New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-05-29
FAILURE OF THE KU-KLUX BILL IN THE
HOUSE.

HOUSE
Again the House of Representatives, mas
shown itself more independent and discreet
legislative body than the Senate. The puDhc
opinion which found authoritative expression
in the Cincinnati platform, was echoed ana APP
proved by all the Impoverished press, and was
! set forth anew in language of as much beauty
rs yigor in Mr.. Greeley's letter of acceptance,
demanded that an end be speedily put to any
uniust and discriminating legislation against
the South. The Senate defied this evident and
earnest popular demand. In obedience to the
dictation of those friends and managers of the
President who imagine that with the same
sword by which he gained his fame he
can gain his reelection, the Senate passed
bill extending to the President the
power Of suspending the writ OF Habeas
| Corpus at his discretion until the close OF the
next regular session of Congress. 1t went
easily through that body, which, by common
| consent. is called dignifed and deliberate
one, though opposed with vigor by several OF
the ablest members of the Senate, and not
supported by any speeches or arguments
worth mentioning. The Administration threw
its whole weight in favor of the bill, its par
tsans not hesitating to say that Its passage
was required as a political necessity. There
was never more shameless sight presented
by our political history; an Administration
| not daring to trust to the free suffrage of the
people, and clamoring for the sword of military
| power to be placed in its hands to accom-
plish an endangered election.
The public indignation against this iniqui-
tous attempt to gag and fetter a people just
,nol,
and action, had been given intelligent form
and direction by the Cincinnati movement.
| The House of Representatives was near
enough to the voting population to appreciate
| this fact. When Gen. Butler tried to accom-
plish the wishes of the President by the trick
of voting a recess instead of an adjournment
the vote of the House showed Enthusiastically
the spirit in which they looked upon such a
measure. We were therefore encouraged to
believe that when the time came for the
House to act upon the Senate bill for
keeping the South another year under mill
tary rule for political purposes, it would
be found that they would decline being made
the puppet Of Executive ambition and of
Senatorial servility. These hopes were not
unfounded. Yesterday, Mr.. Poland moved
suspension of the rules to take up and pass
the Senate Ku-Klux bill. His motion, which
required two-thirds VOTE did not receive
majority, only o. voting in its favor to 10S
against it. This virtually killed the project;
for, as Mr.. Poland frankly said, if his motion
had received majority, he could have reported
from his Committee an identical bill with that
of the Senate, and passed it by the same
majority. But, with the greater number against
him, he should not even report the bill except
by the instructions of his Committee.
This is another of the peaceable fruits of
Cincinnati. Just as the wise and magnani-
nous plea for amnesty influenced even the
Senate to pass and the President to sign
measure of amnesty, which, though imperfect,
was far better than the grudging meanness of
their antecedent policy, so the unequivocal
declaration of Cincinnati in favor of the resto-
ration of civil authority in the South, and the
quick and unmistakable response of the
country to this declaration, has given strength
enough to the conscientious members of both
parties to vote according to their own convic-
tons, to bring back as soon as possible the
reign of law in every section Of the country.