The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-24
Circulation Statement.
The DECREASING Congress.

The Decreasing Congress.
THE day is past and gone the good
and holy song advises US, the evening
now appears: so let us ever keep in mind
the day of death draws near The reader
may omit if he please the first three or
any number of stanzas. but the principle
will not be affected. We apply it TO the
most shocking Congress in the history, of
the country-one which for corruption and
extravaganza has never seen its equal
The next one may and probably will be
worse. but we shall have to wait for its
accomplished facts to draw comparisons.
The time has come, the walrus said,
to talk of many things" Like the wal
rus. we feel that. in the expiring days Of
the Fifty-sixth Congress. it is proper to
call public attention to sins of omission
and commission which have caused the
people to look upon it as about the most
losing investment they ever made. 1t is
not SO much that it has been costly from
a financial point of view, but that it has
been expensive in the sense that it has
driven about a ton of nails into the coffin
of the country's Constitution.
AS long as the young American idea
shall adhere in the curriculum of learning
how to shoot, just long will it be re-
membered that the Fifty-sixth Congress
was the first to openly ignore and defy the
basic law of the nation and to show TO
posterity the spectacle of Parliament
utterly subservient to trusts and monop-
olies and genially regardless of little
things like oaths of Office and negligible
things of that sort.
The country fully understands and ap-
preciates the efforts OF cur law makers,
during the past two years, to break down
the institutions of the country and to
transfer the legislative power of Congress
to the Executive. Centuries after the fact
Americans will read with surprise of the
subversion of the Constitution in Porto
Rico for the benefit of the oil, tobacco,
sugar and rum trusts. In the days to
come 1t may seem incomprehensible that
such things could have occurred. 1t
probably will be the verdict of posterity
that there should have been harder and
more earnest effort by the party of the
people in Congress to oppose the assaults
of the Administration upon the founda-
lions of our Government.
The Fifty-six.h Congress has deliber-
ately violated the Constitution, In COM
hitting itself to the oppressive and Illegal
Porto Riean tariff winch MIR. MeKiri.'t-
declared It to be our plain duty" TO
abolish It has shown slavish subservi-
ency to the executive branch of the Gov
eminent, in failing to call the President TO
There is not a doubt that the war in
question was necessary; but Congress
should have been appealed to as the war
making power to sanction what was done
in case of great emergency. AZ it is.
the White House holds the record for war
without authority.
The Fffty-sixth Congress has consented
which would have made each individual
hair" of the Fathers stand upon end, like
quilts upon the frighted porcuplne." Car
pet-bas governments, with places for the
sons and nepheWs of Senators and Repre-
sentatIyes, have been established and toll
Grated, which are a disgrace to the ma
ton. Congress has seen the rule of the
tlNStS anu LlUuopOllGss huOhs llldL lldt
rule is imposed upon the Republican lead
ers by the syndicates and combinations
that contributed to the first ard second
elections of Mr.. Mckinley. and has sub
mitted to such an order OF things cheer
fully if not gracefully.
The pity of it all is that. throughout
this history of war upon our free institu-
tions the Democratic party has been prac-
tIcally without leadership. The element
to which, were it organized, the Amer
lean people would look for relief from this
Republican Old Man of the Sea. who rides
the back of the nation, has not recently
risen to its opportunities. Army commits
sions, river and harbor pap, and the per
sonal Establishments of gentlemen who
represent the Subsidy and Panama Canal
jobs. seem to have dragged many of the
political descendants OF Thomas jefferson
ION TIE ancient landmarks. 1t is alto
gether a sad sight. We need a new school
OF patriots-men who are for their eoun-
try rather than for tie trusts.