The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-04-12
TIVE srv-rn,Rp CONGRESS.


RECORD
fret Congre~s-Resd IL.
Many things expected Of the Fifty
third congress have not been accom-
plished. it, record has not been such
as to make all trne democrats rejoice
and IL has been called Incompetent"
by not a few prominent democrats and
democratic newspapers Many Of its
most severe critics, however. recognize
that, as compared with the Fifty-firs
or Mckinley congress of 1890, the record
Of the last con gress is excellent.
II is not disputed that the Mckinley
congress was more effective in that It
did more Of what it was planned to do.
But that is just why the record Is so
bad-it planned nothing for the good
OF the country at large II accom-
plished nothing, aside from making
ordinary appropriations, for the
masses: all was in the interest OF the
classes-protected manufacturers. mine
owners. bounty grabbers and subsidy
hunters
II greatly increased the protection
to the mill owners but left labor un-
protected. to compete. on a free trade
ported by the mill owner TO beat wages
down. 1t added considerably to the
sawdust protection given to farmers
and attempted the new bunco game
called reciprocity, which was to open
up great markets for our farm products
in south America-as il the great de-
sire of South Americans was to ex-
change their wheat and pork for our
pork and wheat. 1t threw bounties
and subsidies in all directions, SO that,
by March, 1898, the 500. 900. 900 surplus
left by Cleveland in 1890 was entirely
exhausted and the treasury was on the
verge of bankruptcy.
The Fifty-third congress has accom-.
plished q great deal First, 1t undid
the Sherman silver purchase act Of
1890 which, with republican extrava-
gance. was responsible for the panic
| and depression which had already be-
gun before Harrison left the white
house. Second. 1t repealed the federal
election laws which no leading repub-
lican. except Senator Force-B Lodge,
would now rehabilitate- Third, II
gave us free wool and reduced tariff
duties generally about as much as Nc
Kinley increased them Fourth, 1t
gave us the income tax which. though
it is not perfect. is yet a great improve
ment on any tariff system of taxation.
1t is noticeable that the republicans
are not advocating the repeal of this
tax Fifth. 1t abolished the payment
of bounties to sugar producers Sixth,
1t lessened the net protection To the
sugar trust. but. unfortunately. in
creased the duty on refined sugar
about one cent per pound But for two
or three traitors in their ranks-''sen-
ators from Havemeyer"-the demo-
Gratis would have given us free sugar
and left no protection to the trust
II is noticeable that the most that
the Fifty-third congress did. or at
tempted TO do, was to undo the work
of the republican congress of 1890. SO
far as il has succeeded il has done ex-
cellent work Practically all that the
Fifty-first congress did was bad. and
all that the Fifty-third congress has
done is good And yet the democratic
congress receives kicks and cuffs from
all sides. because it could not. in two
years. undo all Of the evil legislat ton
that republicans have. for thirty years,
been fastening upon this country The
democrats have partially failed because
they undertook too big a contract.
What they have done will remain for
ever a permanent benefit to this coun-
try. Not even the republicans will
dare to advocate many of their old
laws which the democrats have re-
pealed- BYRON w. HOLT