The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1895-03-20
IT'S s0ULsrILL MARCHING ON.

The Courier-Journdi has no dis.
position to extenuate the sins OF
omission and commission of the
Congress which expires to-day. III
has spoken plainly and fully on
that subject.
Still, we feel bound to say that
Democratic papers are the only
ones that have the rightto condemn
the Fifty-third Congress. It's Of
fences have been directly In the
line of those of the Fifty-first Con-
gress, which the Republican news
papers, with very few exceptions,
applaudcd.
The expiring Congress has a few
things to its credit which must go
on the debt side of the Fifty-frst.
The latter passed the Sherman sill
yer purchase bill, which the Fifty
third repealed. All the influential
organs of the Republican party adj
NIT that the repeating act was
right. Their apologies for the pass
age of the act are flimsy and unsub.
stantial and have been repeatedly
exploded. The Fifty-first Congress
passed the Mckinley act, which
the Fifty-ihird repealed. The Re
publicans do not, of course, admit
that this was right, but the new
tariff has been attacked by them
mainly for features which were al
so in the Mckinley Bill, such as the
favor shown to trusts. Then the
Fifty first Congress tried to pass,
and the House did pass, the Force
Bill, which Republicans called the
Federal Election Bill; the Fifty
third Congress repealed the FEEDER
al election law which was previous
ly on the statute book.
So much is to be put down to the
credit of the Fifty.third Congress-
not to mention smaller items. Now
let us look for Il moment at the
charges which Republicans prefer
against this Congress. They say il
has not shown any zeal to protect
the credit of the Government. Bu'
the Fifty.fir Congress did worse
it passed the Sherman act, which
as everybody knows, laid the foun'
dation of the distrust of the Gov
ernment's ability To pay its obliga
tions, and started the run on the
Treasury, which continued up to I
week or two ago.
1t is charged that during thi:
Congress expenditures have eX
ceeded the receipts. This can no
he denied, but the same result was
brought about by the Mckinley
Bill and the eXtravagant legisla
ton of the Fifty-frst Congress
Else why was the surplus dissipat
ed and the Treasury left with prac
tically no money except the gol'
reserve? Moreover, ii is admitte,
that the present tariff bill will yielt
revenue enough when it become
fully operative and the depression
i'm business caused by the Sherman
act is over. Only six months hav
elapsed since the repeal of the Nc
I<inley act.
1t is perfectly well known that i
was the intention Of the Fifty frs
Congress to dissipate the surplus
and to prevent the creation of al
other. For this purpose it mad
additions to the expenses of tn
, Government that it knew no sui
sequent Congress would be able t
repeal, such as the immense add
tien to the pension charge. Its lee
islation made 1t certain that TIL
expenses of the Government woul
he for many years far higher tina
, they had ever been before. Tha
, action was taken deliberately i
order to insure the continuance {
high tariff The tax on sugar, fc
example, in the present law wa
rendered necessary by the extra,
, agance of the Fifty-first Congress
Thus it will be seen that, a
along the line, wherever the eXpiI
ing Congress has come short of il
duty, it has simply initiated III
, Fifty first. Wherever it has r.
versed the Fifty.first it has dor
well. The Fifty first Congress
+ moldering in the grave, but j
wicked soul is marching on.-Cou
Ter Journal.
, PHILADELPHIA manufacture