The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-10-02
END OLE TIE FIRST SESSION.

END Ot IItE FIRST SGSSIONs
After a session of nearly 10 months the
first session of the 51st Congress has come
10 an end. The members are now on their
way to their homes for brief respite from
their legislative duties until the first Mon
day in next December. Though it may be
respite it will not be rest for most of them.
They must take care of their long neglected
political fences give an account of their
stewardship to their constituents, and enter
at once into heated canvasses for their own
or somebody else's elections. From now
until the first week in November the politi-
cal atmosphere will be in state Of lively
perturbation, with a storm center local
lied in every Congressional District.
The acts of every Representative and of
both parties will be sharply assailed and
strongly defended everywhere, and the
people called upon to pass Judgment
upon both individuals and parties The
result viii be awaited with much interest
and will have an important bearing on
future legislation. 1t is hazardous to make
any predictions. The Republicans enter the
campaign for the control of the next House
handicapped by many disadvantages. Even
with the advantages Of the Presidential
year and the feeling aroused in the country
by the pension vetoes and the odious Mills
bill, they had majority of but eight on the
face Of the returns at the opening of the
present session. They added seven TO this by
the admission Of six new States, and gained
II more by unseating Southern Democrats
alleged to be fraudulently elected, and re-
placing them by their Republican COMPETE
tors. This gives them present majority
Of q; but il is hardly expected that the
Representatives from the South who were
seated can be reelected, while the States of
Maryland, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ten
nessee have been gerrymsndered with the
express purpose of destroying the Republi-
can majority in the House. Again, the two
great measures Of this session-the Disability
Pension bill and the Tariff bill-have been
30 recently enacted that the party will
hardly receive much benefit from the good
results expected to flow from those measures.
The Republicans would have been in much
better shape before the country II they had
hearkened to the urgings Of The NATIONAL
TRIBUNE, and passed the pension legislation
early last Winter, so that by this time the
good results would have been Enthusiastically
manifest to the veterans.
However, the greatness of their victory in
Maine has greatly encouraged the Republi-
cans, and they are going in everywhere to
win, as are the Democrats too, and the cam
paign is being prosecuted with an energy
second only to those Of Presidential years.
The session has been notable one in
other respects than for its length. For four
Congresses the House has been in control of
the Democrats. and the Republicans have
sharply assailed their antagonists for their
policy, and promised better things if they
were entrusted with power again. The
elections Of 1898 gave them control of the
House and a President The Senate was
theirs already by good working majority,
80 that they had full power and responsibility
for all legislation. They have ended their
first tour Of duty at helm of State, and the
country is now TO pass judgment as to how
they have acquitted themselves.