St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-10-05
COMMENTS on CONGRESS. n


COMMENTS ON CONGRESS. n
1t was with a profound sense of grati-
tude the whole American people received
news of the adjournment of congress-.
In the whole history of the national
government there has never been a cons
gress which created so much a%pprehen-
sion in the public mind, or one that ac-
complished such bad results as the one
that has just expired. There was never
another congress which came into power
with SO many assurances of achieve
ments and reform, and then ended IT'S
career without honor, ana without the
accomplishment of a single v~irtuous
achieve ment. The FIRST session of the
Fifty-first congress IS the blacklist chap
ter i'll the annals of American legisla-
ton.
of the several thousand bills that
were before this congress-, only four
consumed any of its time. These were
the pension bill, the MCKINLEY tariff
bill. the LODGE force bill and the river
and harbor bill. Under the pressure of
the pension sharks, who have the best
organized lobby ever known in WASH
ing ton, something like $1OO, coo. 600 have
been added to the annual taxation. 1t
is a remarkable fact that in a time of
profound peace, without either an army
or a navy worth mentioning, we are
paying more for pensions alone than
Germany. with her ornaments which
master a continent. Although tie war
ended twenty-five years ago. its financial
burdens are increasing, and all because
the tariff barons would have it so that
they may find an eXcus for Substituting
the favored industries.
The MCKINLEY tariff bill was de-
handed by the protected m%onopolies,
and it was passed by a ~truculent Repub-
lican majority. in obedience to their be-
hests. The tin-plate tax is a fair illus
tration of the whole measure. The tin
tax was established to enable a company
of English capitalists to float a tin mine
on the London market. 1t was a Lom-
bard street job, designed to put none
in English pockets. And yet the advo-
Gates of the MCKINLEY law have the
shameless audacity TO claim that the
measure was designed to protect Amer
lean industries.
The force bill failed because the tariff
barons and the pension sharks needed
time to loot the treasury. The prinei-
pie of the bill, which is an invasion of
civil rights and constitutional provis-
ions, was fully indorsed by the Repub-
lican majority, and it will be revived
when congress reassembles in Decem-
Der. The spirit of tyranny still reigns.
4
The river and harbor bill is one of the
most eXtravagant measures of the kind
that has been passed in recent years.
If the amount appropriated had been
properly applied, the measure would
have been endurable. But under its
provisions great sums are voted to i'm
prOvements that are not needed, while
such improvements as are Imperatively
demanded by the necessities of COM
merce have been sighted altogether, or
given such a meager appropriation that
no good is accomplished. Congress re-
fused to make many appropriations for
buildings that are much needed, and all
because the subsidized tariff bosses
wanted the money in the treasury for
their individual uses. st. Paul is among
the cities which have suffered from this
cause.
There are three men who are chiefly
responsible for the outrageous results
of the late congress. There we're two
ruling spirits in the senate, but only
one in the house. The senate has Its
M~ephistopoles in the person of IN
CALLS, and its Black Crook in the nota-
BILE QUAY. These two rulers of dark
ness conspired together and forced the
Republican majority to adopt the selfish
policy they had mapped out. The house
was ruled by a Robespierre in black
sash and red shirt, who confined legisla-
ton to his recording clerks. And as for
the other members of congress, they
seemed to be a loose-jointed gang, do
ing nothing, saying nothing, utterly
worthless as legislators, and whose only
ambition was to obey the dictates of
QUAY, INGALLS, and REED.
1t has been a congress of plumber,
audacity and corruption. Its reckless
policy has been ruinous to the nations
industrial interests. and a severe strain
upon the forms Of popular government.
But the republic will survive the shock.
Our young country is too full of energy
and pride to be destroyed by one con-
praSS We will naver Gao another euob