Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1896-06-15

yer and against almost everything
legislation, unless it could be coupled
free coinage. The record of the house
under the leadership of Speaker Reed
is credit to the Republican party. 1t
has risen frequently above partisan
ship, and had it's efforts toward re-
medal legislation been met by the
senate and president in patriotic
spirit, the condition of the country
would have been greatly improved.
1t is to the credit of the house that
the session has been short one, and
| yet nothing has been neglected which
it was possible to get through the
f, senate.
When congress convened, it found
the treasury with insufficient revenue.
A bipartisan tariff bill was prompt
ly passed by the house which would
have brought into the treasury $4O,-
900, 900 year. The bill was defeated
in the senate through the influence of
the president and his secretary of the
treasury, every Democrat voting
against it.
1 A second measure was promptly
passed by the house reducing the
term of any bonds that might be is
sued and providing for popular loans,
and restricting the sale of bonds 10
one purpose only, that of redemption,
while authorizing the secretary of the
treasury to issue certificates of in
debtedness to meet immediate def
ciencies of the revenue. That bill, too
rayed against it a solid Democratic
vote. Had it become a law, bonds
now issued at high rates Of interest
and for long term of years could
have been issued at two of three per
cent, and for short term, and
large saving to the people. 1t is not
much to say that these two hills alone
had they passed the approval of the
president, would have gone long
ways towards solving the present
financial difficulties.
The house also passed a bill amend
ing the the customs administration
law SO as to prevent differentiation.
Had this bill passed the senate, the
government would have reaped the
benefit of several millions of dollars
every year, now lost through fraud
and undervaluation.
A bankruptcy bill demanded by the
interest of the country was also passed
by the house but failed in the senate.
A bill restricting immigration by edu-
cational test passed by the house,
failed in the senate.
Among the bills that have passed
both branches of congress and be-
come laws are the following: A filed
cheese bill which it is expected will
do much to restore to this country its
large export trade in cheese, which
has been lost because of the sale of
this fraudulent article.
A bill to repeal the clause in the ex-
alcohol in the arts. A bill to punish
prize fighting, which will go toward
terminating that brutal sport in this
country. A bill to prevent divorce in
territories, except after residence of
one year, which will put a check upon
the scandalous proceedings in divorce
courts in some of the territories.
In foreign matters congress has act
ed with promptness. When, at the
beginning of the session the president
or, 1sto n hi no
zuela controversy, congress immedi-
ately passed an appropriation Of
100000 for the expenses of a comis
sion to examine into the Venezuela
boundary, in accordance with the
presidents request. A concurrent
resolution passed both houses of con-
gress almost unanimously, but the
president has utterly ignored this ac-
ton of congress and the sentiment of
the people, and whatever action the
administration has taken has been
apparently on the side of the Span
iards
After the failure of the revenue
measures passed by the house, it was
apparent that the administration and
its supporters in the senate were de-
termined to block any legislation
which directly or indirectly reflected
upon the capacity of the administra-
ton. The failure of the Democrats
of the senate to rise above partisan
ship has stood in the way of much
needed legislation. The Republican
house, however, has done its duty. 1t
has shown what the Republican party
would have accomplished had it been
in power. Upon the record made by