New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-04
CONGRESS- AND ITS WORh.


II is with solcitudc rather than hope that the
people are looking forward to the next session
of Congress Their experience with the dom
irant and responsible party in that body has
been anvthilg but rcassuring. If they could not
obtain from it after months Of consideration
a result which it had repeatedly promised 10
give, the public demand for which was evident
" intense and overwhelming, what warrant Is
there 10 expect now truer concern Tor Inc
public welfare faircr response 10 the pop
ular will? II was not the party that had prom
sei to repeal the purchasing clause OF the Sll-
yer act by whose votes the repeal was accom-
pshed 1t was not the responsible party In
power which came 10 the relief of the coun'rys
business and checked the panic that overlook It's
affairs On the contrary. n majority OF that
marty in each of the houses voted for further
imitation of the currency by dishonest money.
What that party will now do is question for
the solution Of which enterprise waits capital
holds back, labor pauscs in enforced idi'ness
and the whole people are filled with anxiety.
Problems Of the highest Importance chmor
for the attention of Congress. The tariff qucs-
ton Is one that must be properly settled be-
fore the country can possibly regain its late
prosperity The bill that has been outlined by
the Democratic ma jority of the Ways ana
Means Committee is neither fish. flesh nor fowl.
| 1t is in almost all respects unsatisfactory To
| Protcctionists. though there is n great deal Of
Protection in ii. 1t must be unsatisfactory 10
| Free Traders unless they are utterly false 10
their professions 1t is not what the Democratic
party declared to the country il would adopt,
for its platform pronounced Protection 10 any
| extent and in every form 10 be unconstitutional
| Yet it does protect with discrimination that Is
both sectional and partisan. IL leaves on III"
free list all those imports which, being in com
mon use but not produced in this country. are
naturally the basis Of n simply revenue tariff.
1t continues the bounty system. which il Pro-
lection in its most pronounced form. 1t re-
duccs the revenues In the sum Of SIO.OoOVO or
SGD 900 OOO notwithstanding that the revenues
are already inadequate TO the Governments
necessities 1t is hodge-podgc, an intricate
web OF Inconsistencies and compromises. II
abandons the Reciprocity principle, and gives
for nothing market here, admission to which
has already provided our exporters with pc
culiar and exceptional advantages in other mar
kcts and which might have been used, especial
" with Canada, greatly 10 promote our trad"
where. i'm this bill. ii Is hndcrcd and injured.
And yet already it is given out that this bill Is
TO be rushed through Congress without fair de-
bate without fair opportunity for amendment,
and. indeed. without afording the country the
chance TO know how many Of its provisions are
likely to operate.
The Hawaiian question will also demand
prompt attention, and in this matter mt least,
involving, as il does. our relations with Foreign
countries and the formation Of a definite for
cign policy that cannot fail TO have Il bearing
elsewhere around our coasts than in the Pa
cifc il is immensely to be hoped and desired
that the spirit Of partisanship will be sup
pressed and that Congress will bring TO the
matter a conscientious enlightened and patri-
otc Judgment The policy Of the Adminisra-
ton is unknown except in so far as Mr. Grcsh-
ans letter to the President may be presumed
TO suggest It, The proposition he has made Is
no solution Of the question at all. If it were
carried out ii would still leave our relations TO
Hawaii undetermined, and the policy we mean
to pursue toward the islands around our coast
as much open to doubt as ever. II Is not OnE
an idle proposition, but 1t Is rcpulsive un-
American and unjust. The United States has
no right TO impose any government upon Hn-
wall unless from annexation that right is de-
rived. So long as any other than the American
flag floats over those islands they are foreign
territory, and much 10 be respected as the
soil of England or Germany. The claim that
the monarchy was overthrow as the result Of
our interference Is false in the first place and
irrelevant i'm the second. If 1t were true IL
would not Justify more interference, and cs-
pecially would it fail to justify acts of injury
TO n Government which has existed on its
merits for many months. which has been duly
recognized ly all the Powers, including thu
United States; an excellent Government ad-
ministcring to the welfare Of the IIawaiIans.
whether native or foreign born. and Govern
ment conducted by our own flesh and blood and
on lines similar 10 those established by our own
Constitution. Nothing could Justify the over
throw of this Government and the substitution
therefor OF the rule Of ignorance. avarice cor
ruption and vice under monarchical forms
These two great problems, If there were no
others would be worthy Of the best intelligence
of which our statesmen are capable TO have
them righteously settled would be to provide