Evening star., 1895-01-26
FEELING
That Seems to Be the Dominant
Sentiment in Congress.
FORBEARANCE OF MINORITY LEADERS
Abundant Opportunity, Though but
Few Partisan Speeches.
A DO-NOTHING CONGRESS

A DO-NOTHING CONGRESS
Amid all the disagreements and confusion
or the situation in Congress there is most
| remarkable absence of bitter partisanship.
| 1t has not excited comment, If it has even
attracted attention, that this is an era of
good feeling in Congress. There is some
thing paradoxical about this. Perhaps 1t
would be more appropriate to speak of II
as an era of patriotic feeling.
Congress Condemned ms a Do-NothinR.
Congress Is condemned as a do-nothing.
and justly SO condemned as far as the
mind dwells upon that action which there
Is the greatest public demand for In the
matter of routine legislation, far from
being do-nothing Congress, it has been
esHcep.lonally active: 1t has not, however.
done what was publicly expected of 1t, and
therefore must stand the condemnation for
Iallure 1t was of this session more than
or the other two that positive affirmative
action was demanded. The first session,
with provoking procrastination accom-
pllshed what 1t was called for. The second
session did what was expected, inasE,uch
as 1t passed a tariff bill, but disappointed
expectation in the character of the bill
passed. There was a graver situation and
more urgent demand for legislation on
the assembling of Congress at this session.
There are now left but thirty-two working
Gays before the Congress expires, and most
OF the men who have been active in its af-
fairs retire to private life, many of them
permanently. Yet the one thing most ex-
pected OF them has not been DONE and no
one can see clearly enough through the
nists which surround the closing weeks of
the session to find hope for action
AS deplorable as this appears, there is
the consolation to be drawn from it that,
though not enough wisdom has been shown
TO secure effective and desirable legislation
there ls negative good in the fact that
the erratic schemes have failed and in
Judicious advice has no. found sufficient
following to be forced into law. Incapable
Of doing the right thing. there have been
enough men to prevent the wrong from
being done, and some think that inaction
may not be as bad as action might have
been.
Few Partisan Speeches Made.
But as to the period of patriotic feeling.
Few partisan speeches have been made.
This is not because Of a lack of material
Probably no time since the settlement Of
affairs after the war has there before been
such opportunity for partisanShip 10 in
dulge in elimination and recrimination. A
few men Of minor Importance have availed
themselves of this to a slight extent, but
finding no encouragement, have lapSed in
to silence. The helpless and almost hope
less embarrassment Of the administration
labor troubles, and want, which the public
mind charges to bad administration of the
government, have furnished to the repub-
lican minority almost ineXhauStible ma
terial for campaign oratory.
That this has not been availed OF ia due
to the appreciation by the ablest men in
Congress of the gravity of the situation
and a deep, earnest feeling on their part
that this is not the time to triiie with
small politics. and that lasting advantage
Is to be gained by party only by the dis
play OF courage, conservatism and regard
for public interest above all things. No
prominent leadeS in the minority party has
taken advantage Of the situation to make
cepital for himself and none has sought
to make more difficult the task which the
majority have been called upon to per-
fern and have thus far proved unable to
accomplish.
Such men as Sherman, Allison, Reed,
Dingley, Manderson, Hoar and Burrows
have sympathized with and indicated
willingness to assist the strong conserva-
tive men of the other party in the difficult
task before them. II these men have not
thinking what they may of the administra-
ton, comparatively little criticism has es-
capped from them.
The Hawaiian Affair.
Even in the Hawaiian affair. as to which
all republicans and many democrats dis
agree with the administration, there has
been a striking absence of persis:ency in
att ack. The exciting provocation of
revolution in Hawaii during the absence
of an American vessel from Honolulu.
which caused resolutions to be introduced
in both houses, did not provoke the acri-
monious debate which was expected. Dur
ing this week the morning hour in the
Senate has been consumed by speeches on
this question, but the critics of the sd
ministration have said no more than
enough to emphasize their disapproval Of
the policy of Mr.. Cleveland, and have
l1al f1a to hiS dafa Of
the time has been consumed by Gray.
George and Mills.
The republicans almost to man dfSap-
prove Of the income tax, yet the bill ap-
propriating money for its enforcement was
obstructed but a short time in its pas
sage through the Senate and that obstruc-
ton was by one democrat and one repub-
Ifcan. The bill might easily have been
killed. The republicans need have done no
more than give Mr.. Quay the encourage
ment which he sought, but consideration of
the embarrassment of the treasury in
huenced them to different course.
The Currency Problem.
In the effort to solve the currency prob
lem for the relief of the administration
Sherman, Allison and Walker. as well as
the democrats, have formulated bills. In
the House Walker has probably been as
active as Springer in trying to secure the
legislation which he thought was proper.
In the Senate Sherman has been hardly
Arkansas and Allison has formulated a
pre- position with as much care as has Mr..
Vest. The democrats have caucused on the
question; so have the republicans. The re-
publcans accomplished nothing in their
caucus, nor did the democrats, they
are quits on that Instead of Quarreling
with each other men who are really con-
cerned about the situation have conferred
together, and agreeing or disagreeing they
have shown a mutual desire to do the
right thing as each could see it. Demo-
cratic leaders of the administration class
have gone to republicans for consultation
ana advice, and the republicans in turn
have been frank with them and received
their overtures with but little display Of
partisanship.
Gresham Comforting With Sherman.
Gresham. the Secretary Of State. was at
the Capitol this week. With whom did he
confer? With John Sherman. The Ohio
Senator Joined him in the lobby of the
Senate and they talked long and earnestly
together, with a display of the utmost
cordiality and an earnest attentiveness on
the part Of the Senator to the Secretarys
suggestions and an air of confidence on