The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-12-23
The Democratic House and its Pol

1ne democratic house anu 1IS 1Oxs
icy.
We rather like the suggestions of the
st. Louis Republican in regard to the
course to be pursued by the Democrats
who now control the Congressional House
OF Representatives. 1t says that it is pos
sible that the duty imposed on the Demo-
Gratis in the house at Washington for this
session may prove to be that of inaction.
with attentive expectancy. Doing moth
inc seems an ignoble occupation, but
there are times when it is the highest
Wlsdom-as, for example, when only moth
| ING can be done, OF when it is not known
what ought to be done. Such conditions
exist at Washington at present. There is
no step that the house can take, however
it might wish to, without the consent Of
the senate and President; and even if the
| senate and President did not stand in the
way, it would be no easy matter to indi-
cate what it ought to do in the presence
OF the immature and disturbing questions
that are beginning to project themselves
on the arena OF the national contest. 1t is
said by some that the Democrats in the
house owe it TO the country to define q
policy This might be true if it were pos
sible to determine what policy We are
willing to admit that they ought to unite
with the Republicans of the senate to
make q satisfactory settlement of the mon
ey question if it were practicable; indeed
we would heartily rejoice to see them do
this. But it is useless to expect OF to eX-
act such q thing when the Democrats can
not agree among themselves, much less
with the Republicans on the money ques-
ton. If they could furnish a safe adjust
ment OF the matter they would be bound
to do it but as they cannot, they had bet
ter not attempt it. IN the treatment of
the new questions which the conduct of
the executive is forcing upon the public
attention, the Democrats Of the house will
need perfect unity and prudent Judgment,
and for this reason they will do well to
avoid those subjects for which they are
not responsible, which they have no pow
er to settle, and which can only distract
and divide them. The Republicans do not
expect to effect any legislation this session.
Their hands are partially tied. also, and
they will not probably seriously attempt
to pass any new measures. Their whole
object will be to provoke their opponents
into indiscreet expressions, blunders and
quarels. This animating spirit was so
clearly revealed in the little Louisiana de-
bate of the 9th that the Democrats ought
to take warning by it.
The Republicans themselves are beset
with difficulties and dangers. To say moth
ing of the monetary disorders which they
are responsible for, and the monstrous
official venality which their administra-
ton is the direct author of, and whose
revelations are now shocking the country
their President has flung amongst them
four or five new and difficult propositions
as planks in third-term platform. They
have their hands full and their arms FULL
too; they have more than they can bear,
and it is not strange that they should seek
to drop part of the burden in the camp
of their opponents. They are threatened
with distraction; what more reasonable
than that they should attempt to preserve
their own harmony by melting distraction
among their adversaries ? They have
multiplied blunders upon blunders; what
else is to be expected than that they
should seek to provoke the Democrats in
to plumbers also with the object of divert
ing the public attention from their own
1t will be interesting to watch the de-
velopment Of relations between the Re-
publican leaders and the President in the
next few months. There is growing sus-
picion between them that promises, if al
lowed to work effectively, to end in a
rupture. What safer tactics can the Dem
ocrats adopt than to quietly wait and
watch for this crisis? 1t the Republicans
are trying to escape from the disorders of
their own household, why not force them
to face those disorders and abide the con-
sequences?
There is certain amount of formal
legislation that will have to be enacted
this winter - mainly the maturing and
passage of the appropriation bills. In
this work the house should do its proper
part cheerfully and promptly, and care
fully avoid any appearance OF factious OPP
position to the administration. 1t may
properly demand retrenchment of ex-
penditure; it may, it 1t wish, insist on a
general reduction of the taxes on the
people, and general lowering of the
tariff in the interest of consumers. But
having done this. after providing for the
various departments, the pension list and
the interest on the public debt, it may
safely and wisely leave those distracting
issues which cannot be decided by this
congress to be quarrelled over by their
opponents.
But outside the line of enactments,
there are matters which the constituents