The herald., 1897-06-17
TOO MUCH PARTY DISCIPLINE


ever equaled the submssiveness of the
Republicans to party discipline in both
branches of the present congress. The
present is a program administration;
everything is "cut and dried" by the
president and his encourage, and the
lash is applied unsparingly to disco
nants.
When before was there such obsequi-
Gus subsection to the will of junta as
was displayed in the house of representa-
tives in regard to the tariff bill? 1t was a
comprehensive revision of our revenue
laws, measure making greater num-
Der Of changes, perhaps. than were pro-
posed in any other that has been before
congress during the last quarter of a CEN
tury. 1t was prepared by the Republic
can majority of the ways and means
committee; reported to the house; put
on its passage; only a quarter of it read
by paragraph, and then passed without
dissentent party vote. No member Of
the majority was permitted to offer an
without the approval of the committee
members who framed the bill. 1t
would not be unreasonable to suppose
that some lay members had opinions diff
fering from those of the committee but
they sat in silence and voted under die
tation. In the senate substantially the
same submissiveness has been mani
tested; no Republican senator has SUBJ
sponsibility. If one of them has had
ideas Of his own he has yelled them out
of Difference to the finance committee
men or caucus of his party.
The money question is next to be
brought up, and although in the past
there have been wide divergences of
views in regard to it among those who
now constitute the majority in the house
and plurality in the senate, still the in
dications are that there will be the obedi-
ence to dictation that has been displayed
in connection with the tariff bill. On
these two questions it is evident that
the scourge will be applied to recalci-
trant Republicans. No break in the ranks
is to be permitted, if power, patronage
or expulsion from party will prevent it.
In other subjects there may be more or
less liberation.
In tariff and money legislation, mo-
nopoly is chiefly interested, and monop-
oily is despotic. 1t has been said that
better than any other word it conveys
the exact idea of tyranny. The disci-
pline imposed upon the Republicans in
congress is through its demands. Mo-
nopolists furnished the vast sums of
money by means of which the election
last year was carried for the party in
power. The obligation to them is un-
blushingly recognized.
The abnegation of individuality, con-
victions and conscience to subserve party
not less to be feared than manifesto
tion of the spirit Of violence and an
archy. 1t is not the massing of submis-
sive and obsequious men that gives the
Dcsl dsSui dHSe VI poity SuSScSS' L iC
wisest political strategy is to tolerate
and respect differences. Thomas JET
ferson said: Error of opinion may be
safely tolerated when reason is left free
to combat it," Party triumphs should
ever be subordinated to the public well
fare. When junta can dictate policies
and laws and command support from an
organized and powerful party, there can
not be certainty that popular interests
will be subserved as there is when men
are given opportunity to freely express
their views through speech and vote. In
dividualism is the rock upon which free
government rests. 1t is the guaranty Of
progress and stability