New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-06
THE MEETING OF CONGRESS-.

"Morifuyi te srlutant" the Democratic ma.
jority in the House may say to President Cieve-
land, when they notify him to-day that they
have assembled They come together lSo In
number. of whom eighty-fv have only until
March 4 to live as members of Congress. IL
thew do not IN fact owe their political deaths
to the President many of them think they do,
and that circumstance will probably have
powerful influence in shaping the results OF the
session which begins to-day. Some will be
reckless and greedy. Some will be inclined 10
play the part of Samson; to pull down Tue
pillars and let Cleveland and his Phliistines
share the ruin which overtakes them. oome
will now be more cautious and tlmld than
before. having narrowly escaped, and others
will be In hot haste to make friends with tne
labor organizations Over two-thirds OF JIG
Republlcan member have been returned. ana
their force has not been lessened by the defeat
of important leaders
Il ia the general impression that the session
will be barren and fruitless /; that members will
waste the time in wrangling and recrimination,
and in fighting over appropriation bills while
all important measures of general legisationwlll
be defeated. Within the past two weeks. how
ever, some symptoms have appeared which point
to q different result. 1t would not be very
strange if bill for unlimited coinage of silver
should pass the house quite early. Doubtless
the President will repeat his recommendation
that the coinage shall be suspended. but it's at
least as likely to increase as to diminish the
vote for unlimited coinage of silver. The be-
bavior of the Administration in disbursng the
reserve rapidly after opposing the MORRISON
resolution, and in putting out $25,777'7o9
more silver certificates and standard dollars
since August l. after insisting that the IN
creased use of silver threatened public faith
and public prosperity, has tendedtO strengthen
the hands of The extremists who opposed the
Administrations policy last year. Those who
supported that policy do not find that they are
more favored by the President than its most
bitter foes, and that fact also will have Its
weight.
1t is promised that the President will strong
ly recommend tariff revision, both as policy
to which the Democratic party is committed by
positive pledges and as the best means OF re-
ducing the surplus, which, after the present
fiscal year, can no longer be expended In the
redemption of bonds. But his attempt to seize
the leadership of the Western and Southern
free traders will not 90 unresisted. The defeat
of the Democrats in Indiana ana Virginia
makes it extremely unlikely that the party will
try to get along without New York, COnnecti-
cut and New Jersey, as it must If it begins to
cut off protective duties. Itpay be that some
measure for the issue of new long term bonds
in exchange for or 4l2 per cents may be Of
fered as a means of evading the surplus and
tariff issue, but there is small chance OF the
passage of such bill.
Unwise legislation on railroad and land ques-
tons is rendered more probable by the attitude
of labor organizations. 1t would not be strange
Congress should hope to win some favor by
action hostile to the property owning and
money lending interests. In its present d.
lemma the Democratic party is apt to do any
reckless and desperate thing which offers pos
ibiity of gaming woes. The Republican ma
iorlty In tho Senate may therefore have to meet
a heavy responsibility this winter. the greater
because President who vetoed many pen
sion bills but signed the River and Harbor
bill, cannot be counted upon to veto
measures to which the majority of his party is
committed. If the Republican members of the
House and Senate do their duty this winter,
they can certainly add to the gratitude due to
the Republican party from conservative and in
teligent citizens by preventing the passage OF
any dangerous measures.