The herald., 1896-03-08

16 not the way unle congress Hb5 Vi uedl-
ing with public questions. 1t con-
stantly abuses the president and then
continually shifts all responsibility up
on his shoulders. The leaders i'm
peached the presidents capacity and
his sincerity in dealing with public af-
fairs, yet they put all their trust in
him. The discussion of the Cuban
question was not debate; it was SIM
ply dress parade of buncome speak
ers. There was q vast deal Of talk,
which amounted to nothing and no de-
cision. Everybody agreed to defer to
the presidents Judgment as to what is
proper to do under the circumstances.
This is sheer cowardice and humbug.
Congress is afraid of its own shadow.
1t dare not take an important step in
contravention of the wishes of the pres
ident. 1t hates aud snarls at him, yet
follows him like a whipped dog, and
this is the ferocious ody that was 60
ing to impeach the president and the
chief members of his cabinet, and
overturn his policy at the fret oppor-
tunity.
The abortive bond bill has been
tossed to and fro between the house
and the senate and finally lost in the
shuttle. The pop-gun Mckinley tariff
bill promises to 90 through the same
ordeal, and suffer tie same fate. The
utmost that congress will do will be to
pass the ordinary appropriation bills
and 60 home to rail at Grover on the
stump and tell gaping rustics what
they would do if they were president.
Only bluff has been made at legislat-
ing in regard to the national revenues
and finances. Nothing has been done;
nothing attempted. To congress must
be charged the loss of several million
dollars to the government. The last
loan negotiated for the maintenance
OF the treasury reserve, year ago,
was negotiated on the per cent basis,
with the proviso that if congress
should authorize per cent loan,
such bonds should be exchanged at
par for tho outstanding per cents.
Congress obstinatsly refused to au-
thorizs 8 per cent bond issue.
Hence the opportunity was lost of saw
ing per cent interest on $62,O00,0OO
of bonds. WHIST excuse can be made
for this criminal neglect to perform
4 plain duty? Failure to act was vir-
tually making present to the Nor
gan syndicate of several million
dollars, yet the very men who most
strongly denounced Morgan and the
bond sale were the ones who stood in
the way of exchanging 3 per cent bonds
for per cent bonds at par.
The country has been edited by prop
oeitions to censure Ambassador Bay
ard, and by fierce TRADES directed at
the secretary of agriculture, but il has
seen the time go by without anything
done in the shape of constructive leg
islation. Congressman have spent days
bowling because Secretary Morton put
a stop to the practice OF electioneering
with seeds bought out of the public
funds, bat when it came to dealing
with some momentous question affect
ing the vital interests of the nation,
everything has bsen shutted of to bs
handled according to the judgment of
the president alone. Congress de-
nounced the bond issue, but did not
dare TO repeal the law under which the
president acted. 1t assailed the secre-
tary of the treasury for selling bonds
too low, yet refused to permit the rate
of interest to be lowered. 1t would
not take the power out of the presi-
dents hands to issue per cent bond,
yet denied him the power to issue 3
per cent bonds. At every point fatu-
ity, cowardice and evasion and false
pretenses have been exhibited. The
record eminently justifies character
izing this congress as fraud. It's
Whole course has been one of cowardly
evasion-of profession without prac-
tice-of effort without purpose. The
last congress was bad enough, but the
present one is the most wretched fail
ure that has ever afflicted the Amerj-
can people. It is dominated by small
minds and mean motives, and it's en-
tire energies have been absorbed in the
herculean task of making partisan cap
ital without dong anything whatever.
-Visslia Times