Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-08-20
Absolute Do-Nothing Policy
Pursued by the Democracy
in Congress.
Feeble and Frivolous Attempts
Made to Puncture the Nc I
Kinley Tariff Act.
Picayune Economy and Reck-
less Extravaganza Describe
the Record of the Dem
ocratic House.

Not one measure above the dignity
of rye straw will mark the annals of
the house Of representatives Of the fifty
second congress. In history it viii pre-
sent all the dead level Of a Dutch
landscape with all its windmills but
without a trace Of It's beauty and fer
tility. The only picturesque object
which will break the sky line will be
Mr.. Holman draped as statue Of
economy, standing on the railroad
crowned summit Of the Lawrenceburg
embankment trying in vain with u
spy-gass to find any trace Of the river
the crnbankment was intended to con-
fine Indiana, however, and the APP
preparation, win be in fun view
Thomas b. Reed in the North American
Review for August.
The first session Of the fifty second
congress has just come TO q close ana
It is meet and proper to glance over
it's record and see what truth there
may be iu Mr. Reeds CauStic arragn-
mcnt When tic plain people arose
in their might in the fall of 1890 and
elected house Of representatives, Dem
ocratlc by a strength Of three to one,
they had a right to expect great things
from the all powerful aggregation oG
statesmen thus chosen. Great reforms
had been promised and there was moth
ing TO prevent house made up of 2}S
democrats, s independents and only 30
republicans from bringing about al
manner of democratic reforms
The Infamous war tariff, as exc
empliGed by the Mckinley bill was to
be wiped out of existence. What did
the rcformcrs accomplish in that dircc-
ton? a timid, half-hearted attack re
suited In a bin placing wool on the FREQ
list and reducing the industries on
wooden manufactures. another placing
listcoton bagging, cotton ties, gins and
cotton bagging machinery on tho free
list and a third removing the duty on
binding Irvine These bills passed the
house but have pigeon-hoed in the SEN
ate
More interesting still was the action of
the house, on the silver question The
coinage committee was friendly to trCr
coinage-the free silver men having or
gained the house-aud n free silver
bill was quickly reported.
The appropriations are over 100000,
600 as against Sl63, 900 000, and in or
der to make the faintcst pretensc of
economy the worlds fair appropriation
has been scaled down to S25oo,o'p
and not a single public building bill has
been ossed Picayunc economy and
reckless extravaganza describes the 70
cord of the democrat house In the mat
ter of appropriations,
n we except the Chinese exclusion
bill. not a measure Of national interest
has been enacted. ON every measure
relating to the tariff or the overwhclm-
ing democratic majority has been hope
lesslv divided against itself. K prom
ised tariff reduction and these pititl
bills are intended solely for the benitt
of Sothcn planters and another for tic
benefit Of Eastern Wooden manufactu-
rcrs Mt the expense of Western wool
growers comprised the sum total Of
It's feeble efforts in that direction
In short. during all this session Of
eight months not a single thing has the
three 10 one democratic house done in
fuIhllmeut Of The pledges upon which
1t was elected The Mckinley bin re-
mains intact aud has not even been
seriously assaulted; promised economy
has been FORGOTTEN and riotouS extra
vacance has been The order Of the day,
our currency laws nre uualtcrnd ana