New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1899-03-29
Never Had An Equal.


review Of the work done by the last
Congress, Harper's Weekly, we'll
known journal Of high standing, has the
following to say, among other things:
It has not been expected Of late years
that Congress would advance the pub
lie welfare, and the Congress which came
to an end on the 4th of March has been
no exception to the rule. Il is entitled,
however, to pfimacy in wrong doing, in
general incompetency, IN reckless ex-
travagance, in disregard of obvious du-
ties, in absolute failure to meet its re-
sponsibities.
The members If the House of Repre-
sentatives of the Fifty-ffth Congress
were elected in 1896, when President
Mckinley was also elected. ] The repub-
lican members-or most of them-won
their places on the sound mouey issue.
They have failed, however, to fulfil the
promise made forthem by their patty.
The President called the Congress to
meet in extraordinary session on March
is, 1897, for the purpose If passing
.tsriff law that should increase the bur-
dens of consumers and further enrich
the socialistic benefciaries of the pro-
tective system. This was the response
of the party to the demand of the coun-
try for currency legislation, for the Con-
gress is now at an end and not step
has been taken towards the accomplish
ment of the purpose for which MIR. Nc
Kinley and Republican majority of
Representatives were chosen by the elec.s
tors. It is apparent now that the men
responsible for the conduct Of The adj
ministration never intended to n,cp the
promise of the campaign. It obtained
the votes necessary to success, and was
of no further interest to those who had
made it. In place of currency reform,
we have had protection and expansion
run mad. The Dingley law is one of
the blessings which the country obtained
by the election of 1896. It is the crud-
est tariff law ever written into the stat
utes. It's authors-not poor Mr.. Ding
ley, but the manufacturers who have
profted by its extortions-p pretended
| that 1t was a revenue measure. Time
has answered that falsehood, for the act
has failed to raise tie revenue necessary
for the ordinary expenditures of the
government For tile calendar year end.
ing December 81, 1898, the customs rev.
enue was less than it was in tue fiscal
/ year 1890 by $47, 100000, and the total
revenue was less by $s1, 100000. r.
The war had put upon the country
duties and responsibilities which were
| fer Congress to perform and assume
1 Hawaii had been annexed, Puerto Rice
aud the Philippines were about to be
ceded, Cuba was under our temporary
control. Congress is charged with the
task of providing governments and law.
for the territories of the United States
But not law was passed nor a govern
ment established. The President wa.
made temporary despot in Hawaii by ,
! resolution, but norgovernment at all il
provided for Puerto Rico or for tn,
philippines, so that every act performed
by the President in these islands, afte
the treaty of peace is ratified by Spain
must he all act Of usurpatlon. As tt
Cuba. it WOULD be difficult to say b,
what right the President and his troop
are there today. Congress has thrus
much responsibility upon the President
but it has denied him of the necessar
s means with which to meet it. It ha
!, deliberately abandoned the new posses
sions to anarchy or a usurped dictator
ship, because it either had not the intel
1lQ6lC65 10 HEEL INT CulO1SCACy3 VI wa
4 so much interested in grabbing plunde
and in working for subsidies, that it wa
Indifferent to the interests both of tn
: United States and Of the people owe
i whom we have assumed at least tempol
airy government.
: Considering all the burdens impose
!, by the war, it might have been suppose
J, that congress would practice econom
!. in other directions. But the app1opris
tons made by the Fifty-ffth Congress
Excluding the war expenses, whic
!, amount thus far, as we have stated,
OO0, 900, exceed those of the Fifty
2 fourth Congress by $40,000,OOO. II hs
been the most extravaganza, IS well /
1 1.-The most inefficient and Indifferent. Coz
gress which ever sat In the seats of on
IS laW-maker