The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-08
GIVE Us A REST.

n
A hint has already come from semi
official sources that Mr.. Mckinley viii,
''of course" call an extra session OF
congress within a short time after his
Inauguration to take action with re-
gard to the public revenue. If Mr. NC
Kinley has a due regard for his per-
sonal comfort, his party's standing or
his country's good he will do nothing
of the kind. Of all possible things, this
country most needs rest at the pres
ent time. We have had a surplus OF leg
islation and a surfeit of agitation.
Business has been at a standstiH for
months and years because Of the UNI
certainties of politics. The one great
hope Of the electors of the country has
been that this campaign would settle
things for a long time to come. With
It out of the way, they believed that
business men could look after business
affairs without the fear that everything
would be unsettled, turned topsy-turvy
or subjected to the possibility Of sud
den change within another short perl
od If they are to be threatened with
an extra session of congress. they will
feel that they might about as well have
elected Mr.. Bryan and had 1t all over
at once.
The great handicap which Mr.. Cleve-
lands administration had to carry was
the necessity of calling an extra ses-
sion at the beginning of his term.
From that unhappy moment date the
differences between him and his party
and within the party itself. In his case
there was no freedom Of choice. The
extra session was an absolute neces-
sity to save the country from total
wreck The infamous Sherman bill hav-
Ing wrought it's perfect work, had
broken public credit, and ruin was
spreading itself over all the land. The
repeal of that law became the first
condition of commercial and financial
existence Had not the extra session
been called, and had not Mr.. Cleveland
by his personal exertion, secured the
passage Of the repeal bill in the house,
no one can predict the magnitude of
the disasters that would have followed
the financial collapse Of the summer Of
1893. Yet the price which had to be
paid was heavy. Not only did that
session. which prolonged itself until
nearly the time for the assembling Of
congress, have it's usual depressing eff
feet upon business, but it brought to
life at once all the animosities, all the
party rancor and all the strife of con-
fiicting personal and political interests
that finally estranged the Democratic
party from its real leaders and planted
the seeds of dissension and disaster to
come later. The greatest misfortune
that party had experienced up to that
time, and, indirectly, the greatest for
the country, was this very extra ses-
sion, precipitating upon the people the
clash of issues and of passions before
there was time for reflection and de-
cision.
To repeat that experiment in 1897
would be both blunder and a crime.
1t would be a tactical blunder, because
Its consequences would follow exactly
those Of the extra session of 1893. Free
silver Republicans and gold standard
Republicans, high tariff Republicans
and let-tariff-alone Republicans, ex-
perienced Republicans and Republicans
new to public life would jostle and lar
and fight, and plunge the new admin
istration into a sea of difficulties from
which it would be unlikely to emerge
completely during the four years Of it's
existence. The feelings reused by this
campaign need time to subside The
calm, sober judgment Of the people, by
appealing to which alone can our fu-
ture be properly guarded and directed,
must be allowed to come to the sur
face. To call an extra session would
be crime, because it would hold over
this belabored and exhausted country
the threat OF an unceasing and inter-
minable agitation contrary to business
interests. What everybody and every
us a rest from politics. Give us a
rest from legislation. Leave us alone
with the conditions In which we find
ourselves. and let us get adjusted to
them before you unsettle everything
once more by new propositions
If Mr.. Mckinley is wise, If the new
congress that has been elected is wise,
It will do just as little legislatfng as
possible. A student Of politics from
the outside, who should arrange a win
ming programme for the party now
coming into power would direct 1t to
pass the necessary appropriation bills
and not do one other thing for at least
two years to come. AS far as the reve-
nue. question is concerned, we can get
along very well until another session
of congress convenes regularly. The
probability is that the business re-