The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-03-04
A GLAD GOODBYE.

At high noon to-day the Fifty first Con-
gress will go out of existence, and the an
nouncement of it's death will be accom-
panied by sigh of relief which will
ascend from every state, every territory
and every city within the confines of the
republic. 1t has occasionally happened
that the going out Of Congress has been
the occasion of quite general rejoicing, but
it is believed that the popular verdict is
the sense of relief over the expiration Of
the Fifty-drst is keener than has ever
before been experienced, for this has been
the most vicious, the most law defying, the
most reckless, desperate and e1travagant
of ell the Congresses since the founding
of the Union. For the first time in the
history of the nation it was publicly as
serted that the House was not delibera-
tive body. That branch of the national
legislature was handed over 20 the control
of the speaker, upon whom was conferred
powers never before exercised by a pre-
| siding officer of an American legislative
body and to the shame of that officer it can
be said he used his autocratic power like
an autocrat. The result has been that
| there is question as to the strict legality
of many Of the acts which will go
into the books. 1t would taLe columns
| to enumerate all the wrongful
proceedings which have characterized the
House during the past fourteen months,
but all will be carried in their minds by
the American people who will in time i'm
pose proper punishment upon the perpetra-
| tors.
| One of the acts of which this Congress
has been guilty is the MCKINLEY bill, law
which will take millions every year from
the masses with which to enrich the mo-
nopolists and those who form trusts and
combinations The people promptly set the
seal of disapproval on that act last Novem=
Der, when they voted almost out of exist
ence the party which is responsible for the
robber tariff.
This Congress has been generous to the
degree of recklessness in the matter of
pensions. Millions have been squandered
in this way, not as just rewards for
meritorious and patriotic services, but as
sops to voters thrown by tricky politicians
and unprincipled demagogues.
Another piece of bad legislation was the
silver bill which provides for the early
discontinuance of the coinage of silver dol
lars, and makes the government party to
speculation in the white metal 1t was
bad law which was repealed, but an in
| tinitely worse one which was made to take
its place.
Many honestly elected Representatives
have been denied seats which were arbi-
trarily given to minority candidates who
would help to swell the reckless and des-
perate majority.
| Fortunately, all the bad and vicious legis-
lation attempted was not successful. by
the shrewdness of the minority aud the pa
trIotism of few members of the majority
some Of the worst bills were defeated and
the country will be spared the tyranny
which was intended.
Not the least occasion of the popular re-
ioicing over the death of the Fifty-first
Congress is the widespread belief that
never again will the Republican party be
in control Of the executive and legislative
branches of the government. The people
feel that the party has outlived its useful
ness; that the revolution which it set out
to achieve and which seemed necessary to
the strength and permanency of the repub-
lie has been accomplished, and there is
nothing left for the Republican organization
to do except to go to decay and out of ex-
istence.