Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1886-03-13
DAILY P0STIETELLIGfECE9
TuEoEETErsL AsD FskeItsAL
sTAHEkNARsulP.

sTANE2N AAsBFF.
The session NJ CQErrssa, roE E2sSfs
than three RENTS cid, hss isas Tar
been fully ~ barrsu Of zass iss'slA1ia'H
as its opeuing wesAs ia5iesssd- ! 2e
members Of both hossss. vita MAI
iuitT tAat xsgId be admirable u d.
nl.ved il zry 0s1sr sas, szsnc deer
u.sLsd 20 aserRee to INTERESTS Of taf
csaEtry and Ihs Es~ovle IN to sope Of
6hsklne capital FOR their respective par
tiez. In both h-Eses lara. portion o.
the t.ses has tssn devoted - IL ai-es-
ston of the silver question question
upon uhieh the lines are 20 e'eArlS
drawn tbs, discassion j. worse than
xast. of time. There are lev members
Of Congress Who have bot definitely de-
e,arsd their position 10 regard 10 tie
oostinued coinage q silver. The silver
men hare q good naI 'Fiiy IN both
houses, and there u no m ose probability
of .rssmsrt saectioe she size OF that
majority titan Of its Affecting tue poI'
teal Affiliations Of the members. IL The
numerous spesehss vhIeh nave been De
Iiyered On this question havs been ad-
dressed 70 the Senators and Represent
stivss, they sho Id hsEs been witnhsid
az being utterly useless. II. however
though os.ensibly delivered In Congress.
they we're really addressed 10 the PEOPLE
Of the esouiry, they eoula have oseu
delivered on lecture plAtfornos or issued
10 pam phlei form WITH quite as much
eject and at less expense. IL IL safe 20
say tia. all tbs speeches thus far made
have not son . single member from the
gold 10 the silver or FROM the silver to
the gold side
The SILVER question. however, has not
occupied all she time since the begin
ming 81 the session. Ia the House the
tariff has been discussed to some e1-
tsnt. a. has also The Presidential sue
cesslon aud the Pan Elsiirie Telephone
inbrogiio. The Senate has been equal
Iy busy. Ats1oh times a. 1t could spare
from quarrelinR with the President re-
csrdlng the Federal Offices ii has dis
eussad and passed the DAKOTA bill and
the Blair education bill, neither OF
which will probably be- passed by tbs
House. so far a. practical legislation
Ia concerned. therefore. the time de
voted to these bills may be regarded as
little better than wasted.
la ths meantime, matters Of such In
s,rsss 10 the people as the Chinese qnss-
tion, the regulation Of inter state coIn-
merce, tie ooustrustion Of sea coast de-
fences, the rebuilding Of tie navy and
tbs forfeiture OF unearned land grants
are scarcsly touched upon. OF course,
she most o5tuae member understands
perfectly that IL is TO tie interest OF the
people that the biils relating TO these
thinas be taken up and acted upon at
once. bat they remain almost un..oukht
Of.
This Ia a time Of business depression
aad almost Of distress in many por-
tions Of the oountry. A wise expendi-
tore OF public money ct suoh a time
ccE!d scarcely fail to DO much toward
revivipe creeping industries and restor
ing general confidence, No batter time
could be desired for the construction Of
the fortihostians Of which she country 10
so greatly 10 need. No better time
could be desired for The building Of the
navy which the country n1gst have. No
better time could be desired for prose-
outing tbs work upon necessary inter
mai improvements. The policy OF pro-
scouting government works With vigOr
In time OF business staen.tion is ersi-
neutly wise. Il serves the double pur-
pose OF relieving the depression by pat
ting money In circulation and giving
employment 10 workmen who would
otherwise be idle. and OF securing for
the government maserial and labor al
the lowest price. A public building, for
instance, can be erected At time of de-
preston for much less than in time OF
general business activity, when labor ID
In great demand and materials are
scarce. At the same time the money
expended upon such building has an
appreoiable effeot on the business of
the city or town In which it is located
when the work and money are scarce,
bat when the opposite Is true-when
work and money are plenty and build
Ing operations are extensively carried
on on every hand. the expenditure Of
Government money has no spprscishle
effect.
rsom whltever point of view the
matter IL regarded. IL Is better TO prose
cute Governnent works in times OF de
preston than In times of business
as,ivity. II Congress would grasp this
idsa, IL 10 would forgss politics and alb
ssrsct questions for lime aud deal
With the practical Questions Of the day +,
u wsnld be far better.