New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-20
LEGISLATION BLINDFOLD.

A lean in the dark Is not always sensible or
safe but what can be said of lawmnkng In the
dark? Some sort Of right n man may have TO
risk his own life or limbs, and II he goes
through life cripple or throws away in wan
tonness thc years he might have lived, possibly
no one else NAV be loser. But when man
CANDLES with the property OF others the worm
holds him dshonorable and base. when ne
CANDLES with interests which money canho.
measure with the happiness and the homes and
the lives Of millions who have trus'fu IN HIS
honor and wisdom. what words can be found
TO 1T his baseness:
Democratic lawmakers at Washington are ex-
tremely unwilling 10 face this Judgment or their
acts. When 1t is brought home to them IN ue
bate they dodge and twist as anxlously rs ever
a thief caught in the act tried 10 escape 'ne
pursuing clutches Of the law In the DEBATE Oh
Monday the fact that they have been phnuV
barterlng of the prosperity OF important lnuuS-
tries was brought home TO them IN all us uls-
honor and baseness by Senators Aldrich' fia'''
Chandler and others. 1t was shown now the! iiu
bound themselves 10 vote for they khe" ho'
what In blind obedience 10 compacts OF "mCh
they had no knowledge. report or e1piana''oh'
for reasons which no Senator dared 10 s'a'c'
Whether there was ever any actual necessity
for such bargains as they had bound themselves
70 carry out. they had no evidence Whatever
Possibly not one Senator ever threatened 10 ue'
feat their Tariff bill unless ii was chaneed 10
his liking. for nobody darcs TO mention the au'
thor NJ any such threat. Possibly IL was AZ the
outset and throughout nothing but huge game
~ huff I'm which single Senator G two,
though quite without power TO defeat the OH
and meyer meaning TO try II the party had not
yielded nevertheless contrivcd 10 create the be
liof thar tho fate Of the bill would depend abso-
lutely on the bargains he might make. ne
Democratic Senators do not profess TO know
whether they were blackmailcd, or cheated or
merely bcfooled.
One thing they all know, that they Douhu
themselves entirely in the dark 10 vote TOT an!
and every bargain which one or TWO men mlEh'
make In their name, or profess to nave maze OF
represent as necessary 10 the nnal success o.
the Democratic tariff. Every Democratic sen
ator agreed 10 take the chance that the sri
amounted bargain-makcrs were not mistaken IL
| Judgment, and would not he fooled INTO g''nl
| more TO any monopoly or trust than was ac'uhi
| lv necessary once bound as voting ca''Ie %
the trusts and the bargain makers. Democrau'
| Senators have been ordered day aiter dav u
vote for changes entirely hostile TO their coh''c
| tions or their interests, for when they never
| had onv idea Of voting when they bound thcih
| selves
In all this business they have been barterih'
off and voting away the interests. the prosper
ity. the happiness and the homes ana even III
| very lives of men who had trusted them n
sworn and honorable public servants 10 MAX
wise laws for the people OF the United S'atc'
They have voted again and again for chahgc
which they believe not wise nor Tor inc eoV
Of the people Their sole excuse mas pceh IVA
some one said that the pending Iarln Dill coul
never pass unless these changes were hau'
OF proof that the assertion was true lhcy HI
not one particle, nor have they ever tried 10 g
any According 10 their own explanations inc
have felt forced TO do things they nrmiy ID
ucvcd 10 be wrong, but do not know 10 III
hour how they were forced. or by whom, q
whether they were in fact forced At all.
II the men had been handling In this Din'
hanbazard way interests which belonged I
themselves alone. they would be called silly b'
vond exnrcssion. But when they handle In TIL
wav the most vital and sacred interests
millions Entrusted TO their charge as agents {
the Nation. their conduct has in 1t immeasu
ob,v moro Of basencss than OF reckless folly.
II IS considered that these falthless lawmakei
are reckless only with the interests OF Others
and are moved thus to gamble with everythn
they ought to hold sacred only because the
think they see chance to better their own pc
sonal fortunes, then the true meaning or the
conduct can be In some measure appreciated
That the people will appreciate It too well 70
the comfort Of the Democratic party Its leader
evidently begin TO fear.