New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-26
THE FAILURE OF CONGRESS.

A great party. embracing nearly half the
voters Of the United States which was intrust-
cd less than two years ago with entire charge
of the Government for the first time III thlrl!
two wears. will be engaged until shutdown on
the day OF election next November In expialh-
ing TO the people why it has failed TO discharge
It's duties or keep its pledges Whether the
pledges were good or bad. whether the things
promised were really tor the good Of the country
or not. is not an essential point The question
IS whether the clf-governing people OF this Ma
ton can expect that their lawmakers and their
Executive will do the will of those who elected
them.
II IL q strange spectacle Flushed with tri-
umph two years ago. this great body Of citizens
is to-day Inundated by the consciousness OF I'M
speakabe shame and astonishing failure. 1t
wanted retrcnchment Of expenditures, this body
of voters. but its lawmakers have passed and
its President approved, suffered to become
law without signature. appropriations for the
coming wear larger than those OF the billion
Congress" at It's first session. 1t wanted free
coinage Of silver. this great body Of voters. and
IFS lawmakers and President have not only re-
fused silver coinage but have stopped purchases
of silver 1t wanted abolition OF protective
duties. a tariff for revenue only and destruction
of trusts and monopolics. It's Congress and
President have surrendered 10 the trusts and
monopolies, and have enacted tariff OF which
scarcely one out Of a thousand duties Is not
graduated with the intent 10 protect, or win
the profession that 1t will protect 1t is safe to
say that never. in the whole history Of the COM
try, has the intention Of the people in cectlng
a new President and Congress failed more com
pletely and disgraccfully.
The explanation which the President himself
has made in letter passionatcly dcnouncing
the Tariff bill that Is expected To become law
through his humiliation and enforced assent Is
that the people are shamcd and dlsgraccd by
the apparent incapacity Of their lawmakers.
Doubtless this feeling widely prevails, and the
incompetency of Congress has been almost be-
yond belief It's most important measures are
so full OF plumbers that In many respects they
defeat the objects OF their trainers, while In
far more numerous instances they fall through
mere ignorance Of the subject treated. But it is
not fair or right. even though the accusation
comes from the President. To hold the inca
pacity Of the party in power mainly responsible
for its failure The great difficulty is that the
party itself was not honest with the people in
seeking power.
When this great body Of voters sought control
Of the Government, IT began by making promises
which II knew could never be kept. and which
many OF it's most intelligent men knew ought
never 10 be kept. These were nevertheless
made as solemn pledges OF the party, 10 SATISFY
the prejudices Of great body OF voters ana TO
secure their support 1t dishonest To make
them The object was TO cheat millions or
prciudiccd and comparatively ignorant men.
The party managers proceeded at the outset To
take measures 10 insure the defeat of the
pledges they made. To carry out the
promise OF free coinage the party nom
mated for President man known 10
To carry out the promise Of a tariff for revenue
only II nominated men for the Presidency and
for Congress who began al once 10 explain that
they would do nothing to break down or cripple
any American industry. TO destroy trusts and
monopoles the party proceeded 10 put the GOV
eminent completely into the hands Of persons
who were little better than the agents Of the
most greedy monopolics and the most offensive
trusts.
Dishonesty from the beginning has resulted
in disgracefu failure, and there Is nothing in
the least surprising about II. The men who sin
ccrcy wished TO do what the great body OF
Democratic voters desired were bound hand and
foot, not by small minority as some pretend,
but by the ablest managers Of the party who
had organized Its victory. Because 1t had OBJ
tanned victory by false pretences, the party
ends It's first session Of Congress with unparal-
leled disgrace.