Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-12-03
The Fifty-frst Congress has four notabl

The Fifty-Hrst Congress has four notable
labors in general legislation to perform or at
tempt, First, 10 settle the tariff question:
second, to make some provision for silver which
shall give it place in our coinage; third, to
remedy the obvious defects in our civil service
system and put it upon a basis which will in
sure the permanence Of its feature of merit ap-
pointments as opposed to spoils-sharing; and
fourth, to decide definitely what is to be done
about the worlds fair to give it the dignity of
. national and not local enterprise.
The tariff struggle will be warm one and
viii present the unusual spectacle Of the repub-
hcsns figuring a. the proponents of a reformed
system and the democrats endeavoring to de-
festit. The democrats will, however, undoubt-
edly meet thor enemies with bill of their
own, offered by q minority Of the ways and
means committee of the House as a substitute
for the majority bill. This will give the coun-
try at large something definite on which to ex-
press its choice at the next electioa-ths alter
native Of two proposals, instead Of p!au Of
some sort on one side and no plan at all on the
other. Tariff revision the people seem pretty
well resolved to have. The only difference Of
opinion is on what lines the changes SD al be
made, and that viii range the two great parties
on opposite sides.
Over the silver question there will doubtless
be some fighting about methods, also, but
party distinctions will be ignored on the gen.
eral issue. The silver men are determined to
have legislation of one sort or another II they
cannot get free coinage, they express a willing
ness to take the next best thing; but they will
sift the opposition till they have found some
measure which they can pass and which the
h., ,.IrS 90
while, in the forthcoming report of the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury, the offer will be made of
. compromise plan, which has received the ap-
prevail Of many conservative eastern capital
lists, but is nevertheless believed to be accept
able to q majority Of the friends of silver in
the west. 1t is hoped by having such scheme
emanate from the administration and by hav ng
it contain on its face from this fact practical
pledge Of the Presidents willingness TO see it
crystalized into law, to reduce the debate and
its acrimonious incidentals to a minimum.
The civil service question has become espe-
cialIy conspicuous of late. The course of the
new Congress in respect to it will be watched
with interest, for it means renewed life and in
creased vigor or an ignominious death to the
merit system The comparative strength of
public sentiment and of the partisan, political
lusuuCt Will Uc tcSteu- All euOTb Will D6 uldu6
by the commission to obtain better appropria-
tions on the ground that those which are given
at present hamper the work more than they
help 1t; for the commission is held to account
for not doing its full duty, when it has done
everything its scant supply Of money will ena-
BILE it to do.
On the question Of where the worlds fair
shall be held and what Congress shall do to
promote its success, no comment is needed
Readers Of The STAR have been kept fully in
formed of the arguments pro and con, the con-
fict Of interests and the alternate ebb and
flow of popular sentiment in various directions.
The logic of the discussion is all on the side Of
the national capital as the site and the national
government as the sole party concerned. That
Congress will take this view seems the most
natural thing to expect.