The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-03-07
CONGRESS HAS ADJOURNED.

"The Fifty-third congress has passed
into history" is the information we are
given by the Associated Press. The in
terrogatory becomes pertinent what kind
of history has the Fifty-third congress
made" If it were possible for the pages
that recorded the proceedings of the Fifty
third congress TO be obliterated, turned
down and blotted out, it would be a happy
thing for the Democratic party.
There never was q session of congress
that had more power to do good, to lift
this country out of the ruts, than the
Fifty-third congress, but governed by
n blind and fatuous personal hate Of Mr..
Cleveland on account of his defense of
the integrity of the financial policy of the
country, the late congress absolutely re-
fused to do anything to put the govern
ment on a good financial basis as it might
have DONE BY this refusal to authorize
any kind of financial policy that did not
embrace the free and unlimited coinage
of silver, the late congress has forced a
policy on the government that in order
to sustain its credit, has cost the tax
payers of this country millions of dollars
in interest that was totally unnecessary
and wasteful to the most extravigant
degree.
1t has added to that by making unneces-
sary appropriations in times of general
and perfect peace to build war vessels
costing millions. 1t did more it clearly
manifested its inability TO meet the great
issues that were presented to it, and han
die the questions that arise in all repre-
sentative governments. 1t had good
many able men in it but even these men
seemed to fear popular clamor too much
to do what they knew was right. 1t will
20 down into history rs an unstable, popu-
larity counting and inefficient congress,
and the Democratic party will be held
responsible for it and that very justly.
The Democratic party has been most
unfortunately divided on these monetary
issues that ought not to have been party
questions, and the impulse of that divis-
ion of opinion has been injected into its
representatives in congress. 1t cannot be
denied that the schisms in the Democratic
party are largely responsible for the kind
of legislation, or rather want of legisla-
ton by which the embarrassments of the
people of the country have been unneces-
sarily prolonged The condition of the
country cannot be attributed to any fail
ure of crops. We have been abundantly
blessed with large crops and our barns
have been grooming under the weight of
our produce. The whole of our distress
can be attributed to the division of the
dominant party of the country, for there
is little doubt that upon any great national
issue, such as the tariff, that the Demo
cratic party is the dominant party of the
country Notwithstanding its late reverses.
Just as the division of the Democratic
party in 1861 was the cause of the
fratricidal war that followed, is the Dem
ocratic party now, by its division on the
financial system of the country, the cause
of the distrust and distress that exist so
generally. AS far as the last congress
and its lack of action is concerned, the
Democratic party will be justly held re-
sponsible for it and all its consequences,
and to be useful to the country as it is
designed to be, the party will have to
reconstruct both its financial policy and
its representation in congress.