Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-08
The opening Of a new Congress, always al

The opening Of q new Congress, always al
interesting national event, is of peculiar i'm
portance this year owing to the state of politics
in the republic With the dominant party in
the popular house uncertain whether the tariff
or silver shall be the chief article Of its creed
and with sufficient perplexity already existing
In the public mind as to the influence that GER
tain movements will exert on politics the ap-
proach Of Q presidential election might well
cause anxiety among the thinkers Of both
parties The farmers movement has reached
high-water mark and is receding, but 1t has
to be considered in any plans of the leaders,
and while the demands of the alliance
are not a. terrifying as they were be-
fore the last elections, they are stuff
GENTLY weigh.y to command other votes
in the House land Senate, too) than those cast
by the little group who do not go into the dem
ocratic caucus. What will the farmers men
do on the money question, and what sort of a
union is possible between the silver republi-
cans and silver democrats? The knottiest
question before Congress is this same question
Of the currency. With the west and south
nearly solid for free coinage, but with the
northeast and old central states against it, the
task of the new House is weIl-nigh colossal A
make way for the men who were lately dis
placed. But the opposition is not united. The
republican west is as staunch in
favor of free silver as the doubtful
middle states are in opposition But the re-
publican calculation is a compromise measure
enforced by the discipline Of the best organized
party that ever figured in history. If the sub
ject can be removed from discussion by the
Fifty-second Congress at its first session then
the issue between the great parties next year
viii be the tariff 1t ought by that time to be shown
whether the American people are protectionists
or free traders, using these terms in their
popular and not technical Specification. A
square out fight between the parties on this one
issue with Mr.. Blaine or Mr.. Harrison leading
the republicans and Mr.. Cleveland or some
western man heading the democrats would be
q contest worth seeing.
Congress. however, should disabuse itself OF
the idea that electing Presidents is its business
There are many matters only incidentally. If
at all, connected with politics which will come
before it and which cannot be pigeon-holed.
The government has grown SO great that the
mere provision Of ways and means for its fnan-
cial support is a mighty legislative task. But
beyond this necessary work of collection and
disbursements there are measures of general
and local importance within the sphere of
national legislation. and which are, some of
them at least hardly less urgent than the ap-
preparation bills themselves. Congress is the
local legislature for the District of Columbia,
and certain measures touching this District are
Of general interest. for the people take pride in
their capital, and the members of the federal
government, from each and all of the states,
are Individually concerned in legislation look
ing TO the health, comfort, safety and even the
ornamentafion of the national city