Year: 1879

the session, we venture to offer some sug-
pestions for the consideration of the demo-
cratic members. If what we have to say
is common sense they cannot afford to
disregard it, and in this respect it
makes no difference from what source
it proceeds. The accounts from Wash
ington represent them rs cropping with
out any policy for the session. They
are bound to be governed by right reason
and correct sense of party advantage. AS
they do not seem to know their own minds
they should be willing to weigh suggestions
from any friendly quarter.


| We begin by counselling them to de-
spatch all necessary business with as much
! expedition as is consistent with due delib-
Grafton and then adjourn. But this
advice is too general to be of any
value. 1t gives no aid in determining
what is necessary business, which IS the
chief matter on which they need to come to
an agreement. If they could decide pre-
cisely what to do and what to forbear at
tempting they would be able to see their
way to a short and useful session. 1t would
be idle to ask them to refrain from attempts
at President making, for that is always the
engrossing business of both political parties
during the session which precedes Presi-
Dental election. What we desire to point
out is the best method Of strengthening
the democratic party for the approaching
national contest. But inasmuch as the
surest way to acquire public confidence is
by honestly promoting the public welfare
we need make no further allusion to Pres
idential strategy.


If the democratic majority in Congress
will do the following things and then forth
with adjourn they will be entitled to the
credit of having made brilliant session.
First, let them pass such repeating acts as
are necessary on financial subjects-namely.
an act repeating the prohibition to cancel
and destroy the legal tender notes when re-
ceived into the Treasury by redemption,
and the act requiring the coinage OF not
less than two million silver dollars per
month, and also pass Senator Bayard's reso-
luton In doing this they will have the
! advantage of acting in conformity with the
traditional hard money principles of the
democratic party and Of reviving the re-
spect felt for the party in the days of its
prestige and power. This is great op-
portunity for democratic awakening.
1t so happens that the worry class of
questions on which Jackson, Benton, Van
Buren, and Silas Wright fought their greatest
battles and won their most solid victories
| is the class OF questions now uppermost
| in the public mind. The drift and ten
| dency of public thought is toward sound
| finance, and nothing is more certain than
that the democratic party would rapidly
reacquire public confidence by planting
itself firmly on this old democratic ground.
AS the republicans in Congress are not
likely to support the recommendations of
the President here is great chance for the
democrats to re-establish themselves in
public confidence.


Second, let them pass q bill admitting
foreign built ships to American registry on
evidence that they are the property of bona
fde American owners. The President could
not veto such bill since his Secretary of
the Treasury has recommended it. If it is
thought expedient to lay an import duty
on ships, as MI. Sherman suggests. similar
to the import duties on foreign goods, the
country will not complain unless the duty
should be so high as to defeat the purpose
of the bill. Such on act of legisla-
ton would commend the democratic
party to public favor as a bold and
progressive party willing to assume the
responsibility of repeating antiquated and
obstructive laws, however venerable by age
or strongly fortified by prejudice. Such
an act would be o powerful appeal to ma
tional pride and interest. 1t would lead to
the upbuilding OF our PROSTATE navigation,
and would in q few years put us where we
were when the democratic party went out of
| power in 1861--in the front rank of mari
time Powers. We were then second only
to Great Britain in the amount of our
shipping engaged in foreign trade, and
permission to purchase ships in the cheap
est markets would soon reinstate us in that
position. At present France and Germany
are the principal rivals Of England in great
lines of ocean steamers, and they have
risen to this successful rivalry by the per-
mission OF their governments to buy ships
wherever they can buy them cheapest. A
policy which has proved Of signal advan-
tage to other rivals of England cannot be
bad for us. Have the democrats in Con-
gress the courage to move in this direction2
They ought not to have any misgivings
as to the support OF the country in policy
which would restore one Of the cherished
objects of national pride. who would op-
pose it? Not the West, certainly, which
has no interest in conflict with it. 1t would
be great point for the democrats to do
something sensible and patriotic which the
West would approve. Free trade in ships
is one of the most popular measures the
democratic party could adopt.


Third, let Congress, after the Legislation