The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-02
TWO CONGRESSES CoNrRAsrED

In the current number of the North
american Reriew ex-Speaker Reed con-
trasts the conduct and work Of the Fifty
second congress in its first session with
that Of its Republican predecessor, the
Fifty-first congress The Democrats of the
House outnumbered their opponents by
three to one. The House began by throwing
overheard " Free Trader" Mills and max.
ing Crisp speaker, and placing Springer
instead Of Mills at the head of the COM
mittee of ways and means. Mills was by
all usage entitled to the place given to
Springer. Mills is an able, frank defender
OF tariff for revenue only. while Springer
is described by Mr.. Reed as a man whose
work this session reveals not the "slight-
est trace Of principle OF economic science
or Of system Of revenue" o. the work
of this congress Mr.. Reed says:
In history 1t Will present all the dead level of
Dutch landscape, with all its windmills, but
without trace OF its beauty or fertility. The
only picturesque object which will break the
skyline viii be Mr.. Holman, draped a. a statue
OF Economy, standing on the railroad-crowned
summit Of the LAwrenceburg embankment try
Ing IN vain with spyglass TO find any trace Of
the rlvsr the emoankment was intended 10 con.
hne. Indiana, however, and the appropriation
will be in fun view.
Holman opened the session with a
solemn invocation Of the principles of
public honesty and economy. and then
the F1fty-second congress proceeded to
appropriate over $500. 600. 900 the first ses-
sion against the s463, 900, 900 appropriated
by the Republicans at the first session of
the billion Congress" The House over
ruled the majority report OF its own CON-
mittes and seated a Democrat in place of a
Republican without even vestige of right
by sheer force of 6hmbers. On the other
hand. in the Republican Fifty-frst con-
gress the committee on elections. composed
OF men OF irreproachable character on the
one side as well as 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 Democrat who
was chosen by the Farmers Alliance. In
the cases which were reached the House
sustained the committee and passed upon
thirteen cases. -Four cases. those of two
Republicans and two Democrats, were not
passed upon.
The Fifty-hrst congress broke down the
barriers of custom and re-established the
right OF the majority to rule. Then, hav-
ing thus secured the power to do business,
it went theoretically to work. It passed
the silver act of July, 1890, which saved
the country from the free coinage for
which every Democratic leader was then
believing: it refunded the direct tar
which saved from bankruptcy the state of
Kentucky, whose Democratic representa-.
tiyes nearly all voted against it 1t eff
fectively revised the tariff by the passage
OF the Mckinley bill, which finds it's justi-
fication today in cheap sugar, larger ex.
ports and larger imports and increased
manufacturing; it enacted the meat and
cattle inspection bill, which took away
from foreign nations their last excuse for
refusing to receive our food products, and
enabled our able secretary of agriculture
and our foreign ministers to restore to US
In some measure the markets of the world
for such products.
The Republican Fifty-frst congress de-
stroyed the louisiana lottery by hostile
legislation; it opened up to settlement
millions of acres of productive lands and
gave suitable government to Oklahoma
territory; it passed the dependent pension
bill; it arranged for the Worlds fair: it
admitted Wyoming and Idaho; it passed
the congressional apportionment act and
revised the land laws. 1t did all this in
the face OF fierce opposition, and yet today
the best men, even of the Democratic
party, are looking forward to the re-estab-
lshment Of the rules of that House as the
sound basis of business action in conform
ity with the constitution of the United
States. The supreme court of the United
States has decided that present quor-
UNI" Is the only quorum contemp plated by
the constitution of the United States.