Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1896-01-01
CONGRESS NEWS
Interesting Items Cleaned at
the Capital by the Tribune
Reporter.
All the Important Doings in
the House and Senate Re
corded Weekly.

always be counted upon to do the
business. When Mr.. Cleveland got
ratified. end astonished congress and
the world by sending that panicky
special message just as congress was
about to adjourn for the usual holi-
day recess, urging that instead OF
taking a recess congress stay and do
something to relieve the financial dis
tress of the treasury, he thought he
was playing trump political card
" hich would shift some of the re-
sponsibility, which belongs solely to
the Democratic party, which fathered
81, present tariff law, for the govern
14ent's lack of money upon the Re
publicans IN congress. He probably
expected, as did many other people,
that congress would ignore his mes
see and go ahead with its holiday
arrangements, and such would prob
GiIy have lten the rusult if there
had not been a Republican majority
ia the house. The senate had already
adopted resolution for the recess
which only required adoption of the
house to have become fixed fact, but
Republicans never shirk public
duty. Il is the duty of the house to
oTiginite all legislation dealing with
the revenues of the government, and
as soon as Mr.. Cleveland's message
was received the leaders of the house
determined that no recess should be
taken, and that so far as the house
could alone do so, the relief asked for
by Mr.. Cleveland should be afforded,
although not in the way he would
have preferred having it.
Then began week of legislative
work which smashed all previous
records, and which is not likely to be
outdone for long time, if it ever is.
Notwithstanding that the week includ-
ed Christmas day, day upon which
everybody except newspaper men dis
like to work-of course your readers
all know that newspaper men love to
work all the time. To fully appreci-
ate the work accomplished during
that week by the Republicans OF the
house it must be remembered that
Speaker Reed did not announce the
house committees until after the day
Mr. CIeyeland's message went TO con-
gre SIS. Since then the house ways
and means committee has formulated
two bills, and the house has passed
th EN-, which will, if allowed to be-
come laws, give the country all the
revenue it will need until the Repub-
cans are again in control of all branch
es of the government, and provide the
means to meet the present deficit in
the treasury and to keep up the gold
reserve.
The revenues to be raised by the first
hill which provides for an emergency
increase in the tariff-ranging from
sixty per cent of the Mckinley tariff
on wool and wooden manufactures
and lumber to an increase of fifteen
per cent on the present tariff on all
articles, except sugar-to go into eff
feet upon the passage of the act and
to remain in effect until August
i, 1898; the gold reserve is provided
for by the other bill which authorizes
the issue of three per cent coin bonds,
redeemable after five years, and to be
used for no other purpose than the
purchase of gold. The same bill pro-
vides for the deficit by authorizing
the issue of not more than $50, OOO,O 600
IA three year treasury certificates,
bearing three per cent interest. What
the senate will do with these bills is
uncertain, but that is not the fault of
the Republicans, who have not ma
jority in that body. The Republi
cans of the house have met and called
Mr.. Cleveland's bluff, and if they con-
trolled the senate there would be no
doubt of the action on these bills. It
is, of course, possible that Mr.. Cleve
land may veto the tariff bill, if it
pa sses the senate. but there is an i'm
preston in congress that he will al
low it to become law without his
signature. The other bill he would
gladly sign, although he would like to
substitute ''gold" for ''coin," but I'M
less there is change of opinion in
the senate he is not likely to get the
chance. Prominent senators have de-
tllred that no bond bill shall pass