Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-12-10


prove 1t. The repubiIcans would be &C.
ousei of Imposing an extra session upon
the country mpiy to gain party ad-
vantage by increasing the party ma
lo,lty IN congress. The Issue 10 too
harrow, too local, too pertlsan. 1t
would give the democrats prstext for
tiliippstering to obstrnct> legislation.
There Is larger, broader. more patriotic
issue close at hand in the urgent need
for the reduction OF taxation to dispose
OF she Surplus annually increasing in
the treasury. This Is national, not o
party iRsue. There is no party advsn.
tage to be gained by it except that OF
serving the whole country well. II ap-
penis to every business man and tax
payer. LIZ carries out the pledges of
both platforms. The democrats as we'll
as the republicans are committed to the
reduction of the revenue. They could
find no decent pretext for fllihustering
against it. Public opinion would
approve an extra session for this
purpose, sustain tbe president in calling
it and condemn faotional opposition
which strove to defeat its object. The
report of the secretary OF the treasury
shows that the treasury surplus is accu-
mulating ct the rste of 800 900 900 per
year. Ii congress were TO begin to ieRis.
late for the abolition of this surplus in
March instead OF December the saving
to the country in taxation would be
$4,000, QUO, or such proportion OF that
sum as the reduction bose TO the entire
surplus great saving in taxst:c n.
Even If nothing more were done than
90 pass the senate bill with such modi-
dcation ss seem advisable, making re-
duotioa of from $40 100000 to $75,OO0,-
600, the saving in taxation in nine
months would be oyer $5,000,000. Here
Is substantial reason for calling con.
gress together which will appeal to
every man who pays taxes. / do not
know that an extra session will be called,
l do not know thai there has been any
consultation on the subject. surely
have no personal reasons for desiring it.
But II congress is called together in the
spring hope it will be on the ground
and for the purpose indicated, TO reduce
the surplus revenue and diminish the
burden of taxation IN the we'll known
line of republican policy. When that is
done congress may probably address
itself to the question Of the admission Of
new states
AR. Mckinley 10 one Of the republi-
Can leaders OF the present house, and
perhaps the most prominent candidate
for speaker OF the next. His attitude
upon this subject is probably that of o
large body OF influential republicans
including all the high tariff people who
| want 30 get the surplus out of the way
as speedily "a possible lest 1t serve
again as presext for general assault
upon the protecsivesysten, On the other
hand, Mr. Baker of New York, MIR.
Payson and the western people
who are deeply interested in
the admission of the territories
think that issue quite large enough to
justify the calling of an extra session.
Baker is especially in earnest about the
| matter, He Is watching the movements
| OF public agitation and preparation for
statehood in she northwest with great
interest and lively hope that it will
stimulate congress to prompt end efTec-
tive action. 1t should be said, however,
that Mr. Baker does not rely entirely
upon an extra session for the admission
| OF the territories, He still has hopes of
democratic action at the present session.
Judge Psyson, on the other hand, seems
opposed to any action this session, and
| desirons to see an extra session in the
spring for the admission OF the territor-
les. lie does not want Springer and the
democrats to make any party capital out
Of the admission OF new states this win
ter. Baker is the better friend OF the
territories and Payson the more repub-
lican partisan.
1t is not at oil clear than Dakota and
The other territories world not gain by
1 action for their admission this winter,
rather than at an extra session next
spring, though their gain might involve
some smell loss Of glory to the srepnbli-
Gan party. The democrats ere alarmed
at tbs prospect of an extra session, and
seem wiling TO go to great lengths in
order to remove one pretext for il by
granting admission to the territories
This seeming may be real or onlya
party trick. Anyway it tas excited re-
publican suspicion. II will be unfortu-
nate If the republicans feel compelled,
for party reasons. to stend temporarily
| in the way OF en- acceptable admission
bill this winter, az. that will give the
democrats a pretext for filibustering
against similar bills in the extra session.
| Threats of this are already rife. The
| republican majority in the next house
| will be SO small that little filibusterinR
will go q great way. II it were possible
to get acceptable admission bills
| through both houses this winter under
| the influence OF the democratic panic
| about an extra session, the danger OF
factional obstruction in the next con-
gress would be avoided, end the terri
tories would be out of the woods. III
the democrats are irsjtated by q party
fight over the territories this season,
! there is no knowing what they will do
next. or course it would be euicidal
folly sfor them to 6libuster against the
admission OF the Dakotaa, but it is pre-
cisely the same suicidal folly they have
been perpetrating for eight years. This
is why people who care more for the in
terests of the territories than for glory
for the republican party cling to the
slender and lingering hope that the dem.
ocrats can be brought to make conces
sions, that the republicans can be
brought TO accept them, and that ac
ceptable bills for the admission Of the
four territories may be passed this
winter. ~
Even il this happens the extra session
is Lot likely to be abandoned. The
strongest reason for 1t, as has been indi
GATED, is the desire for speedy legisla
tion for the reduction of the revenue
Other converging influences are the anx
iety OF the republicans to organize the
house ss soon as possible, in view oi
their slender majority there, and the
esgerness OF Candidates for clerical po-
sitious under the house to secure theil
election at the earliest possible date
The Dakota people were rejoicing few
days ago over the discovery that Edward