The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1875-12-01
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
THE FORTY FOURTH coNGREss-AP-
PREACHING OPENING - THE sCRAA-
BILE FOR Pos1TIoNs-sPEAKERsHIP
NoTEs-CHANDLER's GU1LLoTINE.
WASHINGTON, D. c.,
November, 18th, 1S76.(

The clans are gathering. Senators
Representatives. politicians, Office
seekers and strangers, are rapidly
filing our hotels and boarding houses
and all the signs point to a lively
time in the near future. Never were
preparations more general and extern
sive for a large crowd, which, from
present indications, is sure to be in
attendance at the opening Of Con-
gress on the 9Th Of December-now
but sixteen days distant. The cap
itol was never 30 literally city of
boarding houses as now. Upon house
after house, in nearly every street,
may be seen the sign, FURNISHED
Rooms to Rent" which is an evil
dence either that the people of Wash
ington are growing poorer, or that an
unusual number of visitors are ex-
pected. @ a.
More than ordinary interest at
taches to the opening of the Forty
Fourth Congress, because of many
peculiar;ties ofthe situation, politi-
cal and otherwise. The House is
overwhelmingly Democratic, and is
composed largely Of new members,
many of them men who are entirely
new in National politics and to pub
lie service. 1t is to be organized up
on a Democratic basis, from Speaker
down to Messenger. For the hun
dred or so positions thus to be filed
there will not be less than FIVE thou
sand applicants. The scramble will
be one the like of which has not &C.
Cured before. This is not owing to
any popularity of Democratic politi-
clans. So long as public positions
continue to be the handle of party
politics and the doctrine of 9To the
victors belong the spoils'' remains in
practice, SO long will change of ad-
ministratiou bring its horde of party
servants seeking their reward. The
Democratic party has been crowded
out of National authority for many
years, and during all these years it
has still been a powerful party. 1t
has large number of men who have
been faithful to their principles, while
the public Treasury has been plum
dered by class of. cormorants, WHO
scent the loaves and fishes, as crow
scents carrion. tits natural enough
therefore, that honest men should de-
sire to see these take back seat
while their betters are served. The
condition of business also, and the
fact that there are so many unem-
pioyed men everywhere, has much to
do with the increased number of an.
plicants for public positions at this
time.
The election of speaker promises
to be an interesting contest; the f.
nancial question and other conflict
ing interests entering into it, being
peculiar to the present condition of
things, and exceedingly difficult to
harmonic. Previous to the October
elections, the issue seemed to be
whether the speaker should be an in
iationist or a-hard money man. OF
course this question has not disap-
peared, but there is now more talk
OF a possible compromise, so that the
Finance Committee may be made up
on the half and half plan. This has
always been the favorite and happy
issue of the Republican party out OF
all ainharmonons questions. Eastern
men, however, scout the idea of such
a thing, and assume that there is no
longer any doubt of specie organi-
cation throughout. Randall of Penn
sylvania, Kerr Of Indiana, and little
Cox Of New York, are each muster
ing considerable strength for the
speakership. It's generally thought
here that Randall is the strongest,
but there is a good deal Of doubt
about either mastering enough to
control the caucus. The aspirations
of Presidential candidates are so
mixed up with the matter that COM
plications multiply on every hand
If Cox were made speaker, the chan
ces of Gov. Tilden for the Presiden-
tial nomination would be decidedly
damaged if not ruined. So also
would the choice of Kerr be fatal to
the hopes of Gov. Hendricks. The
Chicago Times has warmly advoca
ted Kerr's claims, chiefly because it
is thought, of a desire to kill off Hen
bricks. Not that Kerr's claims are
without merit, for he is regarded Sc