The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-03-04
RADicALisM IN CHECK.
not Only Brains But Right ON the Demo
cratic Side.

WIN only Tour more weeks or the
session the radicals must be able to con-
troll the Republican party in the Senate
and willing to prevent the passage of
the appropriations bill if the force bill
IS to pass. While it is probable that the
bill will be called up and another siren
uous attempt made to pass it, the condi-
lions are such that ordinary care and
watchfulness will prevent its passage.
In the first place, the radicals have
never yet controlled a majority in the
Senate for the passage of the bill. In
spite of all that the Administration has
been able to do in the way of dictation,
the conservative spirit has kept a strong
hold among the Republican Senators,
even when the majority of them seemed
to yield to radicalism. The more cour-
ageous of them have manifested this
spirit in open opposition, while those
who did not feel strong enough to
venture so much against the executive
power have, nevertheless, hung back
in such way as to be dead weight,
encumbering the progress of radicalism.
All that the bill has needed for it's
passage in the last month has been a
radical majority, to pass it. Such
a majority could have suppressed
the opposition at once, even though
the opposition had been continued, as
it should and as it doubtless would
have been, up to the point where a
majority appeared determined on force,
and using force in the expression of its
determination. Had such a majority
appeared, all that would have been
necessary for the passage of the bill
would have been the passage of the
gag rule and resolution instructing
the sergeant to use force in
supporting it. With this violence act
ually used against them in the Senate
chamber, the Democrats would have
been obliged to abandon their attempts
to persuade the representatives of the
Republican party not to pass the bill.
While persuasion has thus far
triumphed. the appearance of a radical
majority in the Senate at any time be-
tween now and March 4 will pass the
bill inside of twenty-four hours.
1t is possible that such a majority
will appear, but that it is not probable
is almost as much due to the courage
of Republican minority OF conserva-
tives as it is to the Democrats The
Republican Senators who have boldly
denounced the blu knew that in doing
so they invited the enmity of q faction
which is desperate and nnscrupulous in
its methods and which is in power, con-
trolling the far-reaching political re-
sources of tens of thousands of salaried
offices. Nevertheless they spoke, and
spoke bravely, and in doing SO made a
breastworS for other Republican Sen
ators, conservative but too timid to
openly declare against radicalism in a
Republican administration.
The speeches on the bill have been
up to the high standard of the last two
or three Congresses. With the Mills
| bill debate our Congress in both House
and Senate took the very highest rank
as deliberative body-higher than it
has ever held before; higher than any
other deliberative body has ever held in
knowledge of political economy and
the science of government. In most de-
| Lucrative bodies in American history
| and other histories one or two masters
of the subjects in hand have controlled
the rest by force Of their superior
knowledge 1t is no longer SO in the
American Congress. There are at least
dozen men in House and Senate now
who have a more comprehensive
knowledge of the tariff than Clay.
| Webster, Calhoun and Benton together
We do not mean that they are greater
men, but they have had greater oppor-
tunities forced on them. The man now
who reads and who does not OBJ
tain a comprehensive knowledge o.
public affairs is dullard indeed
There are hundred newspapers
and periodicals now where there
were ten in the time of Clay and Web
/ ster, and they have hundred times a.
much in them. In their partisan conten
tions they dig deep into every subjec
before the people. The public man who
works industriously in the leads thu
opened comes continually on rich mines
of information, but even the lazy poll
tician who will not work at all excep
to read the newspapers and other per-
odicals acquires SO much information
that he is able to make a stand on hi
own resources thus accumulated, ant
maintain it creditably.
| In the debate on the Mills bill, on thu
Mckinley bill, on financial legislation
on the force bill, the American Con
cress takes place second to none il
history, and it is most noteworth..
and significant fact that in the discus
sion of the two last mentioned meas
ures, the Mckinley bill and the lore
BILL the Republicans, or rather thei
radicals, have been silenced from tn
start. .'We WHIP or 1--WE won't-s
what's the use of tall1ing?" is wha
they have said to the country in thei
action of keeping silence themselve
and cndeavoring to close discussion.
1t has been said sometimes that thi
is because there is more brains on tn
Democratic side. Certainly the part
has as much brains in its public men a
any party ever had, but there is be
ter reason: The Democrats have bee
right and the radicals wrong on thes
issues, and the radicals were despel
ately aware of it.-St. Louis Republic
BLAiNE's RECIPROCITY.
, A Scheme to Benefit the Few at the E:
pense of the Many.
, And now the fuctuating organ whic