Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1890 — Keeping the Party Pledge. [ARTICLE]

Keeping the Party Pledge.

The words of Speaker Reed in Philadelphia, to the effect that the Republican congress is doing its utmost to keep every pledge which the national convention made to the people in 1888, must be regarded by all candid men who have read them as the siucer9 expressions of a man who, by his character and reputation, as well as by his official position, has a right to speak for his party in congress. All men who will candidly compare the line of action which congrees is pursuing with the text of the platform of the last national convention will be impressed with the truthfulness of the Speaker’s statements. The gieat difficulty with many individuals is that they assume that what they believe to be important and necessary is all there is, and they naturally denounce any action that does not come up to their requirements. Because this-is the case much .inconsiderate and, happily, entirely ineffective criticism is made. With these critics congress is doing nothing because it does not enact a law that they desire. It is not meeting the demands of the people because it does not meet their individual demand. it would be useless to argue with such men, lrwtwever honest, because the lionxen which .-shuts kr-their Tisiorrig~ all the world they know, and their own views are infallible. But a congress representing a largo country cannot be judged by such narrow tests. Its acts, its efforts and its general the criterion -by which it can be jndgetfr~ ; Wheftier or not it. is faithful to the pledges which the majority party to which “if belongs made to the country can be determined by comparing : its acts and measures with those pledges, not as the riinter or the ; political opponent declare them, but as they are printed. When the house met in December the Republican majority found itself confronted with a large minority, determined to prevent it from carrying out its pledges by resorting to revolutionary methods At the outset it found itself obstructed in determining the membership of the house by the device known as as quorum-breaking and and filibustering. With a courage that has never been surpassed in a legislative body, and with a unity that a party rarely attains in aggressive action, the Republicans adopted a policy which has restored to the house its functions as a legislative body. It can now legislate. It has passed a bill which provides for such an enforcement of the revenue laws as will put an end to many frauds; it has passed several appropriation bills and would have passed a more liberal disability service pension bill than than the Republican national platform promised but for the Democrats; its ways and means committee has prepared a tariff bill in accordance with the expressed views of the Republican party, which with a few changes, will pass; its financial* anti-trust and like measures in both houses are in aucordance with the party pledge. There are differences of opinion upon points, but these have been and are being harmonized. When the tariff bill, after consideration in committee of the whole, reaches the house nearly every Republican will vote for it. In fact, the Republicars'in both branches are in general accord, and are animated with a desire to keep the party • *

faith and satisfy the general sen- 1 timet:r <4 the progressive >?.nd inintelligent people in the. country,, particularly those who are in gen-* eral }:(*e<ud with the Republican policy as set forth in the last national pfivt form.- -Indianapolis Journal. . - 4