New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-01
TIE York. OF CONGRESS.


TIE "WORKp OF CONGRESS-
This session Of Congress has lasted SIX months.
body of plain citizens, not wearing REFORM
on broad phylacteries all over their persons
not snecially stimulated with lofty ambition
to hold IN the hands of reform Administra-
tion or to lift " intolerable burdens from the
backs of the people, not even kindlcd to zeal
by a selfish anxiety to commend to the conn.,
dence of the publca party long out OF power
might have done a great deal OF useful WORK III
six months. But here we have apolOglsts 1or
this Congress pleading that it has passed AZ
many bills as any other Congress OF Its age.
This will not do. The country did not 60 IN
for "reform in order to get along about as
we'll as before. The work of reform Congress
must not be contrasted at all with the outrage
GUS msbehaviOr of the partisan bodies wMcn
have preceded it. Yet a Democratic President
has put his mark on the many bills OF this
Congress BY condemning 800 OF them In one
lump and vetoing many more The many
billsn consist almost wholly OF pension and
other Jobs, passed by methods with which claim
agents and lobbyists are familiar. Even me
| Herald. after stating that the House Committee
| has made 2,631 reports already this SESSION,
and that " this is a record for industry that no
| " other Congress has ever surpassed, notwlth-
| standing the prevailing impression to the con-
| "trary.p finds it necessary afterward to confess
| that "mOst of these reports relate to pension
"bills. and the amount of this sort of legislation
| has been unprecedented and extraordinary"
| It also adds: every few adverse reports have
"been presented. CLAIMS have been pushed
| Through without consideration" That is lin
dustry.n Some bills of this sort get through at
almost every session. But President Cleveland
| has fixed the attention of the whole country
upon the fact that the number of such bills
passed this year has been large beyond all prece-
dent, and that the measures appear to nave
been Of the worst character and passed with
astonishing haste and carelessnesS, II indeed
the behavior of the House is not to be deemed
wanton indifference to public interests On the
face of things, it Is fraud to say that the
House has been industrious because 1t mas
passed a great number of bills of this sort. The
fact is notorious that it has done marvellously
little work of any other kind.
| 1t was expected by those people who voted
| for Reform and Cleveland that the first Demo-
cratic Congress with the advice OF Democratic
President would do some great things tor the
country, The President urged settlement OF
| the silver question; the House has done
nothing. He urged reorganization OF the JUDI
ciary, SO that justice could not be lntOeraDly
DELAYED; the House has done nothing. Those
who voted for him deemed legislation necessary
to regulate the railroad traffic, and to reform
the tariff: the House has done nothing. A
bankrupt bill was earnestly asked; Congress-
obo n
is not the remotest probability that it will ever
get beyond the calendar of unfinished business.
| Coast defcnces are necessary; no one can tell
how great loss may be suffered by neglect Oh
Them But not even the jealous Senator VINO
has charge of that business expects good re-
suit. What has the House dOneY 1t has not
even made decent progress. for six months OF
so called work. in consideration OF the bllls ne
cessary for current expenses of the Government.
| Only one Appropriation bill has become law,
the Indian bill. Two Others, the District OF
Columbia and the POst-Oilice bills. are Ill con-
| ference committee. Five others have passed the
| House and have gone far too late into the
| Senate the Diplomatic, Army, Pension, Military
Academy, Agricultural and River and Harboi
bills, and it may be said in passing that these
will require more work than usual to put them
into honest shape, because OF the rlotous spirit
of jobbery and extravaganza which prevails IL
the House. Two other appropriation bills are
on the House calendar awaiting action. In the
Legislative bill the House intends virtually Il
nuilify the civil service laws, and the strife
over that measure ought not to be brief. IL
the Navy appropriation bill is the last chance
now left of getting some practical thing done
for the improvement of the Navy, and the pros
poets are not good Meanwhile, the Fortified
tons, General Deficiency, and Suudry Civil bill
have not yet been reported by House commit
tees.
If the House had deliberately intended tt
sacrifice all public interests i'll order to put the
most important bills before the Senate so late
that it could not properly consider them OF
correct errors of the House without prolongng
the session, it could hardly have been more
tardy than it has been. But this is said TO be a
"reform" body. Its principal aims said to b'
to uphold reform" party and "reform
Administration. If So the less "rcform" W,
have in future the better.
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RELEASE or THE SISTERS.