Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1884 — Democratic Im[?]ecflity. [ARTICLE]

Democratic Im[?]ecflity.

The Democratic House of Congress is demonstrating that, party’s absolute incompetency to meet the obligations it owes to the public. Having urgently sought and ?been t intrusted with the work of formulating national legislation the Democratic members of Congress had it in their hands, at least, to manufacture campaign capital, and to this end their best energies have been bent. But with no coherent idea what was best for the Government, they have naturally fallen to wrangling among themselves, and the cat-hauling has been going on ever since the session opened, with no prospect of harmony, except under the caucus lash and no hope of desirable legislation. The Morrison bill, the only pretense yet made toward serious legislation on the great question of tariff, has been and still is the apple of discord at the Democratic feast. It* satisfies neither one side nor the other of the Democratic party. It is insincere, inconsiderate, and impractical. To save the trouble of considering the merits of the question, the author of it measured everything with a sword and proposed to incontinently cut off a. sword’s length from every dutiable article, regardless of consequences. The bill does not command the confidence of even its “friends. ” But they hope that it will be “a good enough Morgan” until after the November elections; and then, if the party by a stroke of undeserved and Unexpected good luck, should find itself in power, some new expedient may be devised to tide it still further along. The* cry is for something that will succeed. Good people and dear rabble is the cry, ask what you will, you may have it;'only give us the spoils. Needed legislation goes begging, while specious tricks for transient popularity receive the most considerate attention. The old device of cutting down apropriations has again been resoited to, though with little hope of deceiving the public. It. was tried in Indiana, and the people of this State have not forgotten how the low taxes of one year were supplemented the next, and the next, with deficiency bills and money borrowed at interest. It has been tried with the same end in view and with exactly the same result in national legislation. The dodge is too transparent to deceive anybody of intelligence, but it will be tried once more, along with other schemes equally dishonest. The Morrison bill, in some .modified form, maybe passed, probably will be, ever the protests of the better elements of the Democratic party, the hope being that the good of present reduction in the rate of taxation will blind the people to the inevitable outcome of the un-American policy of free trade. Meanwhile the weeks and months are rapidly passing away, and no good is being done at Washington. Even this Morrison bill is still in an unfinished condition, and its supporters are at their-wits’ end to.devise some way to smuggle, rush, or bulldoze it through the House. The Democrats realize that they will have a big fight among themselves, and in anticipation the leaders have arranged to have the usual appropriation bills ready, to throw one in from time to time, to divert attention and give the combatants opportunity to temporarily haul off for repairs and pour ointment on their* many wounds. The Democratic party does not need a leader so much as it needs coherency and principle. It is, united and consistent Only in the desire to get at the public offices. Its campaigns are fought with the utmost desperation, and no scheme is too hostile to our free institutions to be adopted and pushed, if it promises even the slenderest hope of success. The Democratic House is little better than an organized, expensive farce, manifestly afraid to do anything, yet hoping to make a little political capital through appeals to prejudice and ignorance. With no defined purpose beyond that of getting control, by fair means or by foul, it blunders and stumbles, to the disgust and alarm of all not blinded by partisan prejudice. The country will feel easier when adjournment at last comes and the worst is known. — Indianapolis Journal.