Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1890-01-24

monarchies would lie cold or even hos
tile TO the popular movement, and the
action of our Government was intend
ed to warn these unfriendly observers
that the United States OF America
were interested i'll the establishment
Of the republic in France and might
deem any obstacle thrown in its way
as an uniriendly act to us. The Re
publican Senators have got beyond that
point now. They wait to see what
England and Germany and Italy will
do about recognizing a new popular
government on our own continent
where the Brazilian empire has always
been foreign growth, tolerated only
because of its harmlcssness.
THE REPUBLICAN CRY OF "POwER AND
PLUMBER"
In the way of legislation the Re
publicans are thinking of nothing but
schemes that will aggrandize the ma
tional. at the expense of local govern
ments; that will benefit individuals |
and classes, at the expense of the
whole people, and that will bring a
board of lobbyists, black-mailers and
corruptionists into the corridors of the
capitol. These eggs of corruption will
hatch out before the fall elections, and |
we have no doubt what the great |
masses of the people will think OF the
pernicious brood. If the Republican
members OF Congress attempt to pass |
a national election law. they will find
a lively fire in the rear from Northern
Republicans who will not stand any
such interference with local institu-
tions. The Blair bill is fast loosing
those who once supported it for phil
anthropic reasons and those who
once supported it for local interest. |
The tariff will come near to breaking
the back of the Republican party in
New England, which was for so many
years the head centre of Republican
ism and protection, is no longer solid
ly Republican, and the petitions of
her manufacturers for free wool, coal
and iron ore, and reduced duties on
pig iron, show that she is on the
point of permanently breaking away
from the party of ultra protectionists.
The Committee on Ways and Means
has already shown the entire Repub-
lican method of preparinga bill for the
levying of taxes. This has never been
anything of a secret, but the more Of
ten the object lesson can be taught to
the public, the more sure the Demo-
cratic party is to receive the general
support of the people. The commit
tee is now preparing a bill to levy
taxes on the citizens of the United
States for the support of the govern
ment, and instead of ascertaining first
how much money the government
needs and then how that required sum
can he raised with the least amount of
taxation the committee is summoning
before it all the individual beneficial |
ries OF taxation and asking them to
say how heavy the taxes ought to be.
THE PEOPLE PUNISH MEN WHO BETRAY |
THEIR TRUSTS.
The Credit Mobilier and the Pacific |
Mail scandals and the salary grab. Oc
CURED in the Forty-Third Congress-
Thereafter for six years, the House OF
Representatives, and for two of the
years the Senate, were in the hands of
the Democrats. The people watch the
doing of their agents here more close
ly than some imagine. Popular as the
river and harbor legislation is, and
just rs much of it is, the very large
appropriation made by the Forty-Sev-
enth Congress cost many a member
his seat and had considerable to do
with the change in the political COM
plexion of the House. If the Fifty
first Congress shall vote the subsidies |
which the Administration has asked it
to do, the odor of corruption that will
emanate from the capitol will reach
every Congressional district in the
country, and it will be surprising to
see how many men new to public life
will appear on the rolls of the Fifty
second Congress. Let the Fifty-tirst
Congress appropriate large sums of
money for the irrigation of lands that
can be irrigated by private enterprise
and which are in fact rapidly being
irrigated by co operation and private
enterprise, and the members of Con-
gress will find out that there is pop
ular judgment adverse to the improper
and wasteful expenditure of public
money that will make itself felt even
in the localities Immediately bene-
fitted by the appropriation.
THE REPUBLICANS ARE GETTING FOUND
OUT.
In the next six months of Congress
sional activity, the verdict upon which
will be pronounced in November next
and will be forecast of a more gener-
al verdict that will be rendered in No |
vember 1892, the Democratic party |
will gain by comparison with every |
act OF the Republicans in the White
House, the Senate and House of Rep |
presentatives. Whatever the poll |
ticians may imagine the great mass
OF the people of this country in the
long run want their local governments
to protect their persons and property,
and will not tolerate the assumption
by the political authorities way off in
Washington OF the functions that
properly belong to the town meeting,
the County Board and the State Legis-
lature. No matter how loudly inter
ested individuals may talk the other
way, the sober second thought Of the