The evening times., 1899-12-04
MONDAY, DECEMBER 4. 1888.
Congress.

Washington always takes on its holiday
aspect when Congress meets. Old members
returning TO the political fray for the doz-
enth time greeted established deni-
zens of the Capital community. while new
ones are looked upon as people likely to
become so. Society takes down its blinds
and rubs up the silver. Boniface giows
with satisfaction and his clerks with new
and larger diamonds, and the statesmen Of
the lobby no longer haun, the dairy
lunches, but once more are equal TO birds
and bottles at the habitats OF such things
Congress is an unusually interesting in-
stitution this season. because the Repub-
lican party has absolute control of both its
Houses. and accordingly will be strictly
responsible for what shall happen. No Up-
pOrturity will offer to dodge blame for
what may go wrong, by pleading necessary
concessions to buy opposition votes: and
the legislation demanded by people who
are depended on to furnish the campaign
fund Of 1900. will have to be foTthcom-
ing. no matter how obnoxious or danger
Gus II may be. Ii is not altogether an en-
viable position for the Hanna machine to
be in, within year Of The Presidential
election: but it is the status quo ante bel
lum for our benighted Republican fellow
citizens, and they no doubt will try 10
make the best of it. They have some fi-
cilities for the purpose, furnished by The
Reed rules. which will. if applied with ad-
equate skill and energy, render the pop
ular branch of the Legislature merely
clearinghouse for the despatch of business
conducted under executive order. The
new possessions and the recent demolition
OF the merit system in the civil service. af-
ford superior advantages to the Atlminis-
tration in the way of shutting Senatorial
mouths and eyes with patronage. Alto
gether, the Republicans, or rather the
small but powerful syndicate which owns
them. ought to be able to do about as they
please.
The Democratic minority in Congress
would thus appear to be in articuio mortis
So it is il we only rely upon surface indica-
tions. But matters are not as bad as they
may seem. In the Senate Democracy stiu
has great exponent in the person OF that
line old Jeffersonian true-blue Senator Nor
gan. The House Democrats are not demor
allied. cowed, and leaderless as they were
in the Fifty-fifth Congress Henderson has |
not ventured to interfere in their choice Of |
champion, as Reed did, and they have at
their head the best parIiamentarian and |
shrewdest legislative politician On that side |
OF the Capitol.
As Mr.. Carmack said. in nominating the
Hon. James ID. Richardson as minority can.
didate for the Speakership, much of the Do
litical history OF the next national struggle
viii be written in the conduct and achieve
ments Of Democrats during the present
session Of Congress: ''If discord and folly
shall distract their deliberations; if either |
rashness or cowardice shall prevail, then
the Democratic party in the ensuing cam
paign is foredoomed to disaster and defeat"
But" continued Mr.. Carmack, ..if wisdom
and prudence and courage are to rule and
govern our conduct then / believe that the
Democratic party will move on to glori-
Gus victory" Let US hope so.