The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1892-08-12
TWO CONGRESSES coNTRAsfED.

TWO CONGRESSES scoNTRAsfEp.
Ex-speaker Reed5in an article under
the above caption in the current North
American Review furnishes some Of the
best campaign ammunition that can
possibly be used. In fact, he epitomizes
the issues as no only can do. We make
the following extracts:
The Democracy in the house, with q
force of three to one, have not only
done nothing with the tariff, but they
have done nothing with anything else;
not only have they done nothing, but at
the very beginning they deliberately
established system of rules which
made it foregone conclusion that not
only had the leaders add icated, but they
were determined that nobody else
should reign. Given a wonderful power
by the people, power which might
have enabled them to carry out any
plan for the relief of what they called
the down-trodden people, they deliber-
ately put the veto into the hands of one
third, and in most cases into the hands
of less, and relapsed into imbecility.
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 will
present all the dead level of Dutch
landscape with all its windmills, but
without trace of its beauty and fertil-
ity. The only picturesque objectwhich
will break the sky line will be Mr.. Hol-
man, draped us q statue of economy,
standing on the railroad crowned sum
nit OF the Lawrenceburg embankment
trying in vain with u spy-glass to find.
any trace of the river the embankment
was intended to confne. Indiana, how
full view. lew Never Never since Mrps t that at
hour have the Democracy looked SO
grand, gloomy and peculiar as on that
Pentecostal day when the Holman proc
lamation Of economic virtue was admin
istered to them, and they resolved how
bad others had been, and how good
they themselves would be. 1t is sad to
be obliged to add that now, after the
results have been reached, we find that
the squlndering Republicans approp-
rated 4G3 millions at the first session OF
the "Billion Congress" while the eco
nomic Democrats hlveF appropriated
over 500 millions ut the first session of a
congress that certainly e;;,l never be
called a "Nickle Congress-" Would it
be in the nature of insult to the fallen
to propose to the Honorable Mr.. Hol-
man OF Indiana a sum in the rule OF
three? # the expenditure of 4G3 mil
lions made us OF the Fifty first Congress
srascals," what precise epithet would
do justice to those who have ap-
spropriated 500 millions? 1t really be-
gins to look as if this country was too
big to he measured in some halfbushels.
y y Contrast with this picture Of a
house overwhelmingly Democratic q
picture, the truthfulness of which no
man can dispute, of the House of Rep
resentatives of the Fifty-frst Congress,
and mark the surprising difference.
When that house was adjourned, amid
defeat and disaster, / ventured the as
8sertion that the day would come when
every man who belonged to the major
Sity, and not few of the minority, would
Sbe proud to have belonged to that
Sgoodly company. confess that L
Thought of q very distant day after
many years of fight and storm and
Hstress. But two years only have elapsed.
SNot only have Democratic outcries
isceased and Democratic clamor subsidized, !,
nbut the best men even of that party are
Hooking forward to the reestab blishment
sOf the rules of that house as the sound
Sbasis of business action in conformity
with the constitution of the United
SSStates. 1t would seem as if the time
IShad come for a candid review of the
Wears 1890 and 1891.
The first duty of any legislative body
ssb to examine its own membership, to
ssssl1nseat those wrongfully present. and to
sDeat those whom the people have chos-
RIA. This duty is of tho very essence
sS0f free government. In the Fifty-frst
ss Es EsssOngress the committee on elections,
of men of irreproacha char
Il aeter on the one side as we'll as on the
Mther, made seventeen reports, ofwhich
Mine were in favor of Republicans, seven
Alfn Slffn favor of Democrats, and one in favor
SSsff a Democrat who was chosen by the
sssEarmers' Alliance. In the cases which
were reached the house sustained the
and passed upon thirteen
snases. Four cases, those of two Repub-
slicans and two Democrats, were not
Mpassed upon. These figures themselves,
aOn the face of them, show fairness and
a#iinstice which the examination Of each
sScase in detail will entirely justify. The
INfesults of this committeo's action can
safely challenge comparison with that
ssa4of any committee since the first con-
sSgress convened.
When the congress met its plain duty
EESfter determining its membership was to
Affairs had been approaching
crisis ever since the last Republican
Sspongress ad djourned in 1883; public busi-
4 ness of the most urgent kind had so ac.
and so pressed upon the gov
sSsrnment that it absolutely had to be
There were great public
sQnestions upon which there could nc
ss9Onger be refused decision. Arapidly
a Rowing surplus was not only disarrang.
%tlg our finances, but was inviting with
power, large and constantly
expenditures. In order to
Shcrease the leverage of this surplus
Sshes Democrats had refused to pay the
s8hOnest debts of the country, and, al.
the majority of themselves were
Sn favor of it, had refused to refund the
alirect tax paid by the loyal states and
2SEefused by the disloya! south. The tar:
|SaaG demanded revision; international
#copyright demanded adjustment; oul
ggSmerchant marine demanded encourage.
@samnent: and the peOple demanded relief