Iron County register., 1899-03-16
FIFTY-FRTH CONGRESS.
It's Course Throughout Was Marked
by Extravagance and Ig-
nOrance.

The congress which expired March
viii be memorable in the history of
the country. The war with Spain COM
menced during its first session and the
fruits of the struggle had to be gath
cred as far as possible during the ses-
sion which has just closed. The coun-
try has taken new departure since
the late congress was elected in 1896.
Whether the change in the direction OF
our national progress shall be for good
or evil the future years must demon
strate We have gone in a direction
from which we cannot turn back and
which we must pursue to the end, ac-
cepting all its consequences.
What is most striking in the con-
gress which has just adjourned is its
perfect self-abEegation in claiming
power and in using it, The congress
which adjourned two years ago, at the
close of President Cleveland's admin
istration, was in a constant wrangle
with the executive department. in re-
gard to the extent of its prerogatiyes.
Repeated efforts were made to guide
the diplomacy of the country by in
struetions TO the president on the sub
ject of foreign affairs and by attempts
to legislate directly in relation to 9th
er nations, especially in relation TO
Spain and Cuba. The administration of
President Cleveland resented these at
tempts to interfere with the discharge
Of its legitimate duties, and hostile sen
timents between the two departments
of the government were excited. Some
heated republican partisans in congress
threatened the president with impeach-
ment because he would not submit to
congressional usurpation in interna-
tional affairs. This attitude of opposi-
tion on the part of the executive and
congress remained to the last.
The late congress assumed and re-
tanned a decidedly different attitude
toward the president. At first there
were some symptoms of attempts at
nagging Mckinley as Cleveland had
been nagged. But they were only tenn
porary. After the war began congress
became almost servile in its relations to
the president. The mob of congress
men were not taken into the confidence
of the president, and they did not re-
sent the slight, as they did in the case
of the previous president. Mckinley
conducted the war through his naval
and army boards, negotiated peace.
confiscated Porto Rico and bought the
Philippines for S20,000.000, parleyed
with Gomez and contracted to pay him
$4,000, 900 for his Cuban soldiers-never
asking the opinion, wishes or approval
of congress until he sent the treaty
L 4 r..
ton and demanded the appropriation
Of the money that he had agreed TO pay
for his bargains. Two different nations
could not have displayed conditions of
greater difference between the two de-
partments OF the government than was
displayed by this country under the
two administrations of Cleveland and
Mckinley.
The late congress appropriated four
times as much money for the expenses
of this year as any previous congress
appropriated for any one year. Ten
years ago, when the appropriations FOR
000. 900, it was regarded as monstrous
extravaganza and profiigacy. The ap-
preparations for the present fiscal year
amount to S1,750,000. COO. or IS per cent.
more than for the two years of the bill
lion dollar congress Much of this
sum was for war and other extraordi-
nary purposes. But that fact does not
tighten the burden nor remove the
probability that new issues of govern
ment bonds will be required to meet
the obligations OF the treasury.
There has been no currency legisla-
ton to answer the demand of very
great proportion of the people. The
fact is that congress did not know what
should be done in order to avoid future
dangers to the financial system. Ig
norance and timidity prevented action
So congress stood still, like man in
the dark surrounded by pitfalls. The
country was permitted to drift where
soever the currents should lead, trust
ing to luck and Providence for a happy
escape in the end.-Chicago Chronicle