The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-04-01
TWO YEARS IN POWER.
What Two Years of Republican Rule
Have Done for the Country.


What Two Years of Republican Rule
Have Done for the Country.
President Harrison's administration
has reached its middle term He sue
ceeded a president who was compara-
lively new to the country and without
experience in the national service, but
whose personality was incisive, and
who had done more than any other man
| in his party to restore it to national
| confidence and to give it national
| policy. President Harrison's PERSONAL
| ity has not impressed the country. He
| was familiar with the national service,
he was party leader in his state, and
| his grandfather had been president.
| He was regarded as trusty party man,
not brilliant, but very sensible, VINO
would make safe if not dashing chief
magistrate. His election was accom-
plished under circumstances which
plainly suggested to the opposition
bargains and corruption" as that of
Mr.. Cleveland had suggested to the OPP
position suppression of suffrage in
parts of the southern states The house
of Representatives elected with Mr.. Har-
rison made Mr.. Reed speaker The sch
ate was already republican, and the ad-
ministration was wholly in the control
of that party. The administration
opened with the usual partisan de-
vastation of that part of the civil SER
vice to which the reform law does not
apply. The two great party measures
proposed were new tariff and na-
tional election bill and party fury was
stimulated by the extraordinary con-
duct of the speaker of the house in as
serting extremely arbitrary and ques-
tionable powers.
The session of congress continued un-
| til late in the autumn. The chief in
terest was the tariff debate with the
passage of the tariff and the dis.
cussion of the election bill. These re-
vealed the fact that Secretary Blaine
differed from other party leaders upon
the kind of tariff legislation that was
desirable, and represented an important
difference in the party; and they re-
vealed also that the election bill was
not warmly supported by the party
press, and was condemned by a large
body of the party. The debate on the
election bill, and the evident republic
an opposi ton to it in the senate, led to
the suggestion of the introduce
ton of the previous Question
into the senate, not as a perma-
nent modification Of the rules, but as a
temporary expedient to pass a particu-
lar bill which the country had apparent
| ly condemned, Meanwhile the. general
course of events had not favorably inn
pressed the country. The circumstances
of the appointment of the postmaster
general, the ''clean sweep" of his assist
ant, which is no longer an agreeable
performance to the national good sense,
the extravagances of the new tariff,
the performances of the speaker, the
dislike of the election bill, the admis-
sion of mining camps as states, and
the consequent strengthening of dan
gerous financial schemes, general
partisan recklessness and sordid tone,
accompanied with criticism of the po-
litical opposition as public enemies
these things and such as these dis
turbed and alienated the public mind
until the autumn election.
The result of the election was an un-
precedented popular rebuke of the ad-
ministration. The house was lost by a
great majority. Even republican Mass
achusetts elected democratic COVER
nor The author of the tariff BILL
whose name it bore, was defeated.
Politically the election was a disastrous
rout for the administration. Judged by
republican canons, it was a decisive
popular verdict against the tariff, and a
s'mandate" to withdraw the election
bill. But when congress assembled the
election bill was urged to the exclusion
of other business, and with an effort to
pass closure act to secure its passage.
1t was strenuously resisted, and finally
baffied by bolt of republicans; and a
similar bolt secured in a republican
senate the passage of a free silver coin
age bill, and alarmed the entire busi-
ness community of the country with the
apprehension of general disaster. 10
complete the tale, the secretary of the
treasury fell dead at the end of strong
and convincing protest against the
financial policy which nothing but
the votes of his own party friends in
congress and the assent of the president
could make law During the weeks
following the election, also, the Indian
troubles drew general attention to the
long and fragrant mismanagement OF
Indian affairs, which, although not be-
ginning with this administration. has
not been radically improved under it.
So the administration reaches its mid
die term, and he must be an enthusiast
who supposes that it has strengthened
its party or secured the confidence OF
the country. It's advocates may argue
that it has done quite as well as any
other would have done. But they must
be aware that party in power is
Judged by it's own conduct, not by the
possible conduct of the opposition.
Harper's Weekly,
THE FlFTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
Reckless Extravaganza and Lawlessness
Under the Late Gar Reed.