The times., 1899-03-04
SATURDAY. MARCH 4. 1899.
The Fifty-Fif,b Congress.


tion or this century shall last, the Fifty
fifth Congress will be remembered as the
most notable and important, compared
with the Congresses preceding it, since
the Civil War. An adequate analytical
review Of its three sessions would fill
book. Its achievements. its shortcomings.
hlunders. and sometimes strange some
times ludicrous, sometimes shocking and
dangerous phenomena, could not even be
listed. much less discussed at length. in a
single newspaper article.
The Fifty-ffth Congress came in with
William Mckinley, and, as 10 its popular
branch, as the result of the tidal wave
Of 1895 upon which he rode into power,
and which We may say was produced by
the explosion of a sixteen million dollar
Hanna campaign fund under the political
waters of the country. 1t was convened
in extraordinary session before the new
President was warm in his seat, for the
purpose of rewarding the trusts and
monopolies which had assisted the Repub-
iican party, by giving them the benefits
of tariff oppressive TO the people, but
magnifcently remunerative TO themselves.
- The Administration. having a working
majority in the House of Representatives.
and The Senate stock ticker, and other
such means of placation at its command
al the other end of the Capitol, had little
practical difficulty in imposing upon the
country fiscal policy and measure, care
fully prepared under the dictation of the
Sugar Trust, the Standard Oil Trust. and
the general combination of other like or
allied infant industries. that was and is
unjust. dishonest, and scandaIous. This
was the principal achievement of the ex-
ira session of 1881, in which the pro-
ponents OF the Dingley bill were in a nom
lnal minority in the Senate In that body
the advocates of bimetallism were strong
enough to have forced some measure in
the interest of silver upon the Admin
istration. They surrendered their faith
and chance TO do so for reasons hest
known to themselves. and which probably
could be described in terms of currency
or political patronage.
One thing in connection with the ey
traordinary session of the Fifty-fifth Con-
gress will neither be ever forgotten or for
given by the country The Speaker of the
House of Representatives was allowed to
deprive the representatives, of the people
OF their right to legislate or even to be
heard on the floor, save as he might he
pleased to dictate. He was permitted re-
peatedly and daily to ignore, violate. and
defy the Constitution of the United States
and the rules Of the House and absolutely
10 make II the supine and automatic crea-
ture Of his single will, representing such
obnoxious interests and nefarious designs
as were behind him brave American
minority could and would successfully have
rebelled; but in this case, the Democratic
minority was hypnotized. terrorized, and
caponiZed. 1t had allowed Thomas Bracket
Reed 10 name its leader, and, because the
Speaker craftily postponed the appointment
OF committees. its aspiring members were
held in leash by the hope of reward when
The Autocrat ultimately should be gra-
ciously pleased TO deal out the honors of
the House. So the history of the extraor-
binary session, as far as the Democratic
minority in the House was concerned. is
one OF impotency and ignominy.
Temporarily, the memory OF this unpleas-
ant chapter in the record of both great
political parties has been obscured by the
stirring events and narrowing incidents
that preceded and-marked the war with
Spain its settlement and its immediate
results. When the Fifty-fifth Congress
came into being, thanks to the satanic
policy of the late regime of Cleveland. the
United States was in active alliance with
the Spanish government in the latter's ef-
nrf N tn
Cuba by the wholesale butchery OF starya-
lion OF the island population Neither age
nor sex were immune against the sickening
ouiFages. murders. and barbarities OF King
Altonso's satraps and myrmidons in the
Antilles We regret that We can only state
and be truthful that the Administration
OF President Mckinley started out with an
apparent determination 10 carry on this
policy OF blood and inhumanity, although
We believe. as we always have believed
that 1t was abhorrent to the Chief OF State.
Yet, all the influences that had made him
were consolidated in the interests of Spain.
Notorlously, one or two of the American
newspapers were known to have been SUBJ
sidized by the Spanish government. and
one, at least, was notorious as the hired
agent Of the Spanish Legation in Washing
ton. The Spanish bonds and the Cuban