Year: 1879

1


bill day in Congress, there having beer
more offered on that day than was evel
before known on one day before. Wher
Congress met it was only for the con


sideration of the appropriation bill
which it was thought would be passee
in about month, but that time hal
alrea'y slipped past, and not a single
bill has passed both bouses yet. NJ
doubt the session would have been 1
short one if the Democrats could hav'
passed the appropriation bills alon'
without the aid of the left wing Of theil
party, the Greenbackers. Though they
were successful in keeping their party
together, they found their majority
was too small to run any risks, and
consequently they had to call upon
their Greenback friends to come to their
assistance. This, however, the latter
would not do without a consideration,
and it is natural to suppose that they
would make all they could out Of the
opportunity thus offered. They did
not care much what happened so they
but got chance to show TO their mot


ley constituents that they were a pow
er in Congress, and tor while at least
the eyes of the nation would be drawn
tow ards them, and so to them this coa-
lition with the Democrats to help to
pass the appropriation bills, with their
Objectionable political riders, was a
God send they had least expected. OF
course the Greenbackers would ask
largely Of the Democrats, and they were
right in doing so, for party that would
make such an inglorious surrender to
the Greenbackers as the Democrats
have, is not entitled to even Decent
respect. and therefore the new party,
born for but brief existence, made a
demand that Congress should open up
and allow the introduction of other
than the appropriation bills, for which
it had been specially called together
by the President to pass. This was a
big surrender but it had to be made.
The Democrats while loathing their
newly found friends were in such
position that they had to comply with
their demand, even if it took half their
political power. The demand was com


piled with, and on Monday last the
sluice gates of Congress were opened
and thirteen hundred and eighty-five
new bills OF all descriptions were
poured in and sluiced off to the resptc.
tive committees to which they belonged.
The Greenbackers making use of the
price of their surrender of principle, if
they ever had any to surrender, poured
in bills regulating finances in their own
peculiar manner until they gloated
over their victory. The mind of the
average Congressman now feels much
more at ease no doubt, that it is un-
10 Lad of in 1l af
some little bill that they were especially
elected to present to Congress. Their
work at least is done so far as the prom
ises to their constituents are concerned.
no matter if their bills do slumber in
the committee rooms and are never
heard from again. This great load of
inchoste laws, thrown hurriedly into
Congress, will necessarily require
much time before it can take its place
regularly on the calendar, and a long
tedious session of Congress when is
entirely uncalled for is the result of
the surrender. Aside from the gem
eral appropriation bills not a single
important measure of general legisla.
tiOn is needed, or even called for by
the people. Business is prospering,
and gradually confidence which had
been much impaired is returning. The
finances of the nation, thanks to the
pluck and persistency of the Repubi-
can party, are in a safe and sound con-
dition. The protection to American in
dustries is so satisfactory that even
Ben Wood, the free-trader of New York,
refused to disturb it, though strongly
importuned to do so by the Southern
hot spurs. If Congress would but pass
the appropriation bills for two years
free from political riders, it might ad-
journ Immediately, and nothing would
be lost if it would me It no more until
it met in 1851, to count the electoral
vote for the next President. Instead
of this, however, we are to be tortured
all through the summer months by Il
continuous session of Congress, making
political campaign speeches and send
ing them broadcast over the land, and
keeping the nation in a continual
fever Of excitement and unrest.


True the handwriting is seen upon
the wall which predicts the overthrow
of the coalition which now faunts its
insulting flag from the national capital
which will consign it to the shades of
! r, l,,t - &C. 60 ~ % I,