Birmingham age-herald., 1894-08-31
THE WORK oP coNeREss.

THE WORK OF CONGRESS.
 To judge a matter correctly 1t must be taken in the aggregate and not by pieces meal. The work of Congress as whole has been very important. It has performed more important work than many previous Congresses. A great deal of complaint was made about the time consumed in the pas- sage of the tariff bill, but the time taken was but little longer than that required for the passage of the Mckinley bill, although when that law was being framed the man. ufacturers were allowed to write out the protective features in which they were con- cerned, and these were incorporated in the law word for word. In the passage of the present law there were many conflicting interests to be reconciled, and out of much discussion the truth is evolved. The pres- ent law also contains more provisions than the Mckinley law. Then the time con- stunned in the passage of the bill repeating the purchasing clause of the Sherman law was complained of; but that repeal put the financial system of the country on sound basis, and in this light the time would not have been lost if it had been twice as long. Beside these two great measures Congress repealed the Federal elections law. Under this law the power of con- trolling elections was lodged in the hands of Federal officials. Deputy United States marshals were sent from other states to control elections in the South. This Fed eral election law struck at state sovereignty and was long step toward strong cen- tral government. Its repeal by Congress was grand work, and marked step of the return toward the true principles upon which our republic is founded.
 Another iniquitous law, and one inimical to our free institutions, was repealed by Congress. When Blaine had his reciprocity clause engrafted on the Mckinley law, he gave the President the right to levy and re- init taxes. This lodgment of the supreme power of government in the hands of one man was return to the principles of monarchy. Kings have been beheaded for attempting to usurp the very power lodged in the hands of the President. Congress at once repealed this law, and returned the power of levying and remitting taxes back to the representatives of the people where 1t properly belongs. Thus the Democratic Congress struck two telling blows at the tendency toward standardization, and wounded the Republican party in it's most vital part.
 Another tendency of the Republican party has been to favor the rich at the ex. pense of the poor. Laws with this purpose in view were placed on the statute books. As rebuke to this spirit Congress passed the income tax law, which will compel the rich to bear their share of the burdens of government. Under this law there is no chance for the rich to hide their wealth, or invest it so as to ascape taxation.
 Congress also purged the pension list of it's fraudulent claims, aud reduced ths S1- penses of the government by S43, 900, 900.
 It authorized the States to tax green backs and other United States currency, which has heretofore escaped taxation,
 It passed stringent laws against trusts, and Senator Morgan was largely instru- mental in framing and passing the bills.
 It perfected the Chinese registration law, providing that all Chinese now in the United States should register in the offices of the internal revenue collectors. It passed the treaty with China, thus insuring greater protection to Americans in China and freer trade relations.
 An act was passed by which Utah will be enabled to enter the Union on the coming Fourth of July, and thus another star, the forty fifth, will be added to the constella- tion on the national flag. The House passed bills admitting New Mexico and Arizona, and the Senate will pass them at the next session.
 This Con gress was the first to recognize the importance of organized labor, and passed bill making Labor Day (the first Monday in Septem ber) legal holiday.
 The time for making final proof and pay- ment on lands claimed under the public land laws, was extended for one year; and sundry other wholesome laws, too numer- ous to mention, go on the statute books as the work of this Democratic Congress.