Workmen's advocate., 1890-04-26
CONGRESS

reason of what appears on the surface, but of the under. current of events. The debates on the floor of the two Houses have been of no importance. In the Senate the Montana Senators case, in the House the case of the contested | seats from West Virginia, took up most | of the time. But in a less obtrusive | way mi ters of deep concern are being raised by petitions, resolutions and lnno cent-looking bills that are pouring in upon the Federal Legislature from all parts of the country.
 First, in point of numbers, are the petitions from the Oranges of the Pa irons of Husbandry, praying for the passage of bill providing loans by the Government to farmers at a low rate of interest. Farm lands to a prodigious extent are about to be foreclosed, and farmers in large numbers are, thence, on the verge of pauperism. Portia could not argue away the seal from Shylocks deed no more can Edward Atkinson and Senator Paddock argue away from the consciousness of the farmer the ruin that is impending over his house. He seems to be losing all hope of beng able to pay off the mortgage on his land with the returns of his crop. The one IS steadily eating him up; the other is as steadily declining in value. The far mers visions of recovery of financial independence are fleeing; he seems re- signed to position of dependence; and he now turns to Uncle Sam, imploring to be the Nations, rather than hard | fisted's, debtor.
 Intimately connected with this move of the farmer is a resolution presented | by Senator Plumb, from Kansas, in | tended to reduce the reserve fund in the | hands of the Secretary of the Treasury, and thereby to increase the per capita of the circulating medium, which, owing to existing regulations, is at present slightly over $l0.
 Nominally the farming West holds the balance of power; in point of fact the Eastern capitalist rules the roost. The two interests are deadly opposed. The farmers application for national aid, to- gether with Senator Plumb's proposed resolution, flies in the teeth of the conspir-
 ing Eastern capitalists, whose intrigue center is, and always has been, the Treas ury Department. The latter figure upon and push for contraction rather than an imitation of the per capita of circu-
 lating medium. Counter petitions from
 the bankers will therefore soon appear
 in Congress, if they have not already
 reached the Congressmen themselves in secret and suggestive communications.
 Thus conflict is impending between
 these two great interests. It means life
 or death to the aspirations of both. The
 result cannot be doubtful. The phases
 of the conflict will be of interest. They
 will mark the last stages in the evolution
 of the farmer from the ranks of the
 class of the property holders to that of
 the propertless, from conservative to
 a radical.
 The pension bills, petitions for relief
 on the strength of military service and
 propositions to appropriate extensive
 tracts If land for soldiers homes take
 the next place during the week just
 closed. Of these there have been passed
 or presented during the last month moi
 less than 800. On their faces these
 propositions do not seem to be objection
 able. It might be objected that he who
 fought for his country is not entitled tC
 greater degree of his country's grati tude than he who labored in the fields o industry to furnish her with the means of existence and development. If tn, one receives recognition and is sheltered ' against want by means of a pension, st should the other. In so far as this ob jection constitutes plea in behalf O
 the workingmen, 1t is just and unan , swerable. In so far, however, as it ma, 3 make against the protection by the ma i, tion of her indigent soldiers, it woul, 3 be unjust. If the morals of the natiol have not yet risen to the plane of recog nizing the equal utility of the labor O I all her children, and her duty towards al T of them alike, it is no reason upon whic r to base a course of ingratitnde to all r While continuing to agltate for the ful - lest measure of justice, we should b