The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-09-11

astute Mr.. Edmunds, IN an author
lied interview, thinks that the Re-
publicans have better chance to
elect the next President than the
Democracy if the party "go west "
for candidate in 1888, and select
"some good, clean, upright man
with an honest record upon finan-
cial questions, man who is above
reproach." Mr.. Edmunds. accord
ing to ex-Gov. Long, of Massachu-
setts, has John Sherman in his eve
and thought, and Gov. Long thinks
Sherman, if nominated, could carry
New York and be elected. The
truth, as it seems to us, is that the
Republican party is lame not so
much for the lack of a candidate
as for an issue. The sentimental
issues are extinct; the record OF
the last Congress is that of barren
session for both parties, SO far as
any word or deed of fruitful prom
ise for the business interests of the
country. President Cleveland is
the only man who has gained any
thing in public esteem by his con-
nection with the legislation of the
session. When Mr.. Edmunds de-
clares that in all his twenty years
of experience in the Senate there
has not been such a large number
of bad appointments before that
body for confirmation as during
the past eight months ne indicts
the Republican Senate for its con-
duct in approving nominations he
declares unfit, since Mr.. Cleveland
has had a smaller per cent. of his
nominations rejected than any pre-
vious President. When Mr.. Ed
munds SAYS the Senate has sent
over to the House important legis-
lation and the House has simply
refused to consider it." he specifies
but a single measure, the interstate
commerce bill. The House, in our
judgment, wisely refused to approve
the Senate's sanction of the Blair
education bill, which would have
cost the nation $77 100000 for edu-
cation in States that need not sub
sides, but awakened self-respect
to pay their own school bills, and
the Blair pension bill, which would
have cost the country millions of
dollars, to be paid without careful
guard or discrimination to the sol
diers of the late war. The House
also rejected the Henepin canal and
other jobs inserted by the Senate
in the river and harbor bill. The
House failed to act with proper
public spirit and courage on the
questions of the tariff and silver,
but its conduct was not more in
competent or spiritless than that
of the Senate. The Republicans
helped Randall to refuse to con-
slider Morrison's tariff bill, but they
did not do what they are fairly
bound to do, join hands with Ran
dali and help him pass very mod
crate measure of revenue reform.
The record of both houses was
paltry on the subject of the oleo-
margarine bill. Whether the Fitz
John Porter bill be right or wrong,
both houses consented to its pass
age. Both houses truckled to the
temperance vote when they passed
the bill providing for the study of
the nature and effect of alcoholic
drinks, which is already about as
much of an open secret to all men
as the bite of rattlesnake or the
consequences of fooling with fire.
Both houses truckled to the soldier
vote by passing jobs which did not
even command the approval of the
G.. A. II. at its recent session. OF
9S7 laws passed, not one-sixth have
any bearing on the public interest.
The river and harbor bill was made
worse by the Senate, and the Sen
ate had not courage enough to re-
fuse the Morrison silver resolution
a passage. The bankrupt bill, a
measure of vast commercial conse-'
quence, receivedno serious consid-
Grafton. The seacoast defenses were
left without remedy. The forfeiture
of the Pacific land grants was cum
ningly made a football of by the cor
poration attorneys in both houses.
The interstate commerce bill, the
admission of Dakota as n State,
the Indian problem, and the elect
oral count bill, a measure of vital
consequence, are other items in the
list of failures. Both houses truck
led to the civil service rcformers
and left the law without change.
The Democracy has justified its old
record as party of negations.
while the Republican party comes
out of the contest with no reputa-
ton for craftsmanship; hypcrcriti-
cal at the wrong time with the
President, obstructive in petty mat
tiers and creative of no good thing
The Senate as rule confirmed
readily the most unfit nominations
and rejected or hung up to the last
some Of the most meritorious, like
that Of war Democrat Smallcy, for
Collector mt Burlington. whom Ed