The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1890-11-13
we.rn,uero.. MINI. NOVEMBER. Is. 1890
THE SOBER SECOND THOUGHT.

Aftor panic created ny mlstaKo or
Misrepresentation, the "sober, second
thought" Of those affected, corrects
tho error aud gives the throne to sound
Judgment and truth. just now
tho Democratic pspers are exultlng
over the result Of the elections as con-
demnatory Of the action Of tho last
congress, aud are predicting the sue
cess OF their party two years hence.
But there will be time for reflection
between now and the election In 1892.
What the trend of popular reflection
Win be, is not very difficult to deter
miae:s; The last congress has been
grossly misunderstood. The more its
.staes 4 seEaeiaiz.Ad the better 9in its j
work DO appreciated. That congress.
ahu Il met, was confronted with the
sehrsat that the minority would ob'
struot tho legislation proposed by
tho majority, that it did not approve
of. The majority met that threat with
. decision aud manliness that entities
it to the admiration Of coming CEN
turies. 1t resolved to exercise its
rights, and removed the impediments
proposed. This 1a3 done by the cotn.,
mon sense decision, that when quo
rum was actually present that no
juggle Of parliamentary forms should
make out that no quorum was present
The fact of a quorum being present
was the signal for business to proceed,
and It did proceed.
But that p RI neutary pret eden, has
passed iuto history, and will never be
superseded. 1t will stand AS long as
popular government lasts. 1t concerns
us now to inquire what work the
present congress did, in spite Of an
almost mutinous obstruction by the
minority partyy The Pioneer Press
sums up the work as follows:
"Without taking into account the
vast number of bills and joint resolu
tions introduced or of committee ~.
ports made, the house passed l, ,2s92 bills,
Of which $40 were approved by tile
senate; the senate passed 100 bills, of
which 4s6 got through the house, max
ing y total Of l 1886 ac>s Ou the statute
book as the actual work accomplished
during the sestiol.
"But it is the quality rather than The
quantity Of this work which is submit
ted to the public Judgment. Among
tho ben-fcent enactments which ell
title the Republican majority of con-
Rress to hearty COMMUNICATION is the
disability act. which, as Mckinley
says, in the most generous piece of
pension legislation ever passed by ANY
nation Oh earth. 1t was enacted In
fultiilment of the promise made by the
Republican party tn the defenders of
the Union, and it is quite certain that
l,O such measure f'r the benefit Of dis
nbl-G soldiers und their widows aud
orphan children would ever have been
enacted by i Democratic majority, or
will, their consent if they h3d Oe-il
permitted to obstruct legislation by
their fi'ibusteri"g tactics. Another
excellent p. zee of work was the final
settlement Of the long mooted ques-
tiOn of the forfeiture of uuearntd land
grants by the restoration of 8,O:O. .WN
acres Of lands to the public domain
aud TO the pioneer settlers in search OF
free hOmes,e..tls. The national bank
ruptcy bill is another important meas
ure for which the country has Ions
besn waiting. Still another is til.
silver bill, which, though not the best
measure that could have been franco
upon this subject, il doubtless the bes
that could have been passed. Th'
.~nti-trust bill, the anti.lottery bill
the original package bill, the meat i'll
spection bill, the naval appropriation
bill; increased appropriations for tn
civil service commission, and an an
nuxl appropriation to agricultural col
leges are among the excellent measure
passed by congress. 1t is needless t
say that few if any of them could llav
been passed except for Speaker Reed
sensible ruling that members Of tn
house who are actually present canno
vanish into nonenity by simply refus
ing to answer to the roll call, but ca
be counted rs actually and visibl!
present and as a constituent part Of
quorum"
The official count for this legislative
district has not been had, but W