Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-08-14
Pairing Of.

The practice Of pairing off, as it is called, has
got to be one of the established customs of Con-
gress On every test vote we always fnd large
number of absentees, and hear it explained that
they have paired off with each other. Almost ev-
cry day. in the course of the ordinary business Of
the House of Representatives some member being
present declines to vote on question, directly or
remotely political, the ground that he has pair
ed off with some absent member. He has prom
ised some political opponent who has gone away,
not to vote on any party questions during his ab-
sence. When member wants to leave Washing
ton for business or pleasure, he hunts up man
on the other side to keep him company. If he
cannot find one willing to leave, he exacts pledge
from some good natured party opponent to look
on md say nothing till he comes back.
This is y very easy way of shirkng duty, but it
is all wrong Occasionally, on Particularvote
of great Importance, where one vote is Of great
public interest. member, whose absence is made
necessary by critical circumstances, may he in
dulged by the "pairing off" with him, for that oc-
casion, of m opposing voter. Such cases should
be rare and exceptional; they seem to have become
the rule. Seven or eight are announced in sim
gle day; and we have heard of dozen quitting
Washington, for week or two at time, on occa-
sions of mere pleasure, while corresponding
number remain, but agree not to votc.' An Ohio
man runs over on frolic to Lake Erie, and thinks
he performs all his duties to the public if he has
got some Representative from Missouri or Geor-
gia to sit mum till he comes back. This may be
good for party discipline on both sides, but it is
certainly not good for the general interests Of the
constituency of either, and shows q very loose
idea of the duties of Representative.
The theory, Mt least, of representation, recog-
nises q great many duties besides those owed to
political party, and does not treat an abandonment
of them as excusable when the exigencies Of party
are provided for. This way of pairing off" on
general political grounds assumes, too, as re-
cognised fact that measures as well as men in
Congress are arranged and decided purely on party
grounds; that debate is not expected to affect re-
suits, or any reasoning or proofs to change pre-
determined opinion. In a contested election, as
on al afirmance of principle or dogma in
the conclusions of n report upon facts, as on the
denunciation of party or IN opponent, the lines
arc drawn, and the votes are declared, pro and
con, by the pairing off before the subject is e1-
amined Mt oil. The member from Massachusetts,
goes home willing to forego his vote for Reeder,
because some member from Georgia has agreed
not to vote for Whitfield, and all the time neither
has examined the question, certainly neither has
listened to the argument ON either side!
Now this is an evil, and the sign of q very bad
state of public morals, when the sole duty which
the Representative recognises is that which he
owes to party, and the duty is in submitting his
conscience and his judgment blindly to its will
There is little to prefer between the practice of
'spairng off" and the system Of the British House
of Lords in allowing members to vote by proxy
"Pairing off, is growing to be an abuse in our
system, and we hope to see some efforts made, or
some rules adopted, to checkit.