The Monroe Democrat in sumraing up the d...

The Monroe Democrat in sumraing up the doings of the 53c! congress, says: It has no líalos, crowns or harps to spare. Yet has done many things which will redouud to its credit and be of everlasting service to the country, among which: It has repealed the Sherman law, which required the monthly purchase of 4,500,000 ounces of silver. It has repealed the federal election law, which placed the federal elections in the hands of armed U. S. marshals, instead of the people. It has met its obligation in part by wiping out sonie of the objectionable features of the McKinley law, and redueine tariff taxation over sixty million dollars. It has added to the free list articles embraeing the necessities of life to the extent of more than forty millions of dollars. It has reduced the expenses of the government more than thirtv millions of dollars and in no wise crippled its efficiency. It has adopted au iucorne tax that will yield to the government thirty millions of dollars, to come only from the pockets of those abundantly able to pay, but who have heretofore avoided their obligations to the government and placed the linancial load upon the shoulders of the poor. It has increased the tax on spirits to the amount of twenty million dollars. It has placed its opponents on record as beine in opposition to tariff reform, in being in opposition to a sound financia! policy, in being in opposition to the income tax, as being opposed to the poor in favor of the rich. The one congressman from Michigan who has helped with his voice and his vote to do all these things more than any other Michigan representative, is Hou. James S. Gorman. lie has stood squarely upon the democratie platform and by the democratie principies promulgated in the national convention at Chicago, and had every man elected to congress and the senate as a democrat been is much of a democrat as has Mr. (iorman, the record of congress would have been brighter and the standing j of the party with the masses better than it is today. The battle is surely on between the Platt and anti-Platt factions of the New York republicans. The situadon shows, too, just how much the republican profession of deep seated longing for reform amounted to. The leaders under Platt domination simply desired to oust the democratie rascáis in order to install in their places equally vile republican heelers. Mayor Strong seenis not to belong to that ilk, however. He regards his election as having a deeper significance than simply changing rascáis who rill city offices. He believes he owes a great obligation to the honest citizens of all shades of political belief and he proposes to meet those obligations without fear or favor. And just in proportion as he cleans out the Augian stables of the city and steers clear of Plattism, will his hands be uphcld by all good people and his administration bear the fruitage expected of it. While the Alabama United States senators have been preaching a crusade in favor of free silver, the state government has found it necessary to fund its outstanding bonds. They tried to float new bonds payable in "lawful money" but they would not go- -that is, except for a very high rate of interest. They were therefore changed, the word "golcT'being inserted with the result that the state saves $100,000 a year in interest. Here isa fine object lesson which the silver men in congress might have learned with great profit to Uncle Sam. Why will such practical lessons be ignored by the Washington so called statesmen ? Alabama is a free silver state. Why therefore has there been no howl sent up on account of this insult to the "white metal"? lf lawful money is good enough for Uncle Sam to pay his obligations in why is it not good enough for Alabama? One Addicks, a rich man, down in Delaware, claims to have paid #150,000 for the legislature of that pocket borough, and now the members are haggling over delivering the ! goods, a seat in the United States senate. Six of his followers, however, say it will be Addicks or "Nobody." For the credit of the state and the senate it would far better be Nobody. Yet the only difference between the contest of this rich gas-man for a seat in the "greatest deliberative body in the world" and that of several others who have been elected by the various legislatures the past winter, is apparently, in the vulgar manner in which he has announced the terms of the purchase and sale. Senators should be elected by the people. Postmaster Ceneral Bissell came into his great office an untried and comparatively unknown man. Many were inclined to question the good judgment of the president in appointing hira. But now after two years of service he voluntarily retires, because he is too poor to afford to hold it longer and is followed in his retirement by the universal commendation of the nation. He has proven himself a man of great business and executive ability. Under him the postoffice department has been managed solely for the good of the country and news of his retirement is received with very general regret. The Kansas legislature tried to pass a bilí reducing the legal rate of interest from 10 to 8 per cent. lt was defeated because, as was alleged, capitalists would not lend money in the state for that rate. They will loan money in any amounts however at from 4 to 6 per cent. on what is considered good and safe investments. What is the meaning of the "necessary" high legal rate in Kansas. Simply that there has been something of a financial debauch in that state and a disposition to indulge in questionable financial measures. That sort of thing always costs. The Germán government is moving to secure an international postage stamp. Negotiations have been opened with the members of the International Postal Union relative to the issue of the same. All the nations concerned, the United States excepted, have practically agreed to the undertaking. A conference of the powers interested will probably be called in the near future. There would be many advantages in such an arrangement, among them the enclosing of s;amps for replies to letters and in payment of small bilis and accounts in foreign countries. Those persons convicted and sentenced to death for their connection with the recent uprising in Hawaii have had their sentences commuted to ímprisonment and fines by President Dole. The ex-queen Lilliokalani is to be imprisoned for five years and pay a fine of $ 5,000. In view of all the circumstances the determination of President Dole that none shall hang for their offence against the government is a wise decisión. The stream of white metal llowing from this country to the Oriënt has been largely cfranged from New York to San Francisco, and the shipments are increasing monthly. Japan, China and other oriental countries have for years been the largest consumers of silver in the world, receiving through San Francisco and London in the past six years #342,000,000. Senator Chandler, of New Hamp : sliire, has had a nevv and apparently very appropnate handle attached to his name. Senator Hili, in repiying to the brutal and whoilytincalled for assault of the New Hamp-j shire renator upon Senator Roach, called him Hyena Chandler. Tliis seems to be so "pat" that it wül no doubt stick. Representative democrats from fifteen states have signed a j festo in favor of a vigorous sjlveri campaign. They want those democrats who favor silver to take the j party organization into their own j hands and work it for the white metal. = The "bean eaters" showed their idea of the eternal fitness of things by having a prize fight on the natal ! day of the father of his country.