The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1891-12-02
THE COMING CONGRESS.
RESPONSIBILITY OF THE DEMO-
CRATIC MAJORITY.
Foreign Tariff, on American Farm Prod
uce-The New York SUMS Apiarian-
New Light from New Source-some
Tariff Notes.
The Next Congress.

Those who may naturally think that
the huge Democratic majority in the
next Congress will have rosy time in
exercising its power, will receive new
light on the subject by reading the fol-
Tribune. 1t is full of weighty sugges-
tons, and will bear careful study:
This is nation of prophets. The aver
age American takes i'll no item OF news
without attempting TO predict its conse-
quences. But those who try to forecast
the next presidential election on the the
DRY that the issues have been all made up,
and sort OF dress rehearsal of the voting
held in the elections this fall, reckon with
out most important factor.
a new Congress Is 10 meet next month.
1t includes the most Democratic House
that has ever been elected since Democrats
went into rebellion. That party has more
than tw0-thirdS OF the whole number of
members. Many of them were elected by
the aid of the Farmers Alliance and are
In fact under sworn obligations to that
secret organization. But the Democrats
who owe IL no allegiance, and are expected
TO obey only the behcSts of u Democratic
caucus, are unqucStionably q clear MAORI
~ of the House. The responsibility OF
that party for what is done IN the House
is absolute and indisputabie.
Every vote and every speech OF these
men will 60 to make up the Issues of the
next campaign. The votes of Democratic
Representatives on the silver question Will
weigh with the plain people infinitely more
Than any declarations OF delegates. IL the
Democrats III Congress. with comparative
ly few exceptions, vote for unlimited silver
coinage, and are aided by few silver Re-
publicans i'll sending bill to the Presi-
dent, his veto will make an issue which no
convention will have the slightest power
TO exclude from the contest. 1t happens
that large majority of the Democratic
representatives have already declared that
they Will support such measure. They
may change their minds in view of public
dlStrust of this feature Of the Democratic
policy; the country will see. But the men
who pledged themselves TO definite meas
ure year ago, when they were elected.
will find 4 hard to escape their obligations
to constituents.
Next comes the tariff question. Wordy
denunciationS of the protective policy will
not answer. The Democrats have now the
power to frame and send TO the Senate the
kind or bill they are ready 10 fight for. Ii
they refuse they will win the cJndemna-
ton and lose the confidence OF those who
want q change. If they frame a tariff,
knowing that constituents will compel
them TO pledge themselves before election
In regard 10 II. there will be war between
different factions In the party.
The.meaSureS proposed by the Farmers
Alliance VIII also have 10 be met in the
House. Either the Democratic representa-
tives are in favor Of the sub-treasury plan,
the land-mOrtgage plan, the national con-
troll of railroads and telegraphs, and the is
sue of $1,000 900, COO more paper money. or
they are not. If they oppose or Dodge
these measures Alliance voters at the South
and West Will take such action as they
may choose. Already il is claimed that the
Alliance intends to place In the field cleo
toral tickets in some of the Southern
states. 1t is equally plain that In some of
the Western states Democratic voters who
have joined the Alliance, and committed
themselves TO its political measures, will
not support their party in the presidential
contest unless they find il ready to join
with them on these questions. Thus the
issues which Congress will make within
the next SIX months by the votes of Demo-
cratic representatives Will have more to do
with the result of the next election, it is
safe to say, than any platform a Demo
cratic national convention can possibly
frame.