New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-19
THEY DON'T KNOW HOW.

THEY DON'T KNOW HOW.
| II some Rip Van Wrinkle who fell asleep in
| 1861 should wake up now. rub his eyes and look
| about him. he would see q great many silrprls-
| ing changes social, material and political. HIS
attention would be first arrested by the fact
| that there are no longer two antagonstic sys-
| tens Of labor struggling for mastery; that the
proposition OF Mr. Lincoln so jecrcd ut and de-
| ri,lrd when orr Rip Van Wrinkles nap began
| that this Government cannot endure perma-
ncntly, half slave and half free has been de-
| monstracd, so that now every man between
| the two oceans and from Lakes to Gulf. owns
| himself and may sell his own labor nj his own
prjce He would note with wonder that over
| mountains which were deemed impossible long
| trains Of loaded cars are moving in continuous
| procession that the great wastes which were
described as barren and uninhabfablc are fruit
| ful and populous. and that across the CONT
| mental stretch OF mountain and desert the
| homes Of industry, prosperity and thrift are
within touch and call Of each other lie would
| observe with interest that wherever water had
| been ,umblng useless TO the sea il is harncsscd
| to loom and spindle, pulley and wheel. ana
| made 10 contribute TO the comforts and neccs-
| stiles OF man, while glowing forge and furnace
| fires by every vein OF mountain ore bear wit
ness to the material prosperity which springs
from enterprise encouraged and labor protected
| He would in lieu of an unstable and uncer-
| tain paper currency circulated within narrow
| limits from the point Of issue banknofes pass
| ing unqucstoncd from hand TO hand in an
| enormous volume Of transactions, whether
| issued from San Francisco or Bangor. and
! would hear with surprise that no holder OF
one OF them has ever lost a farhing by them.
Should he rub his eyes and ask: Who and
| what did all this? There was prOmisc.of 1t
in the spring Of 1861. when Mr.. Buchanan was
about to retire from the Presidency and the
party which had been responsible for the Gov
| eminent for SO many years was about surren-
| dcring power any schooboy could answer
| him. The reply would be that every step In
| this magnificent progress was due 10 the adj
mlnisraion and legislation the measures and
the methods of the party which took possession
Of the Government in 1861 and for thirty-two
years was responsible for the conduct Of public
affairs. And it might be added that II had
| encountered AZ every step the sullcn Resistance"
and factious opposition of the party II sup
| planted If then orr Rip Van Wrinkle longcd
| for some familiar spectacle that would recall
| the period when he fell into his long sleep, h.
might 90 up into the Senate chamber at Wash
| ington There he would find the statesmen OF
the party in control the party having clear
working majority in that body. engaged in in
tcrminablc wringling unworthy the name of
| discussion or debate. powcrcss to arrest the
Hood Of empty talk or reach any conclusion; n
lu1,
| something but confcssing mt the end Of ten
weeks Of friitlcss cndcavOr. not only their
inability to do IT, but their utter impotence to
| cxtrcatc themselves from the parliamentary
snarl in which their laundering incapaciy and
| cowardcc have involved them. If he should
ask an explanation. he would be told that many
Of them were pretending to favor a measure
| which ut heart they were opposed to- and others
who were In earnest in wanting to do some
thing did not know how to do it. And that the
excuse OF all Of them Is that under rules Of
their own adoption their hands were tied, and
they can do nothing
And then our Rip Va. Wrinkles eyes would
kindlc mt the familiar scene. All. yes" he
would say. This now looks natural. This is
the party that was just going ont of power
| when my nap began. llcn InPy Wlnttu w
save the Union. but could not do 1t for fear Of
violating the Constitution. They wanted to put
down the rebellion. but could find no warrant
for coercion. They wanted to establish tho au
tlority Of the Government. but dared not in
wade a sovereign State They wanted Il vigor-
ous prosecution Of the war; but opposed con-
scription as unconstitutional. and bitterly de-
nounccd the enlistment Of negroes who had
ESCAPED from their rebel masters MS n violation
Of the Fugitive Slave law. They wanted the
Goyernmcnt 10 have authority 10 raise money,
but opposed every measure for that purpose
~ Illegal and unconstitutional Yes, this IL the
same party. They wanted. or pretended to
want. the Union preserved ana rebellion put
down. but opposed every effort In that drcc-
tion because the Constitution was in the way.
And now they are prevented from doing what
they say they want to do because they are
afraid Of violating the rules Of the Senate.
Perhaps they mean well. hut they don't Know
how" And then. perhaps, our Rip Will ask
how long this party that wants 10 do some
thing but doesn't know how il likely to bc kept
IN powcr. We really cannot answer Rip, but
we have sron. suspicion that II there were