Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-03-28
THE REPUBLICAN RECORD.
Rsyfew OF Their Unpafriotfc Acts In tlsS
FifEy-Third Congress

sratic failure and disgrace in the con-
yress that closed recently. We have
discussed it in general and in detail
more than once and have pointed out
its causes with frankDess. But it would
be a mistake to say that tho demo
cratic party is alone the subject for
blame as represented in that body. In
the conspicuousness of democratic e.
fault of duty the sins of the republic
ans against the public welfare should
not be forgotten. There is heavy re-
sponsibility here as well. The coun-
try has been deprived of needed 1egis-
lation through republican agency in
several important instances, and there
would have been more of these. as well
as positive legislation that promised to
be pernicious, had the representatives
OF that party -oftener had their way.
The partisan reply to this will be
that the republicans were in the mi
nority, and are not, therefore, to be
held blamable for anything done, or
omitted to be done, in the last con-
gress. This may be plausible, but it
will not bear examination. Practical
~, the minority has the power to pre-
vent legislation in the United States
senate, and it is for the use OF this
tyO"C1 OAAoO We al . oASPOSCO ~ oil
the republicans. They exercised it
constantly and relentlessly. They ex-
ercised it for political ends in the Sec
ond session of the senate; in the
third one, at time when they had the
democrats so much at their mercy in
the country that there was no need for
them to seek further party advantage,
they persisted in continuing to play
the game of party politics, regardless
of the needs Of the country. OF the
six hundred amendments put upon the
tariff bill of last year many were
forced in by the minority of the SEN
ate, under threat that, if they were
not adopted, the bill should be talked
into delay that threatened its death.
These amendments, therefore, were
republican work, not democratic.
Aside from this, owing to the con-
tumacy of certain democratic senator's,
there was never a democratic majority
for practical legislation IN the senate,
and before the late session was ended
there had ceased to be even a nominal
one.
In the late short session the more di-
rect blame for the failure of legisla-
ton that was obviously needed, and
which had necessarily no political
bearing, in a party sense, must be as
signed to the repu blicans- The two
most prominent instances of this were
in the defeat of the bill repeating the
rebate duty upon alcohol and that re-
moving the differential duties upon
sugar. The alcohol section of the
tariff law was placed there by a repub-
lican senator, with the avowal that it
was experimental, and with a pledge
not to insist upon it if it should be
found to operate to the public injury.
That it did so operate was as clearly
demonstrated as anything could be,
yet the republicans refused to keep
their pledge. They were willing that
the country should suffer in revenue in
order that they might make the demo
cratic party odious, hoping to deceive
the people as to the fact that this meas
ure was one that their own party had
forced upon the democrats.
The differentia1 duties upon sugar
were in the same category. They were
operating direct injury upon the ex-
port trade of the country. The demo
Gratis stood ready to repeal them, and
did pass a bill to repeal them in the
house of representatives. The repub-
licans took advantage of their power
this bill. They thus wrought harm to
portion of the exports of the country,
and aided to perpetuate an unfortunate
feeling on the part of some of the best
customers of American products in Eu-
rope. They made this sacrifice of the
public interest that they might score
another point against the democrats in
politics.
similar reproach is the republican
one for the party's action on the Behr-
ing sea awards. The Judgment WIS
against our country here. Secretary
Gresham made a favorable arrange
ment for the payment of the indemnity
which was implied in it. Senator
Sherman and other republicans who
held the public interests of the coun-
try above party politics urged that it
should be paid. The republicans pre-
vented such payment. The response
bility is not all theirs here, for many
democrats acted with them, but they
bear heavy share OF it. and it is prob
able, if they had not played politics in
the matter, the bill would have passed.
As it is, our nation is compelled to bear
the blame in the eyes of foreign powers
Of refusing, at least temporarily, to
agree to the award of tribunal which
she had part in creating, and, if SEN
ator Sherman is right, she will have in
the end to pay a much larger sum than
that which Secretary Gresham had sue
ceeded in obtaining as her due.
If. therefore, the democratic record