The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-10-09
CONGRESS ADJOURNED.

CONGkESS ADJOURNED.
After session of ten months the
5lst Congress has taken recess ul,-
till the beginning of the December ses-
sion. The protracting Of the session
was caused by the extended debate on
tariff Revision, and the dilatory pre-
ceedings interposed by the Dem ocra' 9
portion of the House in order to pre-
vent the Republicans revising the rev
enue measures in the interest OF the
American producer and manufactures,
rs they stood pledged to do. The re-
vision Of the Tariff and other revenue
laws is always task Of great difficult
ty. 1t is work Of immense detail
A multitude of conflicting interests
come iutO collision, and managing pol
iticians take advantage Of the strife to
make the must out of it for their per-
sonal and political advantage. Such
period demands the highest order Of
craftsmanship, as more than once our
country. has found its greatest per:ls
III the strifes incident to the arrange.
nent Of its tariff laws. - = 49, -,
The commencement of this Congress
found tile Republican party in control
| of all departments Of the government.
There was proper and All imperative
demand that the current revenues Of
| the government should he reduced, as
they were largely in excess of what the
annual expenses of the government re-.
Quired. There was great clamor be-
cause the Republicans haf not done
this themselves st an eallier day, OF
allowed the Cleveland Administration
to construct revenue policy On Free
Trad. principles. Having fair ma
jority in each House, and the Execu-
tive department. in political accord.
the supreme question was, has the Re
publican party the wisdom, courage
aud high determination to carry out
the pledges it has male time and again,
to arrange duties on foreign manufac
lures aud pruducts 50 as to protect,
fairly and adequately, the industries
of this great country. In doing this it |
had only to adhere to the principles
underlying fine tariff measures, which |
which nave 80 we'll maintained the f.
nancial credit of the nation, and pro>
duced an Unprecedented era Of Conn.,
mercial prosperity all over the land,
for period of twenty 1--we years.
In getting at its work grave inp"d-
ments were in the way Of the Republ!-
can party. Its majority in II e uou:e
was very small. 10 all appearance,
when it assembled, it had no "workine
majority." After making allowance
for the inevitable opinionated cranks,
who assert their individualities-very
often great absurdi:ies-and for tho
timid men who take couns Ell of their
fears more than Of their conciences,
there WAS snall.hope of accomplishing
the lercul-an task put upon the party
n vicious parliamentary usage which
enabled u minority to obstruct aud de-
feat the viii! nf the majority WAS taken
u Vantage of hy the minority party.
BY rare good fortune the Speaker of
the House proved to be the sort of a
statesman demanded by the exigency.
Adopting precedents allowed and es-
tablished by Democratic parliamenta-
rians, he ''counted a quorum" when
the obstructionists refused in egu:ar
ways to appear to I've in attendance
A p,rliam ,ntary precedent was set
which will never heuceforth be depart
Ell from. The majority OF tho House
can no more be successfully impeded
in its work, by absurd dilatory pro
ceedings, and the majority will be re-
sponsibie for what it does or fails to
do.
Hence the great work of the long
session is done. We dare not Say that
every detail of the tariff law is perfect,
cr what it ought to be. Human abili-
ity is not equal to that, That every
interest involved will find no cause for
complaint, with Il measure Of justice,
we may not affirm. A tariff law free
from mis-: AXE was never made.
But the Congress did what it was
!lpdged to do. It has carried out the
will Of it's constituency, 1t has reduce
eli the annual revenues for the time
being. 1t has done SO by rule which
heretofore has given the country Il
large measure of prosperity. 1t has,
according to the highest wisdom at
,ainable by man, protected the inter-
ests of the lab"ring men Of the land.
Let the thoughtful men of the coun-
try beware of hasty judgment or rash
censure. Let the measure he judged
by its fruits immediate and remote.
Protective tariffs have given the coun-
try prosperity so far in our history.
Low tariffs have brought loss, stag
nation to business, bankruptcies and
distress. This is the fact ;>s history
records it. Let us hope that AS the
fruits Of this measure appear, the gen.
| eral good will be found to be prom
ted.