Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-04
WHAT CONGRESS DID
In Routine Matters It Was Unusu-
ally Active.
A REVIEW OF ITS WORK
Its Failure to Meet Public Demands
on Financial Questions.
SILVER AND THE TARIFF

lSILvER AND THE RIFF
With all the complaints and criticisms
| that have been passed on this Congress, q
review of its record will show that it has
been at least an unusually active one. A
| few very important matters which the Con-
gress was expected to deal with failed to
secure action. The failure to furnish relief
| for the financial situation which has been
| demanded has excited so much feeling on
| the part Of those interested that 1t doesn't
matter much what Congress has done. The
| fact that nothing has been done on finance
| is sufficient to excite the popular clamor.
1t has been many years since Congress
mas had SO many important questions press
| ing upon ii, and since the public have been so
| much interested in legislative matters. The
| eyes of the whole country have rested on
the Capitol since the Congress first began
| with an extraordinary session. The Con-
gress started with fight, and from the be-
ginning to the end its career has been
marked by intense antagonisms. The DIFF
ferences of opinion and the indiSposftion
among a@great many democrats to follow
| the advice of the administration have not
| led to an exhibition Of violent passion to
any extent, but have been expressed in in
difference, which has made it difficult to
force legislation. The Senate has been
the great stumbling block in the way of
important legislation until 1t came to imam
cial measures proposed during this session,
when the House itself stood out against
| the proposed legislation. While the con-
| flicting factions have been doing battle
over measures Of general Importance, and
there has been wide complaint OF mac
ton, the routine business has progressed
generally with more than usual activity.
Silver and the Tariff.
At the extra session called in August, be-
fore the first regular session, the Sherman
silver law was repealed The House acted
upon this measure with great promptness,
but it was only after many weeks of hard
fighting that the measure was got through
the Senate. Finally it did pass, and 1t was
triumph for the administration. This
was the work for which the special session
was called. During the recess between the
first and the extra session the committee
on ways and means began the work on the
second great measure on the program OF
the Congress Shortly after the regular
session began this committee reported the
Wilson tariff bill to the House,an it speed
lily passed. Here again the Senate stood
in the way, and what promised to be very
prompt legislation on the start dragged
out through weary months of disagree
ment and chickering's. The vast interests IN
yclyed in some of the items of the BILL and
the earnest effort made by few Senators
to protect these interests, led to intima-
ton and then to bold newspaper charges
Of improperly and the sugar scandal was
more the subject of discussion during the
closing weeks Of the session than was the
tariff bill itself, though Investigation fail
ed to prove any of the many scandalous
assertions made. Finally the tariff passed
the Senate, but 1t was not the bill which
had come from the House. 1t was a new
bill. carrying heavier duties certain
items and conspicuous chiefly for the res
toration of the duty on sugar, measure
calculated to produce more revenue man man
ate from first to last in defense OF their
course was that the government would
need the revenue, ard that If the Wilson
bill were adhered to 1t would cause large
deficiency. In order to accomplish any leg
islation at all the House was compelled to
accept the Senate bill in its entirely.
In the repeal of the Sherman law the adj
ministration and the House were victori-
Gus over the Senate; in the tariff legisla-
ton the Senate was victorious over both
the House and the administration, and the
| kill of the Senate was denounced by Mr.
Cleveland, who refused to sign 1t, permit
ting 1t to become a law without his sigma
ture.
The Last Session.
The session just closed opened amid a
period of the deepest depression, and was
greeted with a universal demand for relief
legislation, COMPOUNDED by a conflict of
counsel and advice and distracted by ir-
financial question. majority of both
houses opposed the issue of bonds A ma
jority of both houses opposed the recon-
mendation of Seer etary Carlisle for gen.
eral revision of the currency system of the
country majority of the Senate was
avowedly and openly in favor of the free
coinage of silver at 16 to l and opposed to
any financial legislation that did not in
clude this. If in the House majority was
not of the same mind with that of the Sen
ate, there was at least such a wide differ
ence Of opinion as to what should be DONE
or whether or not anything should be done,
that an agreement upon any particular
proposition proved impossible. In vain eff
forts to find some common ground upon
which a majority could stand the time of
the session was wasted, SO far as it re-
lated to financial legislation and the ad-
ministration suffered severe defeat in
whatever was attempted in that line
These were the three great fights Of the
Congress which make its record in the
public eye. The repeal of the Sherman law
and the passage of a tariff bill are in a
measure lost sight of in the tisappoint-
ment of all hope for relief from the imam
cial depression in which the country has
been involved. And the failure to pass
financial bill has given to this the title of
a do nothing Congress.
Business That Was Attended To.
If these great questions had not occupied
public attention what this Congress, es-
pecially the House, has done in an ordi-
nary legislative way might have given 1t
the reputation of a business Congress On
appropriation bills and all measures of
non-political character and such as form
the minor routine of legislation the House
has been extraordinarily prompt. During
both regular sessions the House committee
on appropriations, Of which Mr.. Sayers Is
chairman, had their work advanced far
beyond the custom, and action in the
House has been secured usually without
delay. Through the operation of the new
rules it has always been possible to pre-
vent filibustering and to secure vote on
any measure which has had the support
of majority. The Senate has been less
active yet has not been dilatory in ordi-
nary matters of legislation. The appro-
priation bills in the Senate were back
ward. and the greater part of the session
was wasted in long speeches, but this was
more in conformance with a fixed policy
than on account of any accident.
A number Of important bills failed in one