Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-12-19
DUTY OF CONGRESS-
REPRESENTATIVE WILSON Deals OUT SOME
Plain Truths as TO Needed
Legislation.

w
West Virginia. chairman of the House COM
mittee on ways and means, believes that the
present should be an actiye session Of Con-
gress.
"The session, said he, Should not be a
routine one, as the chances Of retrieving
Democratic supremacy depend on a full and
solid record OF reform legislation. 10 DO
little or nothing except pass the aPproprla-
ton bills and the lean list Of measures SAID
to have been agreed on by some Of our party
leaders would Justify the charge that the
Democratic party is incapable OF affirmative
and coherent policies. A bad party the
country may tolerate for while, and even
vicious legislation, as the career of the Re-
publican party abundantly shows, but an
impotent party everybody dismisses with
ridicule and contempt"
The country and the Democratic party
have a right to vote on the separate tariff
bills sent to the Senate dealing with coal,
iron ore, sugar, free alcohol and barbed wire,
and there srs some amendments to the adj
ministrative parts Of the tariff bill suggested
by the Treasury Department thai cali Tor
action. The Senate substitute on sugar es-
pecislly ought TO pass. Our treaty and trade
relations with Germany demand the repeal
of the discriminating tax against German
sugar and protection Of our own people
against the trust calls for the repeal of the
one.eighth protection on refined sugars
Opponents Of the income tag are told by the
friends of the trust that these ditterentials
are in the interest of this tax. On the con
trary. such repeal would somewhat increase
the import of refined sugar, add to our rev.
enues and lesseE the power of the trust over
the American consumers.
We should also pass a good banking bill
There is danger of the committee being ask
ed to give too much time to hearings, after
it has gotten through with the men whose
counsel is really valuable If the bill pre-
pared by lIr. Carlisle, amended and perfect
ed if need be, could be gotten through the
House before the holidays there would be
ample time for its consideration in the Sen
ate even with their present rules, and OF
course my suggestions imply some change
in those rules, for believe that if our PEG
pie do not adopt some sort Of previous cues
ton so that they may dispose of relief meas
ures the Republicans will adopt it to pass
their measures.
There is a mighty difference between
legislative DEGREES, without deliberation as
we had 10 the Finy-frst Congress, and leg
islauon by unanimous consent, as seems to
be the helpless condition of every large leg
islatiye body without rules to bring measures
to a vote. Under the latter system there can
be no party supremacy aud no response to
popular yerdicts. If we can deal with all
these matters wisely and some others Of mi
nor importance we can retire with dignity
from the stage and challenge our successors
to do as much for the people
Mr. David ; Donaldson, for nearly sixty
years an bouored resident of Terre Haute,
Iudisua, died in that city on the 9th OF
November last-aged more than eighty-fye
years. He started the first daily paper
there The Wabash Express, in 1851 He
was a fluent aud graceful writer and had
newspaper ability Of a high order Mr..
Donaldson was not fond of politics and
for that reason quit journalism and entered
into other pursuits. In 1888 he married
Miss Eyeline Clark, near this town, on
what is now known as the Gave farm, J
and the bride aud groom made the journey
to Terra Hauto by stage, that being the
only means of locomotion, and they were
eight days aud nights making the Journey.
"The welded life Of this devoted couple, q"
save the Terre Haute Gazette, has been
most beautiful and was blessed by four
children, three of whom are living, as is
also Mrs Donaldson. For fifty years The
FREE PRESS has been welcome visitor to
the Donaldson home.