The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-08-06
TWO CONGRESSES coNTRAsTED.
Continued from Fourth Page.

without even a vestige of right, by sheer
force of numbers, there has been no com
ment by Democratic newspapers and
very little by our own. Had such an out
rage been possible in a House Republi-
can three to one, the air would have been
burdened with outcries from March to
the day of the election. Whenever the
Democracy steal a seat in Congress OF
even State nobody minds it. 1t is no
use to talk about it. 1t is, like saying a
fish swims, or a horse runs. or cat likes
cream. 1t must be tremendous rest to
be Democrat.
Contrast with this picture of House
overwhelmingly Democratic picture,
the truthfulness of which no man can
dispute, of the House of Representative
the surprising difference. When that
House was adjourned, amid defeat and
disaster, / ventured the assertion that
the day would come when every man
who belonged to the majority, and not a
few of the minority, would be proud to
have belonged to that goodly company.
/ confess that thought of a very distant
day after many years of fight and storm
and stress. But two years only have
elapsed. Not only have Democratic out
cries ceased and Democratic clamor sub
sided, but the best men even of that
party are looking forward to the re-
establishment of the rules of that House
as the sound basis of business action in
conforming with the Constitution of the
United States. 1t would seem as if the
time had come for candid review of the
years 1890 and 1891.
The first duty of an legislative body is
to examine its own membership, to I'M
seat those wrongfully present, and to
seat those whom the people have chosen.
This duty is of the very essence of free
government. In the Fifty-frst Congress
the Committee on Elections, composed
of men of irreproachable character on the
one side as well the other, made seven
teen reports, of which nine were in favor
Of Republicans, seven in favor of Demo
Gratis, and one in favor of a Democrat
who was chosen. by the Farmers Ali
ance In the cases which were reached
the House sustained the committee and
passed upon thirteen cases. Four cases,
those of two Republicans and two Demo-
Gratis, were not passed upon. These fig
ures themselves, on the face of them,
show fairness and Justice which the ex-
animation of each case in detail will en-
tirely Justify. The results of this COM
mittee's action can safely challenge com
parison with that Of any committee since
the first Congress convened.
When the Congress met its plain duty
after determining it's membership was to
legislate. Affairs had been approaching a
crisis ever since the last Republican Con-
gress adjourned int1SS3; public business
of the most urgent kind had so accumu-
lated and so pressed upon the govern
ment that it absolutely had to be tram
sacted. There were great public ques-
lions upon which there could no longer
be refused decision. A rapidly-grow
ing surplus was not only disarranging
our finances, but was inviting, with irresis-
tible power, large and constantly increas-
ing expenditures. In order to increase the
leverage of this surplus the Democrats
had refused to pay the honest debts of
the country, and, although a majority Of
themselves were in favor of it, had re-
fused to refund the direct tax paid by
the loyal States and refused by the dis
loyal South. The tariff demanded re-
vision; international copyright demanded
adjustment; our merchant marine de-
manded encouragement; and the people
demanded relief from over-taxation on
items which. like sugar, could not be
produced here in full supply, and on
which that was paid was mere tax paid
without any hope of that Interior benefit
which comes from the protection of an
industry which can fully supply all
our wants.
The Worlds Fair had to be arranged
for. Oklahoma needed to be made a
Territory and placed under safe and sal
utary laws. wyoming and Idaho were
pressing to be admitted as States. A
new Congressional Apportionment Act
had to be passed. The land laws needed
revising. The State Agricultural colleges
needed to be placed on better basis. In
the interest of our export trade meat and
cattle inspection required immediate at
tention. The silver question, owing to
the neglect of our fnanciers, and the
strenuous exertions of the friends Of free
coinage, had assumed such an import
ance in the eyes of the people that it was
no longer in the power of the Congress
to refuse action. The decision of the
Supreme Court as to the original-package
question had so interfered with local self
government that the States had to be re-
clothed with power to control their
affairs Indian reservations needed to be
opened. Indian debts and French spoil
iation claims, both shamefully neglected,
needed to be paid, and the action of the
Maritime Conference demanded ratifca-
ton, The great questions of service and
disability pensions could no longer be ne
elected and had to be fully and satisfacto-
rily discussed and treated. Measures had
also to be taken to suppress the Louis
lana Lottery-legislation which was cal
led for against an institution established
under the constitution of Democratic
State, but which spread it's baleful in
Auences over the whole Union, and had
to be dealt with by Federal law.
There were many smaller matters i'm
portant for each locality, and for that
locality just as important as the great
national questions to which have re-
ferred. This accumulation of business
had been the result of series of Demo-
cratic Houses from 1888 to 1889. The
business of eight years had to be done in
two. The three Democratic Houses
which preceded us were as inefficient as
our successor. No sooner was the House
called to order than it became clear to
any man of sense that the first question
was not what business should be done,
but whether any business should be done
at all.
The Democracy was very confident.
For fifty years they and their kind had
been building up against the will of the
people barriers so complicated. so diverse,
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