Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-12-02
The Next Congress.

Those who may naturally think that
the huge Democratic majority in the
next Congress will have a rosy time in
light on the subject by reading the fol-
lowing editorial from the New York
Tribune. 1t is full of weighty sugges-
tons, and will bear careful study:
This is a nation of prophets. The aver
age American takes in no item of news
without attempting to predict its conSe-
quenceS. But those who try to forecast
the next presidential election ON the the
ory 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 a most important factor
A new Congress is to meet next month.
It includes the most Democratic House
that has ever been elected since Democrats
went into rebellion. That party has more
than two-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 it no allegiance, and are expected
TO obey only the beheSts of Democratic
caucus. are unqueStlOnably a clear MAORI
ty of the House. The responsibility of
that party for what is done In the House
is absolute and indiSputable.
Every vote and every speech Of these
meu will go 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
ttlan any declarations OF delegates. Ii the
Democrats in Congress, with comparative
ly few exceptions, vote for unlimited silver
coinage, and are aided by few silver Re-
publicanS in sending bill to the PreSi-
dent, his veto will make an issue which no
convention will have the slightest power
to- Ia Il
that large majority OF the Democratic
representatives have already declared that
they will support such a measure. They
may change their minds IN view of public
diStruSt of this feature of the Democratic
policy: the country will see. But the men
Whs pledged themselves to a definite meas
ure year ago, when they were elected.
will find 1t hard to escape their obligations
TO constituents.
Next comes the tariff question Wordy
dersmclatiOnS of the protective policy will
not answer. The Democrats have now the
power to frame and send to the Senate the
klnd OF bill they are ready to fight for. If
they refuse they will win the condemna-
ton ana lose the confidence of those who
want a change. If they frame tariff
knowing that constituents will compel
them to pledge themselves before election
In regard to it, there will be war between
different factions In the party.
The measures proposed by the Farmers
Alliance will also have to be met in the
House. Either the Democratic representa-
tives are in favor of the sub-treaSury plan,
the tand-mOrtgage plan, the national con-
troll of railroads and telegraphS. and the is
sue of $1,000, 100000 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 it 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 it 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 VIII have more to do
with the result Of the next election, it is
cratic national convention can possibly
frame.