The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-08-29
D. FsIlsEe Of Congress.

From the SeT lori iI1hqae.
4 greas party. embracing neasiy half
the voters oftae United State, which 'gas
intrusted les filaa rro years ago With
entire charge o. the GsyorumeEi for the
firsi time in ihiuy-iwo year. Wiii Pc
engaged until Sund5wn 0n the day -
election next November IN eApiaining To
the people why l. has failed To discharge
is duties or keep its pledges. Whether
the pledges were good ar bad. whether
the things promised were really for the
good of tiie conRfry OF not, i mot an g.
seHtiaI point. Tie question Is whether
the self governing peopie 81 this Nation
can expect fhM iheir lawmakers and
their Executive viii do the wiz 81 lhose
who elected them.
ii is a strange spectacle. Flushed with
triumph two years ago, this great body
0f citizens = to-day humiiiated 10y the
consciousness of funspeakable shame and
astonishing failure. % wanted retrench-
ment oC this i-ldy % voters.
bat lis lawmakers have passed -iiS its
President approved. OF suffered 20 become
law without signature, appropriations for
the coming year larger than those of the
"Blliou Congress q; lis GFsl session. u
wanted ffee coinage 81 silver. THIS gEea
body II voters. and ~ lawmakers ana
President have uof on.y refused silver
coinage. bu; have stopped puuasses Of
silver /; wanted abolition ~ protective
duties. tariff for reyeuue only and
destruction of trusts and mou0po.ie-. It.
Csngre~s and President have surrendered
% the trusts and monopolies. and have
en.ssod q ;lTin' Of which scarcely one out
II a fbousl lnd duties is not gEsldaaied with
the inieui L. project. or with ihc nro.e~-
sion tlia; it vii protect. Il J. safe 10 say
that never. in the whole history of the
country. has the intention of lhe people
in electing a new President and Congress
failed more completely and Disgrace
fully.
The explanation which the President
himself has made in letter passi0naIely
denouneing the Tarif bin thar = expect
ed TO become a law through his humiiia-
fi0H and enforced assent i that the pe0-
pile are ashamed aud disgraced liy the ap-
parent insaFaoily Of the lawmakers.
Doubtless this feeling widely prevails
and the inoompetenes u Congress has
been almost beyond lelief. lie most i'm
porfant measures are 20 fail of laundass
that in many respects they defeat the OH
jecis OF their trainers. while in far more
Numerous instances they fail through
mere ignorance offhe subject treated. But
IL j. not fair or right, even though the a.
easatiou comes from the President 70
hold the incapaei.y Of the party in power
mainly Responsible for It's failure. The
greet diiRcuity = that she party itseif
Was not honest with the people in seeking
power.
When this greas body Of voters seugia
control Of the Government. II began By
making promises which il knew could
never be kept. and which many Of lis
most intelligent men knew Ought never
10 be kept. These were nevertheless
made, A. solemn pledges Of the party. 70
satisfy the prs5u5ices OF a great body 81
voters and 10 secure their support. II
was dishonest 10 make them. The object
was 70 cheat millions OF prejudieed and
comparatively ignorant men. The party
managers proceeded at the outset 10 take
measures TO insure the defeat of the pledg-
e they made. To carry out the promise
of free coinage the party nominated for
President 4 man known 10 be determined
b veto any free-coinage hill. To carry
Suf the promise If a tariff for revenue
only i nominated men for the Presidency
and for Congress who began at once TO
explain that they would do nothing 10
break down or cripple any American in
dnstry- To destroy trusts and Eaonapo-
lies the party proceeded 70 put the Gov
efRmsHt completely into tie nsnds II
persons who we're little better than the
agents of the mos greedy Eonop0lies
and the most offensive trusts.