Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-11-17
THE CHANGES FOR REFORM.

The alacrity with which republican organs, which during the campaign were vociferously shouting free trade, have turned to urging tariff reduction since the election would of itself, if there were no other signs, indicate that tariff reform will come eventually. It is hardly probable, however, that any reform will be made until after the republicans come into power next March, when it seems not altogether unlikely a special session of the Fltty-tlrst congress may be convened-providlng, ot course, it shall turn out that both houses are republican. The same difficulties that operated to prevent q reduction of tariff taxes at the long drawn out first session of the present congress may be expected to prevent it at the short session which convenes next month.
 It is to be hoped that when the con gressional returns are all in the fepubli- cans will have majority, for it it better, looking at the matter from 6 purely patriotic outlook, that the legislative branch should be in accord with the executive, whatsoever the politics of the man who holds the chief executive position. There should be no friction be- tween the two branches if the prosperity of the country is to be considered, and that should always be the paramount consider ation with the citizen, regardless of politics Should both houses of the Fifty first congress be republican, the responsi- bility can be fixed for any failure to legis- late for the best interests of the country. If, however the lower house be democratic and there is yet possibility of its be- ing so-we will have again the divided re- sponsibility that has been an anomaly in the political conditions of recent years There is little likelihood of any positive legislation under such conditions.
 Meanwhile it seems more than probable that nothing will be done regarding the tariff at the approaching short session of the Fiftieth congress, The republican senate could not consistently adopt the Mills bill, and it is very certain that the democratic house will have nothing to do with the senate buncombe bill of the last session. This bill was framed upon a principle totally at varianc with that of the Mills bill, President Cleveland's tariff message and the traditions of the democratic party. It may have gone further than the Mills bill in the alleged direction of free trade in making larger reduction, but it reached it's end by radically different IT cans. Any action therefore looking to the acceptance by the democratic house of the senate bill would be a concessi on that President Cleve- land, MT Mills and the democratic party were wrong in their methods of reducing the surplus through tariff reform-and that concession is not going to be made. In the meantime the surplus now in the treasury, according to Secretary Fairchild. is about $67, ,000, 900, exclusive of fractional silver coin, the purchase of bonds from the government keeping it down from the enormous figures which otherwise it would reach. It may be xpected-indeed, Secretary Fairchild explicitly says SO that the government will continue to keep down the surplus by the purchase of bonds so long as the bondholders do not exact exorbitant premiums. If the surplus can be kept down we may manage to struggle along till the Fifty first congress comes in, and then we may expect some reform in the tariff
 Meanwhile we may all-democrats, re- publicans, protectionists. free traders, tar if reformers, prohibitionists and mug wumps-continue to be happy, and we need have no fears but that under General Harrison we shall be happy, united and prosperous people, just as we have been under President Cleveland and as we were under the several republican presidents who preceded him. America is a great country, and the Americans are great and glorious people.