New-York tribune., 1891-12-26
PRESIDENT MIXING.

PRESIDENT MAKING.
This is the President making Congress. Every
alternate Congress is devoted in its first or long
session to making Presidents rather than making
laws. That pre-emineD.ly is the function OF the
Congress just merging into view. The party
which controls the House by such an enormous
majority has its record to make upon which to
ask votes for its Presidential ticket in 1892
1t cannot shirl the responsibility or AVOID the
risk. 1t had the advantage last year, when this
Congress was elected, of going to the people upon
a general denial of the Republican position on
the tariff accompanied by criticism and fault
finding with the details of an elaborate Tarl1f
bill which had not been tried and which it could
not be supposed was free from imperfectons any
more than any other human enactment Never
was there so good an opportunity for political
party to bring together in its own support all
the elements Of disaffectiOn and all the doubling
and timid ones. They played their game shrewd-
y and successfully. The Republicans did not
realize the odds against them until the election
was over and they read in the returns the weighty
circumstance which they had not fully appre-
ciated before that while everybody who dlsap-
proved the minutest detail of the Mckinley bill
either voted with the Democrats or refrained
from voting at all, the vote for Republican
Congressman represented in fact only so many
as either believed the bill perfect in itself or mad
entire confidence in the ability and disposition
of the party that had passed it to perfect it in
the particulars in which it should be found I'M
perfect in practical operation.
The critics are now in power with one hundred
and fifty majority. Another campaign OF mega
ton and faut-fnding with details is impossible.
They must necessarily do something themselves.
They must make a record. Even it they do
nothing they will not have escaped the response
biity. for no record will be of itself record, and
one that will sufficiently condemn them for In
sincerity and incapacity. They cannot carry
Presidential election on the imperfections OF
bill which they have had the opportunity to
offer to amend in detail or repeal absolutely ii
they neglect to do either To the voters who
elected them they said: "The Mckinley bill
is bad in principle and imperfect in detail. Give
us the opportunity TO show what we can do in
the matter of tariff legisation.' The voters
have complied. The tariff reformers are in con-
troll with one hundred and fifty majority, an
unprecedented preponderance, and now the peo-
pie who elected them are waiting to see what
they will do with the power intrusted to them.
ID is true that having control of only one branch,
with the coordinate branch of Congress and the
Executive opposed to them, they cannot hope to
carry any radical measure to success but they
cannot shelter themselves behind this excuse fol
inaction For the reasonable Interpretation OF
their last years victory is that the voters in
tended to give them the opportunity and to put
upon them the responsibility OF taking definite
and positive position and putting in concrete
form their views upon what they say Is the
leading issue in National politics. They must
make the next fight in the open, not upon the
weakness of their opponents, but upon the
strength of their own position.
So the President making Congress opens. II
has first to make its candidate. And that is the
present phase Of the situation. The manOeuvfing
which began Immediately after the November
elections, and has ended with the election ol
Crisp and the organization OF the House as just
announced, has been chiefly with reference tc
candidates. The one hundred and fifty majority
are divided into two factions, differing apparently
on the question whether radical measure should
be adopted or tinkerng policy followed. Real
| " the difference is as to candidates, and here
| it is the whole field against Cleveland The
shrewd and cunning managers who brought about
the election OF Crisp had for their main purpose
the organization OF the House against Cleve
lands nomination. They understood clear
ly the logic of the situation =" and all it inn
Piled. 1t was not only the election of Mills ano
the adoption of radical Free-Trade measure
| but what was of more consequence to them, the
nomination of Cleveland, whom they do not like
and will not have if they can help it. With then
ii is anybody to beat Cleveland. The first point
in the game are in their favor. They believe
the House as organized will not pass any radica
measure on the tariff, and unless they do Cleve
land cannot be nominated for he is the logic
of that situation, just as Mills lately was OF an
other. 1t is to be borne in mind that this is no
| a lawmaking but President making Congress