Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-08-13
Promise and Performance.

peace basis. Having full control of the
body which must initiate such legislation,
in eight months they brought in two bills
to revise the tariff. each hostile to the
other, and neither was even considered.
They have not reduced the taxes one dime.
The recommendation of the treasury
department in response to the just de
mand of the business and commercial in
terests of the country, for amendments to
the warehouse and customs administra-
ton laws were ignored. The administra-
ton appealed to Congress TO stop the coin
age of "buzzard" dollars. The demo
Gratis of the house responded with pro-
! position for free trade and unlimited coin
age of such dollars, which would have
! passed had 1t not been for republican op-
position. The administration appealed to
Congress for adequate appropriations for
the increase of the navy, and to begin the
building and armng of modern sea coast
and harbor defences. The democratic
house gave s., 100000 less than one fourth
of the amount asked tor the navy, and re
fused to grant a dollar for new fortlfica-
tons and modern guns, and even failed
/ to appropriate money for the care and pre-
servation of the works in existence For
a partizan purpose the democratic house
contemptuously ignored the demand of "A
half million citizens of the United States
in Dakota for the admission of that Terri
tory into the Union The country de
manded and the president recommended
more stringent law against polygamy.
The republican senate promptly passed it
and democratic house smothered it. The
administration recommended and the sen.
ate passed a bill to indemnify the Chinese
sufferers 10y the Rock Springs riots. The
democratic house strangled it. The same
house was narrowly prevented from fast
ening upon an appropriation bill rider
to nullfy the civil service law. The re-
publican senate passed bill to extend
aid to the support of common schools, es
pecially in the southern states, and the
democratic leaders in the house buried it,
| There was general demand for the en-
actment of wise and practical law on
the subject of interstate commerce
such bill the senate passed and for it the
democratic house substituted wild and
impracticable measure which, if adopted
would defeat its own object.
The senate. in the interest of civiliza-
ton, passed bills granting land in several
ty TO Indians, and providing for the adj
/ ullulSlIdllOu Ol Justice III the lllOldll COuu
try The house refused to consider any
measure whatever for the benefit of the
Indian tribes except the appropriation
bill. The house ignored the general de
mand for bankruptcy legislation by re-
fuslng even to consider that subject. An
other measure which was promised was
one to classify and define the permanent
annual appropriations of the government.
| This measure, recommended by sue
cessive secretaries of the treasury, has
received no consideration. The repuhi-
can senate passed a carefully prepared and
effective measure to prevent the acquisi-
ton of large bodies of public land by non
. resident aliens. The democratic house
/ after waiting for months, substituted a
crude and imperfect bill of its own so late
III the session as to preClude the possibility
of any legislation on the subject before
the adjournment of Congress. The re
peal OF the pre- emptiOn, timber culture
and desert land laws has been recon-
mended by republican and democratic ad
mlnlstratlOnS alike and i not a party
question Despite that fact the democrat
lc house prevented action bY inSs sting
upon provision to deprive of their vest
ed rights actual settlers and Innocent pur-
chasers.
The bill to remove certain burdens from
American shipping was not a party meas
ure, but 1t was resisted by majority OF
the democrats in the house and Its final
y
skill of Mr., Dngley who was supported
by his republican associates and to the
republican senate which SO amended the
bill rs to give the president power to pro
tect American fishermen by the use of re-
taliatOry measures. The bill to tax cleo
margarine passed the house after long
and stubborn resistance by majority Of
the democrats in that body. The demo
Gratis cast Sc votes against the bill, while
lO1 republicans voted for 1t and only ID
against it. At the beginning of the ses
sion the democrats made brave promises
to the disabled veterans of the mon, but
they sustained the numerous vetoes OF
private pension bills without regard 10
the merits of those measures. On every
vote affecting the soldier during the ses
sion the southern democrats have been ar
rayed against him almost as solidly rs they
We're in the field during the war of the
rebellion.
Economy was the democratic watchWOrd
when Congress assembled. And yet the
last was Il most liberal not to say eXtrava-
CANT session. Although the approprla
lions fall short of the estimates of the
democratic administration by nearly 20,
100000, the total regular appropriations
amount to S264, ~, 332, exclusive of the
permanent annual appropriations, which
amount to 1870, 90 The regular an
nual appropriations for the year ending
June 30, 1850, based upon estimates SUB
amounted to Sl9j, 1Ol,5sS, For the year
ending June 80, lsS4 the regular annual
appropriations amounted to S23l ,9G,64I.
In other words, democratic economy has
resulted in appropriations for the current
fiscal year which exceed by s69O62, "A
those for the year lSS2-'S+, and by the sum
OF sj2 1868 the appropriations for the
year lSS4-'s5 based upon estimates by re
publican secretaries of the treasury.
We take the above figures from the
summary of the New York Tribluc.
They are matters of public record, and
there is no reason to doubt their accuracy.
SO much for democratic economy The
honester democratic leaders aud newspa-
pers, admit that the promises of the party
have not been fulfilled.
An Interesting Question.
Worcester Spy.l
Among the incidents of the late Mr.