People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 May 1894 — FIXING THE RESPONSIBILITY. [ARTICLE]

FIXING THE RESPONSIBILITY.

A Southern Paper Bead* the Riot Aet to a Democratic Congress. We observe that even now, the democrats are hesitating about introducing a bill which has for its purpose the I restoration of silver as a money stand- ■ ard. Some of those who pretend to be , loudly in favor of such a measure, say I that it is useless to waste time on such ' a bill, since Mr. Cleveland is sure to j veto it But they have no right to know or even to suppose that Mr. i Cleveland will veto such a measure, i They were elected to congress to carry out the pledges of the platform, and not to fail to carry them out because rumor, or suspicion, or fact has led them to believe that their efforts to do their duty will be embarrassed by a veto. As a matter of fact, it is no part of ■ their duty to assume that Mr. Cleveland I will veto platform legislation. Their duty is to carry out their responsibility ! irrespective of what others may or may , not do. Mr. Cleveland declares that it will be in the nature of degradation and disgrace for the party to fail to carry out its pledges. Do the democrats in congress propose to degrade themselves because they have an idea that Mr. Cleveland will degrade and disgrace himself (to employ his own terms) by vetoing platform legislation? Have the democrats in congress any right to assume that Mr. Cleveland will do what he protests against in his letter to Chauncey Black? Have they any right to assume that he will “degrade and disgrace” himself by vetoing a measure which makes gold and silver the standard money of the country, or by vetoing any measure intended to redeem the democratic pledges? • The democratic majority in congress , need not imagine that they can shift their responsibility as legislators to the shoulders of Mr. Cleveland. The president has his duties to perform; the democrats in congress have theirs. The democrats in congress were not sent to Washington to sit in their places and twirl their thumbs, and base all their actions on rumors and assumptions of Mr. Cleveland’s attitude. They were elected for the purpose of taking the initiative in making laws calculated to redeem the pledges of the platform, and they need not suppose that the people will excuse them if they fail to carry out the purpose for which they were elected. Mr. Cleveland may veto this or that law, but it is certain that he can ■ neither veto nor sign any law unless congress does its duty. Will it be Mr. Cleveland’s fault if congress “degrades and disgraces” itself by refusing to carry out the financial plank of the Chicago platform on the ground that he will veto it? We can assure congressmen—especially congressmen from the south—that the people are not shutting their eyes to the obvious facts of the situation.—Atlanta Constitution.