The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1888-12-19
B0zEMAN, M: T., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1883.
HARRIs0N's BACKBONE.
Our Washington Correspondents impress
s!"s Ct 0'cveland's Message and
g; Session.


e; Session.
WASHINGTON. Dec. Z, 1851 From nur
Regular CORES spnnden, ]-Senator Black
burn, owing to the wide advertisement
Of his Misunderstanding with Jnd.-e
Rucker, has been the centre Of f'rp.t,. u
to the visitors in the 'rut.. gallery hi.
week. He positively Refuses to talk
about the matter. but his friends regard
1t as ended-at least that is what they
!. say.
Senator Harris, by a motion to lay the
senate tariff bill on the table, brought
out the fact that the republican Senators
will vote solidly in favor of that measure
notwithstanding the fact that several of
them are known to be bitterly opposed to
certain sections Of the bill. Several ex-
plantations are given for this action by
parties who profess TO know. One is
that Harrison has stated that he wants
the bill passed at this session. and that
those republicans that are opposed to it
are afraid to vote against it, least thev
thereby loose their share of patronage
under the new administration another
is, that they know the bill will not pass
the house and only vote for it to keep up
an appearance of harmony in the repub.
lican ranks until after Harrison is in
augurated leaving the quarrel that is be-
lieved by many people to be inevitable
over the tariff, until the next session,
when they will control both house and
senate.
The presidents message was an able
statement of the position of the deme-
cratic party on the tariff and other mat.
ters of Importance the ideas expressed
therein could not have been improved.
Statements like the following from the
message are ponderous with statesman
like wisdom: HE mocks the people
who proposes that the government shall
protect the rich, and that they in turn
will care for the laboring poor. Any in
termediary between the people and their
government, or the least delegation of
the care and protection the government
owes to the humblest citizen in the land,
makes the boast of free institutions a
glittering delusion and the pretended
boon Of American citizenship shame
less imposition" "Extravagant approp-
rIations of public money with their de-.
moralizing consc qu,nc.s should not be
tolerated, either as m cans of relieving
the treasury of its present surplus, or as
furnishing pretext for resisting proper
reduction in tariff rates" 1T cannot be
denied that the selfish and private in
terests which are so presistently heard
when efforts are made to deal in just
and comprehensive manner with our
tariff laws, are related to if they are not
largely responsible for, the sentilent
largely prevailing among the people. that
the geneaal government IS the foundation
of individual and private aid that it
may be expected to relieve with patern-
al care and distress of citizens and COM
munities, and that from the fullness OF
its treasury it should upon the slightly
possible pretext of promoting the lener-
al good, apply public funds to the benefit
of localists and individuals. Nor can it
be denied that there is a growing as
sumption that as against the government
and in favor of private claims and inter.
ests, the usual rules and limitations Of
business principles and just dealings
should be waived. These ideas have
been unhappily much encouraged by
legislative acquiescence. Relief from
contracts made with the government is
too easily accorded in favor of the citizen,
the failure to support claims against the
government by proof is often supplied
by no tst.er consideration than the
wealth of the government and the pov.
erty of the claimant; gratuities in the
form of pensions are granted upon no
other real ground than the needy condi
tisn of the applicant. or for reasons less
valid and large sums are expended for
public buildings and other improve
ments upon representations scarcely
claimed to be related to public needs
and necessities"
Mr.. Harrison's backbone is likely to
suffer severe strain between now and
the fourth of March The republican
leaders here have determined upon
having an evtra session of the fifty.first
congress called 10 meet late in March or
early in April. There is not the slighe,t
necessity of an extra session; the repub.
licans acknowledge that their only
object in having it called is to gain the
six senators and as many representatives
as South Dakota, Montana, and Washiag-
toll, when admitted as states, shall be
entitled to. They have decided that
owing to their very narrow margin in
both houses, this action is necessary in
order to enable the new states to organize
and send their senators and representa-.
tives in time for the beginning of the
regular December session. 1t remains
for Mr.. Harrison to decide if he will al
low his party leaders to compel him to
call needless session for the sake Of
few more votes.