New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-23
THE MILLENNIUM-NO DELAY.


If there is any millennium within easy reach,
Americans want it as quickly as possible. .dr'
Cleveland is supposed 10 be considering whether
he will not shuttle off responsibility from Rim
self and his party for more than year ana
escape for that time the risk of showing that
he was all wrong and his party all wrong py
defering until the regular session OF the ncHI
Congress all the wondor-W working reforms which
have been promised. 1t seems proper to pro
test. in the name Of Americans OF all parties
If there is a millennium at the door, open by
all means and let it in.
The Democratic party explicitly promised
certain great reforms in tariff in coinage III
bank circulation and in treatment OF trusts
and monopolieS Mr. Cleveland publicly con-
secrated himself to those reforms. 1t they are
really for the good of all, it is unkind to deier
them. The regular session Of Congress VIII
not begin until next December, more than one
ve9r from this time. 1t will not get It's com
mittees organized or be ready TO do anything
until after the New Year holidays. Even then
at least two months will be spent in trying
TO decide what to do in the House alone, and
some months longer must elapse betois the
next Senate can act. These statements are
justified by experience. When the Democrats
organize the House. it does not Try to begin
worl, until after the holidays, and several
months more are always spent IN determining
what the Democratic majority Will try 10 90.
But this means that, if no extra session Is
called. the millennium must be put off about
eighteen months This will be insult erably
cruel to a people who, according to the Demo
cratic party, are grooming under the burdens
imposed BY existing laws. This declaration is
either true or it is false. Ii it is true, can
decent pretext be given for delaying relief?
The pretence that time is needed for study
of the matter is palpably false Democrats
have studied it, or say they have for many
wears. They framed a Mills bill, to embody
their ideas of reform more than four years
ago. If that is inadequate the last House
passed some measures of partial relief, It was
claimed and these could be put through IN
week by the Democratic House and Senate
next March. But men who had investigated
the whole subject for years, so thoroughly that
they were able TO tell the people from the
depths of their profound knowledge that Re-
publican laws were all wrong, and TO promise
the people what Democrats would do, must
surely be able TO get something done inside
of year and half. If they have been tell
ing the TRUTH they can save the dear people
many hundred millions every year by single
weeks work at Washington. Should they de-
cline for a whole year, the people would be
robbed by them, and not by the Republicans,
of several hundred millions in that year.
Either these loud-yoiced Democratic reform
crs are gay deccivcr>, or they ought TO be
passionatcly eager to boStow upon the people
the almost incalcuable blessings they are able
70 bestow 1t is but fair to say, mutitudcs
will be convinced that Democrats have no truth
in them if they delay and dawdlc, and put
| of the performance Of their promises They
have bad thirty-onc years to get ready and
study the matter, without the hampering cares
Of government. At last the people have in
,truced them to Try their plan. Can any body
expect the people to wait patiently whole
year if the Democratic party has a millennium
mp its sleeve, but deliberately refuses to pro-
duce 1t?
Would Democrats like to keep back these
| ncalculable blessings until only few months
before the Congress after the next will be
elected, in November 1894? They may well
| tabe warning that even blessings are liable to
be misunderstood at first Men will be clamor-
ing for the removal of thousand different
| burdens, and a great many will be Disputed
because the particular things they want are
not done. 1t would be wise, as a matikr OF
| political cxpedcncy, 10 give the millions who
are starving for reform something before the
summer Of 1894. A whole year of uncertainty
with no practical relief, will be hard upon the
party responsible for affairs and it will not take
that long for multtudes to form prciudices
which even incalculable blessings, when they
first appear after such delay, may net remove
| Mr. Cleveland needs 10 remember that he and
his party have Iousod many hopes, and that
hope deferred makcth the heart sick" If he
has millennium about his person he had better