New-York tribune., 1891-01-29
AnpJCE FRUu OPPONENTS.


Senator Stewart and "The Evening POST
are kind enough to give the Republican party
solemn warning Mr. Stewart thinks unm-
tied coinage the one thing needful to saliva
ton. and "The Evening POST regards him as
a lost and abandoned creature on that account.
But the Democratic party succeeded in pushing
the Election bill aside by the aid OF certain
silver, Senators, and now Mr.. Stewart turns up
as one OF the assistant Democrats and begs the
Republican party not to 90 against the VIII OF
the people he atiirms ii would do II 1t Should
limit the power of Democrats to carry elections
by fraud On that point his eminently dlSln-
terested opinion is regarded by The LVehihg
POST as that of a statesman and seer, ana Is
published as if he had bartered of sacred trust
committed to him by Republican votes, and had
thereby shown himself one of the very few pure
and SpoteSS men remaining in public life.
In the estimation of these yirtu0uS critics
the Republican party is guilty OF resisting INC
declared will of the people because they voted
against the Election bill declSiyely III the re
cent Congressional elections. But that KIND OF
argument is getting worn, and thin, ana tlIed
Senator Stewart when he was shouting Tor Sll-
yer declared that the last elections were
solemn Judgment against the Republican
party and in favor OF free coinage he
Evening Post" has been continually aiilrln-
ing that the last elections were solemn
Judgment against the Republican party
on the tariff question. 1t will not quito DO
among people of average sense to assert that
the recent elections were final verdict of the
people on each and every question conceivable.
When the Free Trader claims that the people
=.
the Mckinley bill he really asserts, though he
may not be competent TO see the point, that the
peoplc did not vote against the Republican
party because they were opposed to the EIcc-
ton bill or the Silver bill of the last session.
20 when the silver men shout tliumphantly that
the people voted as they did because they want
ed free coinage, 1t does not become them to
come in the next time they have anything else
to talk about and assert thai the same votes dc
cided that other question also.
Naturally the Democrats at Washington are
prone TO reckon the votes of last November aS
a formal Endorsement and final approval OF
every foolish thing under the But the
| :" plain people," as Mr.. Lincoln was wont to call
them, know better They have the sense 10
perceive that the elections having been turned
in many States by the mere neglect OF multi
tudes 10 vote, it cannot be sad that hhe ma
jority of the people pronounced at that umc
Tor or against anything. But they also have
the sense 10 perceive that some OF the voters
who turned from the Republican party 10 the
Farmers Alliance, thus changing the result III
many other states, did 50 because they were
flS cinated by the peculiar notions OF the All
ance regarding loans of public money Oh prod
| ucts or on land, and these men did not in TACT
by their votes decide" the tariff question, the
silver question, or the question Of honest cleo
tOnS. And once more, OF those whose votes
were Swayed by interest in these three IucS-
tons. part were opposed to the tariff, but there
is 10 evidence that they were enough to conSti-
tu;e majority. Pant were in favor Of free
coinage but there is no evidence that they were
enough to constitute a majority. Part were op-
posed TO the Election bill, but there is 10 eyi-
dence that they were enough to constitute a
majority
Ii is not the business of this Congress to lie
down and die before It's time because the peo-
ple have elected different one. That would
be like the engineer who ruined his locomotive
because that morning he had been told that he
could quit work the next day. This Congress
was elected TO do the lawmaking for the cOnn-
try until the ith day Of March next al noon.
| lnti that hour It's commission from the people
is as direct, and its power complete, and It's
duty to ac according to its convictions as clear
and unqucstionabc, that Of any other Con-
gleSs can be- Particularly, it is not called
upon to abdcate a power or abandon trust
committed to it by the people in full elections
because at later elections part Of the people
failed 10 vote.