The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-06-12
The work" of Congress.

This session of Congress has LASTED
SIX months. A body of plain citizens
not wearing reform" on broad ply
lacteries all over their persons, not
specially stimulated with lofty ambi.
tion to hold up the hands of reform
Administration or to lift ''intolerable
burdens" from the backs of the peo-
pie. not even kindled to zeal by a
selfish anxiety to commend to the
confidence of the public party long
out of power, might have done a
great deal of useful work in six
months. But here we have apologists
for this Congress pleading that it has
passed as many bills as any other
Congress of its age.
This will not do. The country did
not go in for reform" in order to get
along about as we'll as before. The
work of reform Congress must not
be contrasted al all with the outrage
Gus misbehavior of the partisan bodies
which have preceded it. Yet Dem
ocratic 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
bills consist almost wholly of pension
and other jobs, passed by methods
with which claim agents and lobb
visits are familiar. Even The Herald,
after stating that the House Commit
tee has made 1851 reports already
this session, and that "this is rec
ord for industry that no other Con-
gress has ever surpassed, notwith-
standing the'prevailing impression to
the contrary" finds it necessary after
ward to confess that "most of these
reports relate to pension bills. and
the amount of this sort of legislation
has been'unprecedented and extraor-
dinary" 1t also adds: Every few
adverse reports have been presented.
Claims have been pushed through
without consideration" That is ''in-
dustry." 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 be
yOnd all precedent, and that the
measures appear to have been of the
worst character and passed with as
tonishing haste and carelessness, if
indeed the behavior of the House is
not to be deemed wanton Indifference
to public interests. On the face OF
things, it is a fraud to say that the
House has been industrious because
it has 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 Democrat Congress with
the advice of a Democratic President
would do some great things for the
country. The President urged {
settlement of the silver question ; thu
House has done nothing. He urgec
reorganization of the judiciary, 81
that justice could not be intolerablN
delayed the House has done moth
ing. Those who voted for him deem
ed legislation necessary to regulate
the RAILROAD traffic, and to "reform'
the tariff; the House has done moth
! ing. A bankrupt bill was earnestl.
asked Congressman Collins, who j
in charge of 1t, says there is not tn
remotest probability that it will eve
get beyond the calendar OF unf1nishe,
business. Coast defences are neces
sary !; no one can tell how great los
may be suffered by neglect of them
But not even the jealous Senate
who has charge of that business eX
poets a good result. WHAT has tn
House done? 1t has not even mad
decent progress, ,.fIr six months of Sc
called work, in consideration of tn
bills necessary for current expense
of the Government. Only one al
=, preparation bill has become law, tn
Indian bill. Two Others, the Distrit
of Columbia and the P0stofiice bill
are in conference committee. Fiv
Others have passed the House an
/ have gone far too late into the Sci
ate. the Diplomatic, Army. Pension
Military Academy. Agricultural an