The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-31

elected to the next House Of Representatives,
that the only way in which the republicans Can
secure the organization In electiog their own
Speaker, Clerk and Printer, is by the adoption
Of the plurality rule. The classification stands
tbus;-
kepu oicsos. ...........".........uS
Anti compton @osras. Il
southern oppsstaon. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. q
Total 1857
Majority
The republicans. therefore, it will be seen, lack
Elk Of having q majority, while the national or
administration democrats lack twenty. seven.
The Southern opposition members will probably
bave candidate Of their own, on the desperate
chance Of winning over one or the other of the
two great parties, OF at least in the idea Of being
able to make good terms with one Of them in tue
matter OF Clerk, or Public Printer, or the ar
rsngewent of the committees. Having made
such terms, they might give their support to the
democratic candidate for Speaker. They could
not possibly give 1t to the republican. Tue same
is true as to the anti-Lecompton democrats. To
cast their weight In the republican scale would
be not only an act Of political tresson-for they
are great stcklers tor the Cincinnati platform
but it would seal the fate OF their leader Douglas
ut the Charleston Convention
In this mutually neutralizing condition OF
parties, we may expect to zee repetition OF
the scenes Of the first, two mouths Of the
Tbirty.fourth Congress- which ended BY the sdop.
tou of the plurality rule and the consequent
election Of Backs as Speaker. Lest any of our
readers might be at q loss to understand the dis
tpctioD, We may remark here that a candidate
must ordinarily receive q majority Of all the
votes cast, and when there are three or more
candidates in the field 1t may not be possible for
any one of them to obtain such majority. Ia
der the plurality rule he who receives the high
est number of votes-whether majority or
not-is elected. And thus it sometimes happens,
az it did in the election of speaker 10 1856,
that in order to bring the voting to close the
plurality rule must be adopted.
Now that is the very state of things which the
House of Representatives will present at the
opening of the next Congress. Days or weeks
or months may be spent in Intellectual efforts to
secure an organization under the majority rule
The republicans will therefore endeavor to have
resolution adopted, declaring that the caadi-
date who may receive the highest number Of votes
shall be declared duly elected. They will strive
to get the anti-Lecompton democrats and the
Southern opposition members to support such
resolution. For these latter to do 90 would be
tantamount to their voting, in the first instance
for the republican candidate, because the
adoption of the plurality rule could have
no other result than his election. Let
it be understood, therefore, in advance, that
the plurality rule signifies republican organi-
cation of the next House of Representatives
republican Speaker, republican Clerk, repub-
lican Printer, republican cnairmeu of commit.
tees, and fnally-ehould the Presidential cleo
ton 60 to the House, as it probably wili-a re-
publican President in 1861. II the and-Lscomp-
Of course, vote for the plurality rule. But they
will do 80 With the assurance that the act will DO
poli.s.-l themselves, aud wanton
sacrifice of the head of their faction, to whom
they profess devotion. No Southern oppo.
sition member dare give such aid and coun-
tenance to the abolition party, with the know
ledge that he would be thus directly instrumen.
tai in placing VIM. d. Seward in the Presidential
chair, there to put in practice the programme of
bis Rochester manifesto.
There are more ways, says common pro-
verb, of killing dog besides choking him
with melted butter. There are more ways
Of giving a republican organization to the
House. and an abolition administration to
the country besides voting either directly
or indirectly for the republican candidate.
There are many little parliamentary tricks by
which the same result can be as effectually pro-
duced. The most simple Of them is absenteeism.
If half dozen anti Lecompton democrats were
to pair off, as it is termed, with as many
Southern opposition members, they would
leave the republicans in majority, and
The thing could thus be neatly fixed.
Or, if any of the democratic members should
chance to be detained from the House by illness
or other cause, the desired number of ansi-Le-
complexities and Southern opposition men might
be induced, in apparently the most innocent
manner, to stay away at the same time. The
republicans, who are always well whipped in, and
reaoy to take advantage Of any weakness in
their opponents ranks, would seize upon the
favorable moment and elect their man. But, be
it borne in mind, that such transparent treachery
would expose its actors to more thorough and
general execration than an open and manly
change of front, and a desertion to the enemy on
the field Of battle.
Bad as an unorganized House of Representa-
tives would be- it might be better for the country
than such m organization of 1t as would throw
the administration of the general government
into the hands Of VIM. II. Seward and his aboli-
ton cohorts.
NEW JERSEY PoLrTIcs-A DECIDED Split
Last year there was fusion between the repub-
licans, Americans and anti Lecomptonites of