The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-03-12
The Most ProfIIgate OF American
History.

Philadelphia Times.
The Fiity-frst Congress closed at
noon yesterday, and there was a sigh
of relief throughout the whole land. 1t
was the most profigate Congress Of
American history, and, even when
condemned BY The people by unexam'
Piled popular majoritles, after its first
sessiou, it continued Its shameless
profigacy until the moment OF its
death.
The people can hardly realize the
measure of profigacy and iobbery Of
the Congress that has just passed into
niStory Whe 1t came into power
with a Senate and President in har
mony with il, the Treasury was over
flowing with revenues, and reduced
taxes and reduced revenues were the
hupgercry of the people.
When it closed its blot!ed record
Wednesday, the 4th inst, the surplus
was scattered the revenues largely
exceeded by expenditures; forced
loan of $54,000,000 Of sacred trust
funds will not save the Treasury from
bankruptcy within the next year; tht
expenditures com handed by the Fiji
ty first Congress will change the con
ditiOn OF the Treasury from 100000,
900 surplus to fully $l00O00,OOO deficit
before the close of the next fiscal year,
and the additional pension, subsidy
and other jobbing schemes fastened
upon looted Treasury by positive
law, saddle the people of the nation
with over one thousand millions OF
new expenditures.
In addition to this bewildering waste
OF public money, chiefly in the inter.
est OF jobbers, largely increased taxes
have been imposed upon the necessa.
ries OF our industries and upon the
common necessaries OF life. While the
surplus has been scattered and Treas
ury deficit of fully $100.OO0,0OO year
made inevitable to be met by increas-
ed taxes on the people, the wanton,
cruel additional taxes levied on the
necesSaries OF life, reduce the value of
the earnings of industry fully ten per
cent. by that percentage OF increase on
articles of universal consumption.
That the people should condemn
such Congress with an emphasis
never before exhibited in popular cleo
tions was only logical, and the close Of
the Fifty-second Congress sends more
men into retirement by defeat at the
polls han was ever known or even ap
preached in all the political revulu
tions OF the past. The great North was
reyolutionized by the mad recklessness
Of the Congress just closed, and for
the first time since the successful or
ganization Of the Republican party,
the Northern States sent a clear ma
jnrity Of Democrats ~ Cong ess aud
reversed the X pnbhcan majority Of
400, ,000in 1888 into anant' Republican
majority of 200, 900 in 1890.
No party in all the varied political
history of American politics ever suf-
iered such defeat when it held every
department OF power, and no Congress
since the insane Democrat Lecomp
ton Con0ro a. o. 1873, ever 50 nsp
lsntly de fed the people acer It's enLlre
policy and leadership had been over
whelming condemned by the country.
The Fifty-fi;st Congress now belongs
to history and considerate men OF all
parties rejoice to-day that its work is
ended. The one silver lining to the
impenetrable cloud that shames its
record, is the failure OF the party OF
power to consummate its crowning
wickedness by the passage Of the
Force Election bill. The few Repub-
licans who rescued our politics from
chaos and our business from paralysis
by defeating the Force revolutionists,
will be crystallized in the grateful
memories OF the Republic; but the
midsummer madness Of the defeated
pa:ty is exhibited in the effort to ex.
clude the bravest and best of its men
from party fellowship for a corspicu-
Gus, patriotic service. The Fifty.tirst
Congress is dead, and the American
people OF every section Of the Union
will give iervent thanks that its death
is without the hope of resurrection.