Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-06
IN A CHAOTIC STATE.
Party Leaders at Sea on Questions
Of Principle and Policy.
The Present Session Of Congress CONTINUES to
be q Farcical Spectacle.

The leaders in congress are between the
devil and the deep sea. This is state
ment made with good deal of pleasure
by members of the Republican minority.
But it is no partisan statement for all that.
Unfortunately it is only too true. That's
the way it appears to my friend the man
up tree, and for once he is right.
The further the present session Of con-
gress continues the more of a spectacle it
becomes. The late lamented Steele Mac
KAYE never for moment conceived of any
thing SO stupendously absurd. 1t has at
times been farcical, always comedy OF
errors, and in its farreaching results must
| necessarily become tragedy.
"a Plague to Both Your Houses"
But the "Roman mob on the floor OF
the house have no heed for results, be they
what they may. Their own actions justi-
fy their criticism, severe as it may appear.
Day after day and week after week they
have deported themselves to the amuse-
ment of the crowded galleries as no set of
schoolboys ever dared think of doing.
They have laughed and joked while the
country was in distress, and needed not.
distant, certainly not beyond the next cleo
ton.
This utter abandonment of consequences
to the party now in power is the natural
result of success to body made up large
| Iy of the disconnected elements in politics.
The overwhelming majority given the
| Democrats in the lower house was not the
result of any one or two national ques-
tons upon which party lines were distinct
ly drawn On the contrary, it was due
more than anything else to the widespread
discomfort with the powers that existed at
that time.
The Republicans had held full sway so
long that of necessity many abuses had
sprung up in national affairs. For these
| they were held alone responsible. Soft is
now with the Democrats. They have had
full swing for few brief months, and the
| public is now blaming them for every evil
| that has befallen the country.
The Late Mr.. Tweed Quoted.
This is but too true In Il large sense it
is not justified by the facts in the case.
The Democrats were not response bic for
the Sherman silver law, nor were they re-
sponsible for the depleted condition of the
treasury, brought about through excess
but they will have the blame to bear all
the same.
But what are you going to do about it?
That is the question which confronts the
leaders of the Democratic party at both
ends of the capitol at this time. | have
asked many, but as yet have no answer that
is in any way satisfactory They all give
assurance of their good intentions, but
you all know the place where good inten-
tious unfulfilled lead some. Just at this
time that appears to be the destination OF
some of the leaders of the party in power,
and they are using the limited express in
their anxiety to get there.
What about the tariff Who can tell:
President Cleveland, worn out by his eff
forts to unite his party, went off in disgust
on government revenue cutter to Kill
ducks. 1t was case of duck or no din
ner in his estimation, and the chances OF
the party for starvation were only equaled
by Lieutenant Greedy and his colleagues
when lost in the arctic regions
Ask any of the recognized leaders at Ell
| Their end of the capitol to tell you what is
going to be done with the tariff, and they
will only look at you in an agonized way
| and pass on. They don't know. That is
| the whole thing in nutshell. Once in Il
| great while you will find one of the small
er fry willing to give you his opinions at
| length. They are not worth the time they
! take to tell. Those who understand the
situation wisely keep their mouths shut.
The Silver Question.
Now as to silver. Again you are met
| with the same unwillingness to go on rec
ord. The silver men, in an indefinite way
that is truly beautiful, will tell you that,
phenixlike, silver will rise from the ashes
of the past and that this congress will
adopt the dou bic standard. Quite interest
| ing if true. But is it true? Certainly not.
| 1t may come to pass, but if it does there is
nothing in the present situation to justify,
any such confident assertion.
The gold men are just as "chipper."
| They poohpooh the claims of the silver
| men, but cannot give any definite assur-
ance as to what the outcome will be.
| About the only thing that seems certain
at this time is that the financial question
| is Ivy no means settled and that the pres
ent congress has got to fight it out to
| finish-that is, if there can be a finish OF
n question which has trou bled the country
since its foundation and will doubtless
continue to trouble it till its fall.
So far as the tariff is concerned, little
| light appears to be breaking at last. The
action of the senate, while not in line with
the Wilson hill as it passed the house, bids
fair to be met in n proper spirit by the
| Joint conferees The result will be in all
probability n patchwork bill which will
be no revenue bill, nor for that matter will
! If lie in line with the pledges made the
( people in the Chicago platform. The claim
so long made by opponents of protective
/ tariff that il was in the direct line of class
legislation will stand out clear ard bold by
very reason of the few industries protect
| ed Where the protection was general the
discrimination did not stand out with
4 such terrific force
A Pretty Kettle of Fish.
Altogether it is a pretty kettle of fish,
and all of them. big and little, are in pref
~ hot water The eastern men, for in
stance, are floundering about in mad de-
lire to avoid the income tax bait Pre-
lious few of them will swallow it, but it
looks just now as though they were large
ly in the minority and that the income
tax cork to the tariff tackle could ride the
congressional waves successfully.
But whatever is the outcome of the pres
ent situation its effect VIII he i,l.ry .lle
most active IN il for some wears TO come.