Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1894 — THE LATE CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

THE LATE CONGRESS.

Result of Its Work During the Long Session Recently Closed. Much of Value Accomplished Democracy’s Redemption of Pledges Sherman Law, Federal Election Law and McKinley Law All Repealed—Expenses Greatly Reduced. The Fifty-third congress on Aug. 28 ended one of the longest sessions in the history of the country and one that will be remarkable. It is fashionable to abuse legislative bodies, both for sins of omission and commission, and the late congress is no exception to the rule. Much, however, of value has been accomplished and, still better, much of evil has been prevented. As the Democratic party will be called on for an account of its stewardship, it will be well to summarize briefly the work of the party during the year past. The three things which the Democratic party especially promised to do have been done. The Sherman law, the federal election law and the McKinley law have all been repealed. This work has been done in spite of much powerful influences arrayed against it, the Democratic party being compelled at many points to fight the solid Republican party, assisted by traitors in its own ranks. In the darkest days of the republic the Republican party placed on the statute books a law of most dangerous tendencies, designated to retain itself in power at the expense of violating one of the most sacred principles of the constitution. It authorized United States supervisors of elections and deputy marshals to be appointed by the federal courts wholly independent of the states where the elections were to be held. By this revolutionary and unconstitutional act the Republican party for years dominated and controlled many elections in its own interest. Thousands of men were arrested without cause and imprisoned within the states of New York, Ohio and Indiana in a single election and thus prevented from voting. The Democratic party promised, if placed in power, that this abuse should no longer continue. It kept its pledge and elections throughout the Union are now free from federal interference. The Democratic party in congress has repealed the law which, unconstitutionally as they claimed, authorized the president to levy and remit taxes. This great right has been restored to the people’s representatives where alone it rightfully belongs. Another valuable reform effected by this congress is embodied in the bill of Mr. Cooper of the Fifth Indiana district authorizing the states to tax greenbacks and other United States currency. This class of money has been used for many years as a means for escaping just taxation. Indianians escaped it by having their funds in bank nominally invested in greenbacks or United States treasury warrants on the day for assessment. Banks accomplished the same object in the same way. This crying abuse, which enabled the dishonest to shift the burden of taxation from those most able to pay, has been finally abolished. Representative Sayers, chairman of the appropriations committee, publishes an official statement showing that this congress has reduced appropriations to the extent of $20,000,000. In addition to this it has abolished several hundred useless offices and greatly reduced the expenses of the treasury department without injuring its efficiency. AnJtother great reform, which has escaped general notice, is embodied in an amendment to one of the appropriation bills which carries into law the most effective means yet devised for controlling and curbing the power of trusts. It is, in fact, the most stringent law against trusts ever enacted in this country. It replaces the law of the former congress which had proved ineffective. Another invaluable reform accomplished by this congress is the income tax law, the most effective measure to take the taxes off want and put them on wealth. It is confidently expected that the benefits derived from this experiment will result in making the income tax a permanent feature of our revenue system, as it always has been in the most enlightened countries of Europe. While Democrats do not claim that the new tariff law is all that they expected and demanded, it is generally admitted that it is a vast improvement on the McKinley measure. The full measure of tariff reform, as is well known, was defeated by untoward causes, against which the wisest and best of parties cannot guard. Treachery is a crime that is not discovered until it has done its deadly work, and the best appointed army is helpless if its commanding officer proves untrue to his trust. But McKinleyism, at least, is gone, and the country by the new bill is placed several removes from that hideous commercial nightmare. The new bill enlarges the free list, reduces protection on nearly all articles, some very greatly, and at every point improves on its predecessor. It is a proud consolation to sincere Democrats to reflect how gallantly the battle for revenue reform was fought by the entire press of the party, by its membership in the house of representatives, by its president and by all of its senators except a handful. The latter, "aided by a solid Republican phalanx, were able in some measure to block Democratic intention by treachery to Democratic principles, but their conduct only serves to bring out in bold relief the fidelity of the rank and file of the party. In short, while much of the work of the late congress was positively good, but little of it was bad. On a full review it will be found that, despite the shameful conduct of certain senators, this congress has been responsive to the popular will -and true to Democratic pledges. Its negative services have been of great value. Many bad bills were defeated, many steals headed off and almost as great service rendered to the people by what was left undone as by what was done by positive legislation. Taken as an entirety no Democrat need feel called on to apologize for the record of his party in the Fifty-third congress. Commonweal armies were only Republican chickens going home to roost where they were hatched. Advertised Letters. Mr. T S. McGinnis, Miss Cora Wray.