New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-08-06
TIE RECORD OF CONGRESS.

THE RECORD or COAbhEoS.
II is not pleasant task for any American
to review the performances of Congress at the
session lust closed The man is 10 be ptlcd
who can examine this record with satisfaction
or without keen shame. After sitting about
eight months Congress has not only done less
work of any kind than Congress Of fair ca
pacitv would have finished in a single month,
hut il has done less that can he mentioned with
pride or qualification, even by its most Jealous
friends than almost any other Congress in our
history.
The fault has not been with the Senate. as a
careful review in other columns will show. In
fact all the credit belongs 10 that body for
the few really wise and useful measures which
were finally passed among which may he men
toned the bill 10 fix the compensation OF the
Life-Saving service, and the bill 10 give Amen
can registry 10 Inman steamships which was
actually framed by a Senator but sent first 10
the House in order 10 avoid purely stupid
nrciudices. The Senate also did good service
in modifying the Chinese immigration act, IN
| ratifying treaties and in investigating prices
and wages and the conditions of trade along
the Canadian border. II cndeavorcd to save
Western forest reserves and 10 cut of costly
abuses in printing but was prevented by the
House.
The Democratic majority in the House was
virtually 15s. or more than two-thirdS Where
such majority exists in one Of two Houses. the
responsibility Of deciding what measure shall
be considered rests TO great extent with that
body. The Democratic House had been elected
men had said aS protest against the acts Of
moi, ~ lsI
pledged constituents that it would repeal the
new tariff. would carry free coinage would stop
reciprocity, sugar bountics and subsidies for
ocean mail service, and would rlt of. one hun
drcd millions or more from the So-calcd out
ragcous appropriations OF the previous Con
| grcSs Not one of these pledges has been kept.
| II is the plain truth to say that not one would
| have been kept had the Republican minority
not existed save ono which would have brought
incalculabe disaster upon the business and in
dustry of the country.
The House voted twice on free coinage, 1873
| Democrats in favor and only II against it on
all grounds. the first time but half the Demo
| cratic opposition was solely for the purpose OF
dcfcrring action until after the Presidential
election. The second vote, taken after Mr..
| Clcvcands nomination, showed more Demo
Gratis for poStponcmcnt. But on all occasions
a great majority of the Democrats voted for
| immediate and unlimited coinage Of silver,
which was prevented only by the steady patriot
ism of the Republican minority. Every other
| thing the Democrats had pledged themselves
| TO do they were either incompetent or lacked
| the courage 10 accomplish.
The House was utterly incompetent to alter
| - =
written in every line of the little flea bite bills
which the House did pass and which the Sen
| ate chartably treated with contempt. Ii would
| have been n keen but cruel exposure if tho
| Senate had taken ND these bills. and by dis
| cussion had disclosed their amazing foolish
ness. and the absurdity Of making the changes
proposed while leaving other provisions Of the
tariff untouched. IL is especially noteworthy
| that the Democrats Of the House, while barking
constantly at Republican reciprocity, did moth
| ing on the subject nor have they dared 10 vote
| for a repeal of the sugar bountcs. The treat
ment of other questions, and particularly Of
pensions claims by the Democratic House, is
set forth fully in the review elsewhere, and
is highly diScrcdtabe.
| The pledge 10 cut down appropriations Jared
worst Of all. The Democrats were both mean
and unjust toward pensioners, and toward
others who had just claims upon the Govern
mcnt and they crippled or tried to cripple many
branches Of public service by stinginess where
patriotism required liberality. But they were
wasteful and wanton in their liberality whore
partisanship hoped for n return in votes, or
where the private greed Of constituents worked
upon the personal ambition of members. Thus
it came to pass that instead of a reduction OF
81 60, 600, 900, there has been an increase over
the appropriations by the last Congress at its
! first session of $50, 900, 900 or more.
1t is a record of incapacity of shameful par-
tisanshp, and of deliberate effort to cheat the
voters by false prctenccs Much. blame has
been laid upon the rules which were indeed so
framed for partisan ends that the House could
do nothing without the consent Of few die
tators But the Democratic majority was so
large and SO absolute in power that the dis
graceful results must be ascribcd less to the