Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1892-08-11
THE RECORD OF DEMOCRACY.
A Strong Presentation of the Failure of
the Democratic Party.

thO DthiVtTutlC IdTtys
In a comprehensive review specially
written for ThePress ex-Speaker Thomas
b. Reed sums up the record of the
Democratic majority of the Fifty Second
House of Representatives. tits record of
incompetency and shame, and the ex-
Speaker, whose keenness of observation
is unrivaled and whose thorough knowl.
edge of all the intricacies of federal leg
islation is universally admitted, char
acterizes it as it deserves.
The House that adjourned last night
was overwhelmingly Democratic and
disgracefully incapable. A majority
of 14O placed in the hands of the Demo-
cratic leaders an invaluable oppor-
tunity to vindicate their party from the
fatal charge that it was merely party
of obstruction and destruction, form
idable only in opposition and power
less to originate or carry ON measures
of constructive craftsmanship. The op-
portunity has been wasted. The tre-
mendous Democratic majority tied it.
self up with senseless and cumbersome
rules which it was forced to repudiate
at the last moment, frittered away
weeks of valuable time in repeated roll
calls and trivial debates, and passed
highly important bills with a reckless
and needless haste which was unprece-
dented in American national legisla-
ton.
Everything which the Democratic
House undertook it failed to do. Every
promise which it made to the people
was broken before its first session
ended. The majority came into power
with resounding proclamations of their
purpose to repeal the Mckinley tariff.
They passed bill to destroy the Amen-
can wool growing and woolen industry,
bill to enforce again the yearly trib-
ute which the American people had
been paying to British tin plate man.
ufacturers, bill to put binding twine
on the free list, and bill to hand the
American market for cotton ties over
to the undisputed control of foreign
capitalists. These measures were all
malignant assaults on the system of
protection and afforded fresh proof of
the vindictive hate with which the DEM
ocracy regards the prosperity of Ameri-
can industry; bat they fell ridiculously
short of the general tariff smashing
which the Democracy had boastfully
promised to perform.
The Democrats came into power in
the House with loud denunciations of
the Republican Billion Dollar Congress.
The Fifty First Congress at its first ses-
sion authorized appropriations aggre-
eating S463, 100000. The Fifty Second
House, under the leadership of Holman
and his fellow demagogues, has sane
toned expenditures of S51O, 900 900. The
Fifty First Congress provided literally
for the American navy and the necessi-
ties of the United States Government
abroad. The present House has tried
to starve the navy, has crippled the
consular service, has cut down the nee
essary expenditures for maintaining
lighthouses on dangerous coasts, and
has hampered the national Military
Academy at West Point by insufficient
appropriations. Prating of economy,
the majority broke the record for ex-
travagance by passing $50,OOO, 900
River and Harbor bill. Dragging of
their patriotism, they fought viciously
the appropriation of $4,000, 900 for the
Worlds Fair, and finally voted half
that sum ungraciously and under stern
compulsion.
| The performance of the Democrats
of the House has been puerile and dema-
gogic throughout. A majority of them
voted for the Bland bill and for the
Stewart bill for degrading the currency
of the United States They have proved
themselves regardless alike of the busi-
ness interests, the honor and the secur-
ity of the nation. Their record has
made the Democracy weaker and Re-
publicanism stronger in every part of
the Union. They have shown once
more that the Democratic party is unfit
for power, unworthy of responsibility
and incapable of intelligent and patri-
otic government.-N. Y. Press.