The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-03-08
Vigorously Assails the Majority
for Their Error of Omission
and Commission.
RESPONSIBILITIES 1T sA'aKED.
Delegation of It's Powers to the
President Denounced as Sub
servience Little Short
of Criminal.
The Republic Bureau.
- n.nnSnlrnnia AVG

Washington. March 7.-RepresentatiVe
Cowherd OF Missouri. reviewing the work
of the Congress just ended. said To-Day
.rrhe fifty-sixth Congress Is now a mater
of history. 1t is a good time to sum up It's
work and cast a balance. Its members
were elected at a time when the country
was unusually interested in political AFFAIRS.
TIL peace protocol had just been signed anu
the Treaty of Paris was being negotiated.
When Congress met in December. 1899, II
was confronted with many grave questions
affecting our relations with the people OF
other lands, arising out of the war with
Spaiu. These responsibilities it has either
shirked or disregarded. The pledge to Cuba
has been violated. and the status of the
inhabitants of the Philippine Islands Is still
underlined.
with a suhservience little short Of crimi-
nal, Congress has delegated to the Presi-
dent the powers that should rest only with
the representatives of the people. and a
military government has been perpetuated
in the Philippine Islands. in order that a
| few gentlemen may avoid the fatisu Of an
extra session.
Subsidy Bill Is Dead.
.In the House the Democrats had no OPP
| portunity to defeat the Spooner resolution.
but it could have been easily killed for
this session., at least, in the Senate. The
subsidy bill is dead. because a fair discus
sion revealed its iniquities, and public sem
| timent did the rest. The same result will
! follow when full knowledge is had and dis
cussion held on thine conditions in the Phil
| ippines.
1.-THE Republican party in the last session
of the Fffty-siXth Congress has been bru-
| tally frank in its Obedience to the trusts.
.- - .l-a-- ~ r. sl1 y,o IL nf
| hypocrisy it has worn so long toward Cuba
| and the Philippine Islands, and prominent
members will tell you in private CONVERSE
ton they intend to annex everything they
can get their hands on. They have created
a standing army of 5000 men. with power in
the President to Increase it to 10000 at Will.
The volunteer, who has made glorious
every thread in the flag, and on whom the
country never called in vain. must give
way to the professional soldier.
Heavy burden of Appropriations.
1.-THE war taxes nave been reduced only
in part. The appropriations have been 60
large that, were the war revenue Dill re-
pealed. a deficit would at once appear The
appropriations Of this Congress will prooa-
bly, reach the enormous aggregate OF $l,SVo'
GSJ,00, Notwithstanding the river and mar
Dor bill, which carried $50.001,WO more, was
defeated by the filibuster of a Republican
Senator in the closing hours Of the session
The appropriations last session were $tlo,-
$4,000, with SIS, OO0. 900 more In contracts au-
thorized, for which appropriations must De
made hereafter. This session the appropria-
lions will exceed the last by more than sa0,-
on, V00. This enormous burden upon adustSss
if continued, will seriously cripplesthe ma
terial prosperity of the nation. !,
But l do not hold that criticism should
be confined to the Republican party. The
Democratic party has not been equal to Its
opportunities. 1t was notably hampered IN
the opening session by the loss of many oil
its Oldest and strongest members. such as
Dockery OF Missouri, Sayers of Texas ano
Mcmillan of Tennessee. who had transferred
their ambitions to other fields. In the second
session it was apparently dispirited from
November's defeat.
1.-THE party has seemed lacking in PURPOSE
and in aggressive leadership. But, more thar
all else, it is suffering from the effects Of
feeding on Republican pie. President Nc
K1nley is the shrewdest politician who ever
occupied the White House. The war mas
given him q great increase in patronage
which has been used with consummate
skill.
Opposition Softened by Patronage.
at is an old story around the cloakroom:
that Ike Hill of Ohio. who for twenty year:
has been the Democratic Deputy Sergeant
alarms of the House, said he would carry
Ohio in 1886 If the damned scoundrels don'
buy u.s. l would not suggest we have beer
bought, but l do say opposition In hisf
places has been much softened by the prop
er application OF public patronage.
zone of the most distinguished of the
new Senator's told me this morning he hat
determined never to ask a political favol
of a hostile administration. Had all tnt
Democrats Of this Congress followed tina
policy, the Spooner resolution would have
been defeated, volunteers instead OF regu
lars would be sailing for Manila. and WI
would be negotiating a treaty with fret
Cuba under which she would eventually be
come, at her own request, a part of the
United States, instead Of bullying her int
: a war for the purpose of annexation. But
after all. is not the Democratic constitu
ency, who so eagerly seek places under {
Republican administration, as much t.