Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-11-30
Reason. for IN Extra Session

Reasons for an Extra Session
Indianapolis Sentinel.
Congressman Cable. OF Illinois, carries
an unusually level head upon his Shout
ders. He is the young man who man.
aged the western headquarters of the
nationsl democratic committees in the
recent campaign, aud under whose aus
pices the states of Illinois and Wisconsin
we're redeemed. What he says touching
the proposed extra session should COM
msnd the attention of the country, and
especially the democratic party.
Congressman Cable thinks that the
Fitty~third congress should be convened
in extra session next spring for reasons
which the Sentinel has set forth. The
country has, with tremendous emphasis,
demanded q reduction of the tariff to q
revenue basis. The demand should be
complied with without unnecessary de-
lay. Until congress takes definite action
on the tariff there will necessarily be
considerable uncertainty in every branch
CT business. Manufacturers, merchants,
importers, shippers and everybody who is
engaged in production or traffic should
know ct the earliest possible moment
what they have to expect, so that they
can govern themselves accordingly. 1t
will not be right to keep them in doubt
for Is months or two years as to the ex-
tent and character of the reforms which
the democratic party proposes to intro
duce into our revenue system.
Mr.. Cable agrees with the Sentinel
that there will be no occasion for any
extended investigation OF the tariff ques-
ton. or for the taking Of any testimony
whatever. Congress and the country
have been investigating this subject for
years and understand it pretty thorough
ly. He well says:
THE leading men in the new congress
will understand the needs OF the country
and the wants Of the people just ss well
when they come here Washingtop] in
March as they will il they wait till the
following January"
Mr.. Gable also declsres that there will
be a necessity for an extra session arising
out OF the deficit in the national treasury
which President Harrison will leave
when he departs from the white house
next month. Mr.. CleAelsnd turned him
over q surplus OF 800. 900. 600 four
years ago; he will, in turn beQueath to Mr..
Cleveland deficiency of S100. 600 600.
Mr.. Gable believes that the democrats
should lose no time in advising the
country, in the most effective way, of
the actual condition in which the Hsrri-
son administration will leave the treas
ury. The most effective way he thinks is
for President Cleveland to call congress
together in extra session, lay the facts
before it, and request it to provide
funds TO meet the emergency, either by
selling bonds or by levying new taxes.
hr. Cable is right. The financial rec
ord OF the Harrison administration should
be brought sharply to the attention of the
country while it is yet fresh. The re-
publican party came into power in 1888
on platform pledging it to sacrifice the
revenue duties, and even the excise IN
tobacco and whisky rather than yield 6 |
single protective duty. 1t inherited q |
surplus of 100000 900. Tom Reeds |
billion dollar congress started in to get |
away with this surplus at the earliest |
possible moment. President Harrison |
co>operated. Tom Reeds congress re-
pesed the revenue duty on sugar, |
amounting to $4,000, 600 annually, go |
as 10 avoid the repeal or reduction of |
any protective duty. 1t voted $40, O00,- |
900 year to the Louisiana sugar grow
ers 1t added $3.50 DOC. 600 year to the |
appropriations for other objects and in |
order to prevent democratic house |
from repeating them it made them per-
msnent-that is, subject only to repeal |
by the affirmative action OF both houses |
OF Congress Meantime the adminlstra-
ton was buying bonds not yet due at |
fancy premiums and paying many mill
ions TO the bondholders for which the |
ant =
the 800 600 600 surplus was gone. |
Then the $50. 900 600 or more which had
been deposited by national banks for the
redemption OF their notes was bounced up
on. 1t was trust fund and had always
been properly treated as such. But
the Harrison administration made short
work Of it. 1t has disappeared, and the
public debt has been actually, although
not nominally, increased by just 30 much.
For months the treasury department has
been Shining" and "kiting"
ing expenditures-for pensions and other
items. standing Off its small creditors
''doctoring" its statements, misrepresent
ing its actual condition to the public, and
acting, for sll the world, just like man
whose folly and extravaganza have bank
rupted him. but who is trying to keep up
appearances, hoping that something will
turn up to save his credit, and, in any
event, struggling to postpone the evil
day of suspension as long as possible.
Such recklessness, such profiigacy,
such wanton trifiing with the financial
interests entrusted to its care, as the re
publican party. by its agents. the Hsrri-
son administration and the Tom Reed
copprpaa have been guilty of are without