New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-09-25
4 TINE For PATRIOTISM.

When patriots turned Boston llarbOr into
tean,t there was astr an earnest devotion 70
tho public good which Scorned to sacrifice II
for private gain. The Revolutionary heroes
are dead. some of faeir descendants consider
it decent and honorable to threaten the deie;''
of \ measure which they know will greatly
bless the Nation as a whole unless II IS ;"
changed as to suit their personal ainh'i"ns' ".
10 secure TO them or some OF their ifiehdS al
the private gain they want In the "eha'e
there are said to he nine statesmen Vi 'he
binding Irvine magnitude. In the House 'hore
are said to be members who will refuse great
benefits to the people Of the Nation unless tne!
or their special friends can secure something
they want.
THE TRlnrHE has no intention OF imrusn-
ing the motives of any who have lahored win
all their zeal and ability to shape the TariH
bill according to their Judgment. Those WIN"
have partly failed may have been quite as S'h-
cere and patriotic in their past efforts as 'hoSe
who have more fully succeeded. But now the
stage of shaping is over The bill mas I'd Dc
nassed or defeated substantially as 1t Is Ohy
by unusual! effort continued for two weeks has
il hc.,n nssible to assemble at Washington
near the end Of September. and with elections
drawing near. enough Republican Representa-
tives TO make a quorum. Failure TO act now
ON the measure prepared means failure TO act
at all until another session. lie who now pro-
Noses TO resist the passage Of the bill b. cause
This or that does not please him deliberately
nropoScs to sacrifice the public welfare. foi
what? lie cannot imagine that such per-
Torrance will help the particular interest ne
fayors with Republican Representatives at the
next sessiLn. No Republican can honesfi! say
that he thinks the harm to be expected from
one feature which he dslikcs would Ontwei9h
the enormous benefits which the rest OF the
bill would confer upon the people OF the whole
c,untry. lie therefore sacrifices the pubic
welfare. because an advantage has not been
GAINED for some persons in this or that locality
or occupation.
There il more of such talk than there will be
of such action let us hope. II is not street.!
in harmony with the spirit OF RevOl'ltionis!
patriotism. The man who goes back to his
district to defend such action needs to be very
sure that there are not many people living
there who care for the welfare and prosperity
Of their whole country. If there are. he will
he asked by what right he refused to pass bill
which would give employment to 100000 more
Americans. because he was unable to get the
number increased a little.
Ii is time for members of Congress to under
stand thar the people are utterly Disguised win
men who look at this question as distribution
of pork Small and narrow souls do sometimes
get t. represent patriotic constituencies b"'
they do not stay there when people find them
ont. In plain truth, there has been on the
mart Of a few members enough OF laltcrlnG AMI
bargaining. enough of small care for this petty
interest or that narrow locality. 10 prove that
they are not fit to make laws for Nation. NJ
man will join their company who wishes III"
respect and honor Of free people who ARE M
IN govern themselves. The ample justification
If the Tariff bill! is found in the fact that II J.
calculated to promote the prosperity OF the
| conntry as a whole II it is not. the measure J.
a wicked and cruel one. which nobody has an!
right to vote for even il he can get into II some
favor for particular interest. But If II vii
promote the prosperity OF In" who,c Nation
man has a right to vote against it because h
cannot get into it something else which hi
thinks would do good.
| Republican members are aware that the pol
icy of great national party is embodied II
| this measure. and the success OF That party
depends upon its enactment. II there are SOM
in this or that state or district who would b.
offended by it's passage i'll IFS present form
thore are thousands in almost every state %
district who would be far more offended BY
the failure of a Republican Congress to pas
such a measure There is now bn, one thin:
for Republicans to do and that is T. sustain
heartily the policy OF their party.