What Might Have Been

As the present session of Congress nears its close, it is natural that the people should look back over its record to see what it has done and what it has failed to do. What it has done bears so small a proportion to what it ought to have done as to be comparatively insignificant. In fact, the Forty-eighth Congress, so far as the transaction of important business is concerned, has but just cleared away the preliminaries to its actual work. If the session could begin now, something like a proper consideration of the many important bills before our legislators might be hoped for.

Bills giving the President power to veto separate items in appropriation bills; a legislative provision governing the choice of his successor in case of the sudden death of both President and Vice-President; and the act to regulate the counting of the electoral vote, are matters which ought to have secured attentive consideration. The Secretary of the Treasury has presented a recommendation regarding the suspension of silver coinage and has asked Congress to amend the laws relating to national bank circulation and the building up of our new merchant marine. The need of a new navy has been urged by the Secretary of the Navy [...], the Secretary of War brought before Congress the necessity of more adequate coast defences, and the Secretary of the Interior urged the need of laws [...]