The San Francisco call., 1895-12-30
PARTY DISCIPLINE.


The fact that forty-seven Republicans IN
the House voted against the bond bill is
political event sure to attract public ct
i, tention. 1t seems to presage the defeat OF
the bill in the Senate, and is seemingly
ominous of future dssensions on party
issues in the House itself. The latter con-
sideration is by far the more important.
The country can get along without the
bond bill, for after all IL is but an expedi-
ent TO meet a temporary emergency, but
the results would be serious indeed if there
should be such a relaxation OF discipline
in the party ranks as TO prevent the Re
publican majority from acting vigorously
and harmoniously for the remainder OF the
session.
Mr.. Dalzell, who closed the debate on
the Republican side, saw the dangers that
might result from the detection and
warmly urged that the bill be supported
as a party measure. 81 appeal" he inn
pressively said, ''to my fellow Republicans
to think long and earnestly before they join
the Democratic forces on the other side of
the aisle The division is not for this time
merely"
While the seriousness of the detection
cannot be overlooked, there are good rea-
sons for believing il is not so ominous as
it appears at first sight, or as Mr.. Dalzell
seems TO have regarded it. The bill was
not good one. 1t could be defended even
by its friends only on the ground of an
emergency measure. 1t was opposed
therefore by many Republicans who
would not otherwise have voted with the
Democrats and PopuIists against party
measure. a similar case is not likely to
arise during the session, and consequently
there may not be again any sign of divis-
ion in the party ranks or any evidences OF
a weakening in that superb majority by
which the Republicans now control the
House.
Party discipline was never more impera-
tive upon Republican Congressman than
at this juncture. The Democratic party,
flushed with victory that gave It con-
troll of all branches of the Government,
has in two years been overwhelmed in de-
feat largely because its leaders could not
act together upon the greater issues that
confronted them. In that example every
Republican in Congr.ss has warning
which he will do well 10 heed. Inde-
| pendent action sounds we'll to declaim
about, but nation cannot be governed by
a crowd of independent representatives
each going his own way. Even city can
not be thus governed with any success and
every attempt of the kind whether called
a non-partisan administration or an inde-
pendent administration, has always been q
| failure when tried in any part OF this
| country.
There is ample room in Congressional
work for the exercise Of Independent judg-
ment without endangering party dis
| cipline. Comparatively few measures are
| strictly party issues, Questions like those
| of the funding bill and the Nicaragua
| Canal involve no party principle and on
them no allegiance to any party is re-
| quired. When, however, the Republican
| party devises measure to carry out Re-
| publican policy against the opposition oi
| all Democrats then every Republican
| should support it. In such issues there
| should be no thought of Western Repub-
| licans or Eastern Republicans. There
! should be none but National Republicans
united to carry forward the legislation
needed for the Nation.