Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-02-19
Yes, the Country Has Had Enough Of It.

Senator Smith, of New Jersey, simply
spoke the trnth when he uttered these
words on the floor of the United States
Senate
1.-The people want no more Jlngoism:
They are sick and tired of the constant
injection of party politics and personal
am bition into our dealings with osher
nations. They are suffering from our
inaction upon other matters OF the most
vital Importance.
81 Indeed. it is a fact, and we may as
well admit it first as last, that the great
majority of the people throughout the
fcountry are disguised with Congress IN
general, and the Senate in particular.
The most popular thing we could 40
to day-and, probably, in the present
lcondition of affairs, the most beneficial
thing we could do-would be to pass
the necessary appropriation bills and
go home. The mere fact that we are
| in session is q menace to the revival OF
business and the return OF prosperity. :"
When Congress met in December,
SAYS the N. Y Herald, it was confront
ed with the paramount duty of prompt
ly enacting some sound financial meas
ure that would afford needed relief to
the government and protect the bust
ness interests of the country. For this
relief the President made an earnest
appeal in his message, and while indl-
eating what seemed to him to be the
best remedy for the financial ills of the
nation, frankly declared that he would
welcome any legislation that would af-
ford the necessary relief.
Congress has now been in session two
months and half. It has done alb
solutely nothing for the public good.
but through omission and commission
has wrought an incalculable amount Of
mischief. The House first passed a
bond bill which was not the financial
measure wanted, and then proceeded
to put through a protection. bill in
spite of the fact that the country has
had enough tariff tinkering and that
any further agitation of the matter
could only serve to hurt trade and in
dustry.
Bad as the record of the House is,
that of the Senate is infinitely worse.
To that body the country was formerly
wont to look for patriotism, statesman
ship and calm, dignifed elaboration.
But for several years the Senate has
been degenerating IN all those respects,
and during the present session it has
sunk to level that presents an I'M
paralleled spectacle to the world. New
err before and nowhere else has jingo-
ism been 50 rampant and hysterical as
on the floor of the United States Sen
ate since the beginning of this session.
There has been an uncomfortable itch
ing to meddle in every part of the globe
with affairs that do not concern the
United States and at the peril of TO-
menting foreign .entanglements.
First came the wild outbreak over
the Venezuela boundary, which bid
fair to embroil this country in war with
England. until the sober second
thought of the people asserted itself.
Then the Senate proposed to take a
hand in the Transvaal affair, and next
concocted those ridiculous resolutions
demanding the precipitate enforcement
the Berlin Treaty by the Powers of Eu-
rope-a reckless proceeding which we
trust the President will have the good
sense to side-track, as, in fact, he seems
to have done. Not content with thus
rushing into the affairs of South Amer
lea, South Africa and Europe, the
lingo Senators are now busying them
selves with Cuban belligerency and in.
dependence with an equal disregard of
the consequence to the United States.
Meanwhile populism and silver IA
naticism have We'd with jingoism in
the Senate As the jingoes have been
utterly needless of the misch1evous eff
| fects of their pranks on our foreign
relations, SO the silver cranks have been
Indifferent to the consequences that
might flow from their maniacal demon
strations to the public credit abroad
and business interests at home. jim
goes, populists and silverities have led
Wild West dance which has been as
mischievous as it has been ridiculous,
and has made the once high and dig
nifed Senate the scene of a series of
spectacles that cannot be matched out
side of lunatic asylum.
Yes, as Senator Smith says, the peo-
| pie have had enough aud too much of
it. It is a sad commentary on Congress
when member OF the upper branch
calmly declares, with obvious truth,
that its session is a menace to the re
vival of business and the return of
prosperity, and that the best service
it can render the country is to pass the
necessary appropriation bills and go
home.
AN AGED swINDLER. Charles L.
Williams, alias Rev. James Scott, who
is eighty one years old, pleaded guilty
Thursday in the Criminal Court in
Baltimore to two charges of obtaining
money by false representations. He
was sentenced to two years in the peni-
Tertiary on each charge, the sentences
to run concurrently
CHANGE IN THE WALTON LAW
The new election bill presented by the
Senate Democrats in conference and
introduced on Friday by the Elections
Committee passed the Senate on the
10Th, by the vote of 80 to 5. All the
Democrats present voted for the bill.
The bill abolishes the constable, and
empowers any judge, selected by the il
literate' or the incapacitated, to enter
the booth with him and prepare his
ballot, and. requires the tickets to be
printed in plain Roman type not small
er than plea, and the names to be
similarly arranged on all the ballots.
BROTHER AND SISTER DIE THE SAME