Huntsville gazette., 1893-08-26
A SHARP CONTRAST.
Republican Practices as Compared with
Those of the Democrats.

| Republican Practices as Compared with
Those of the Democrats.
A Washington correspondent writes
that the republicans in congress will
! help the administration in the fight for
sound money, and declares with justice
that their attitude is in striking con-
trast with that of the democrats to-
ward Mr.. Harrison. The stupid Bour-
bons have always been party of OBJ
struction, and they never displayed
their donkey-like attributes more per
sistently than during the last two con-
crosses.
To begin with, their efforts to pre-
vent the passage of the Mckinley bill
were the acme of mulish wisdom. That
was party measure for which no help
was expected from the opposition, but,
instead of making a respectable and
digni6ed struggle against it, they acted
like a sulky boy whose greatest need is
a sound drubbing. The protest against
the famous Reed rules had its origin
not in the desire to guard the freedom
of debate, but in the wish to prevent
the republicans from enacting con-
structive legislation of any sort. Moth
ing terrifies the democratic mind SO
much as the thought that something is
actually to be done. An eternal mo"
is all there is to the democratic philos-
ophy.
When it came to the silver question
the conduct of the obstructionists was
still more discrcditable. The record
tells the story. First, when the bill en-
bodying some of Secretary Windom's
views was under discussion a motion
was made to recommit, with instruc-
tions to report back frec-coinage bill.
This motion was defeated, but of the
116 affirmative votes 102 came from the
democrats, and they gave only 13
in the negative Then they went
solidly against the original BILL which
was certainly much safer than free
coinage or than the substitute that was
subsequently agreed upon. In the SEN
ate the vote for free coinage stood:
Yeas, 43-democrats, %; republicans,
IA; and nays 24-democrats, 81 repub-
licans, 81. This vote was taken on an
amendment to the house bill, and the
representatives were then given a sec
C'U CbuiASC ~ tSNidAC tilShiSCINNS' itS
amendment was rejected, but only 50
democrats are recorded against it while
112 declared in its favor.
1t was after this campaign for free
coinage that they went solidly against
the Sherman bill, aud the country can
judge how much sincerity there is in
their protestations that they are in no
wise responsible for that measure. The
record shows thatit was finally adopted
by the republicans to stave off some
thing worse, and that the democrats,
for the purpose of making party capi-
tai at the time. were willing to fasten
upon us the calamity of debased cur
rency.
1t comes with poor grace now, there
fore, for them to appeal SO piteously
for help against their own brethren.
The appeal of itself shows that their
former votes We're not based upon prin-
ciple but were in part demagogic, ir
part an expression Of the eternal no"
Fortunately, however, republicans
know how to do their duty. They will
not follow the democratic example and
vote simply 'to put the administration
in hole" They will not 60 wrong
just to spite their opponents. They
are men, not pack Of sulky boys
Chica rO Journal