage suspended years ago. when both
Houses were practically Democratic why
was il not done last year, when an overwhelm-
ing Democratic majority in the House was pre-
pairing for Presidential election Why was II
not proposed at the beginning of this session,
when business men from every part OF the
| country were imDlOrng Congress TO act The
few silver fanatics have power at this juncture
only because the Democratic party has for years
been false to the public interest. 1t Will have
| to take the consequences, and II they DO not
suit Mr.. Cleveland and his immediate friends
let him remember that his success III the cleo
ton was in a measure due to the prOstratlon OF
industry and of business which his party had
| so long con spired to bring about.