New-York tribune., 1888-04-13
DEMOCRATS on THEIR KNEES.

The fiibustcring minority has defeated q
more than two-thrds majority in the House,
by the aid and dictation Of the President.
Helped by Presidential threats and promises,
| il has brought party caucus to decide that the
Tax Refunding bill must be postponed until
after the Presidential election Thanks, Messrs
Democrats The people Of the States which
paid this tax, who naturally wish their state
taxes lightened by the return of the money,
will remember when they vote next fall
that Democratic Congress means repay
ment Of S6OOOOOOO to once rebel States
the proceeds Of the cotton tax, collect
ed not from those States, but from the loyal
citizens who had possession Of cotton-or else
no repayment of S16,OOOOOO paid by loyal
States in direct taxes to suppress Democratic
rebellion 1t is minor issue, but some people
will bear it in mind.
A much larger number will bear in mind the
proved incapacity Of Democratic majority TO
make laws for the business interests of the
country. Part of a month has been wasted in
this wrangle Other political wranglcs wasted
the months of December, January, February
and March. Within less than sixty days Wash
ington will be a bad place for members to stay
in who want to preserve their physical health.
and most inconvenient place for those whose
political health requires attention to conven-
tions and campaigns at home To pass all the
appropriation bills, all other absolutely neces-
sary bills to provide for the Government busi-
ness, and Tariff bill besides, will be found
impossible. The incompetence Of the party in
power will again be finely illustrated, when
months of the remainder of the session arc
spent in considering a tariff which ought to
have been brought forward, if ever, early in
the session, and disposed Of in the four months
which were wasted by the majority If that
question is pressed at all necessarily other busi-
ness of the gravest importance must now be
neglected.
The dictation of the Administration, through
threats and hopes of patronage and through
marty caucus thus controlled, has now been
felt by members who had fancied they owned
themselves and represented their constituents.
They have fair warning that the same dictation
will be employed to coerce their vote on the
Tariff bill. When that measure comes up,
members who dare not oppose the Administra-
tion, or have been brbed by its favors to be-
tray their constituents will surely control a
caucus. The caucus will make it test Of
Democratic fealty to support whatever Tariff
bill the Presidential Dictator pleases to have
passed. Then we shall see how many, or
rather how few of the Democratic members Of
Congress possess freedom to represent con-
stituency.
"But this is not government by the people; ;
it is the despotism Of one man." Well, who
ever imagined that the party called Democratic
could or would represent the people? When
has it ever had any freedom to oppose the dcs-
potic cdicts of Southern oligarchy? The
Southern leaders, who set all laws at naught
and make elections to please themselves. have
no opinion Of constituents to consider. So long
as they can appoint the postmasters, they can
fix the conventions, appoint the election Off
GERS and 60 through the farce Of an election
without doubt of the result They have no
public opinion to deal with, and now they have
President who allows them to make appoint
mcnts as they will. He goes further. AT their
bidding and as their tool he cOerces by threats
or brbes by favors the Northern members who
have constituents, and who would like TO pay
some attention TO the wishes and needs of the
people who elected them. But that would not
he true Democracy. The true and faithful
Democrat is now, as he was in the days when
Mr. Douglas was disciplined, creature who
crawls in the dust whenever Southern caucus
gives its orders.