The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-03-29

: To be sure four whole years seems al-
 most too long a period during which
 to pay penance for a neglect of polit-
 ical duty and an act of political folly.
 But under our system the time cannot be shortened. When the affairs of
 government are once fully committed
 to any party conditions cannot be
 changed until the expiration of four
 years. I know that men are now anX-
 iously scanning the eastern horizon
 watching for the dawn of better times;
 and I think the beams of coming inn
 provement are already lighting up the
 sky, but the full orbed sun of prosper
 ity will not shine upon the country
 again until the period of democratic
 administration has elapsed. What
 that party has torn down cannot be rebuilt while it's control continues.
 Thank heaven that the people were
 able to stop the work of destruction at
 the end of two years. They did stop 1t at the election of 1894, and stopped it gloriousIy, too, But the work of re-
 constructing and rebuilding the dam l aged edifice of national prosperity can not be really begun until after 1S96 So through the long weary months yet | to come, this lesson of political duty l must be pondered, and as they roll l away It. must be acted on. I believe | 1t will be. The one blessed hope for
 our nation and it's progress and pros | perity, is that when the people see | clearly what needs to be done, they
 rise up in their majesty and do 1t with | a will. When misrule becomes unbear- able, they put it under foot. What a wreck the democratic party have wrought in two years, and what sat | isfaction that they were checked in their career of destruction and are
 powerless for further mischief during the waning two years of the existence vouchsafed, to their administration; what they might have done if they had
 not been stopped is too fearful to con template.
 I suppose there is a vague expeota- | tlon that the next congress can do | something to improve the situation; but I fear those who cherish this eX-
 pectation take only superficial view of political affairs. For the next two years the republicans will be in con- trol of the house of representatives only; a democratic president will keep
 the executive chair, and there will be iO ACPhOlAGehA AAleAJOIAly III bliG pGlALlG.
 Any measures calculated to bring prosperity which may originate in and
 be passed by the republican house
 will die at the door of the senate, or
 if by any miracle of good luck they
 may receive its sanction. will die at the sentry box in front of the execu-
 tive mansion. The democratic party
 has been shorn of it's power for posi-
 tive mischief, but the power to nega- tive beneficial legislation unfortunate ly remains. If without offense I may use familiar phrase, "The snake has been scotched but not killed" It re- mains with the people to finish the work. So pray you not to expect too much of the next congress. It cannot by any possibility restore to the ooun- try the policy and principles which we think we know are essential to na- tional prosperity. It can and will stand in the way of further devasta- tion.
 Tn my judgment the very best thing that congress can do in the next two years in to attempt as little legislation as possible. If it had the power to remedy the grevious wrongs done and committed since the advent of the democratic party to power, it's duty would be plain and undertaken with alacrity; but since it is powerless to re- store that protection which is a shield and defense to every American citizen, I believe it should spare the country the | turmoil, the excitement and the agita- | tion of useless contention. A short ses- 1 sion, long enough only to mature and | pass needful appropriations and pres | sing local measures, is the best work | that can be accomplished by the next | congress. The hope of the immediate fu- | ture is the fact that the worst is passed, | that democratic incapacity can work no | more harm, and that the hopeful ener- gy of our people will make the best of | the existing situation until such time as the republican party can be restored to | power and assume again the guidance | of national affairs. As we look back | over the last two years upon the "un- merciful disaster" that Followed fast and followed faster" there is great | hope and comfort In this.
 Our people are enterprising, energetic, resouroeful and will even under discour- aging conditions struggle with disad- keep out of bankruptcy, hold | their own, and probably make gradual improvement. believe We have reach ed the lowest depth, that there is no | lower democratic depth opening to re- ceive us, and that in the absence of fear and unsettling agitation, we may at least start forward and be ready to take advantage of the full opportunity to regain our footing and prosperity which complete republican victory in 1896 will furnish. To this end let us be every day of the months which must elapse before the final con- test, and more than that, let us here in Bridgeport and throughout the good state of Connecticut, which we love, though at times 1t goes politically wrong, be republican politicians every lay; let Us fix our eyes on the good lime coming rather than on the days of present. Encouragement, and be ready 70 do our part in so emphasizing the will >f the people, that in the years to come nen shall wonder how it was possible hat the democratic party was ever giv- n four years of national bowen
 THEIR FIRST DOLLAR.
 4ow TanOus MfIIiOnairaa RaoaD TI,ai- I