The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-03-05
A Grave Mistake.
Nu1l.

The political bill adopted by the Joint
Republican caucus, providing for the re-
enactment of that portion of the ku-Klux
act which gives the President the right of
suspendng the writ Of habeas corpus. and
using the army and navy, the appoint
ment OF Marshals 10 supervise elections,
and the arrangement of the various details
of voting, is grave mistake, to character
ize il as mildly as possible. In the first
place. ii is always political mistake TO
legislate partisan measures which cannot
be enforced. or which, If enforVed, would
prove fatal 10 the party originating them.
The present Congress seems 10 be rushing
blindly into law making without reference
to the fact that in the next Congress the po-
litical power. the law-making power .andthe
revenue power-in other words, the power
of the law, the purse and the sword
passes into the hands OF the Democratic
party. The fact seems TO have been over
looked that the Republican party was
beaten last fall by 100000 votes, and also
the other serious fact that the House, after
the 4th of March next, will have a Demo-
cratic majority of at least sixty, with a
probability that, i'm the elections vet TO
come in New Hampshire, Connecticut.
California and Mississippi. this majority
may be increased, and that tlis new House
will have control of the purse and the
sword. The only tenure of power left TO
the Republican party Is the Senate, and
this grows feebler and feebler. and offers
little consolation TO those who thought
after the election last fall that the Re-
publican ascendency i'm that body
could not be disturbed. The pres
ent Senate stands: Republicans, 80:
Democrats. 10; independents, 4 vacan-
cles. l. The next Senate will stand Re-.
publicans 80; Democrats, IS: lndepen-
dents. g, with the seat To be filed from
Louisiana and the two new Senators from
Colorado. As none of the Independent
Republicans. like Cameron, Booth and
Christiancy. are hot partisans, and cannot
be relied upon 10 act with the caucus on
all purely partisan measures, and the seats
from Louisiana and Colorado may be filed
with Democrats, 1t is barely possible that
the Republicans may have a majority of 5
votes in the Senate. This feeble thread H.
all that holds the Republican party TO It's
tenure of power in Congress, and the fact
should he an Instructive lesson with refer
ence TO nslituting doubtful legislation for
future use
A stil greater objection to this political
bill lies in the fact that 1t j. probably inn
practicable and certainly impolitic. Grant
ing that it could be enforced, would IL not
fever of excitement and be a damaging
blow 10 the Republican partys l. IL not
the very measure which, of all others, the
Democratic party would like to see passed,
and against which they would be more
| than delighted to record their votes! The
passage of such bill would certainly ex-
asper,te the South AMI excite disorder IN
States now AT peace. II would array the
white race i'm more determined hostility 10
the blacks than exists now. IL would do
nothing to benefit the colored race.
Ii would threaten the peace of the
South with new disorders. Ii should
be the policy OF the Republican party TO
legslate In the interests OF peace and har-
mony. TO bring about good feelings IN the
Southern States between the whites ard
blacks. and in every way To conciliate the
stronger race in an its relations To the
weaker. A drop of honey will catch more
hornets than a cup of vinegar. What &C.
casion Is there for the re-enactment of the
ku-klux act in any State in the South,
possibly excepting Louisiana? There are
no unlawful white organization In these
States. no disorder of any moment, no
troubles AZ the polls. The elections take
place quietly aud regularly. and few COM
plants are made either by whites or
blacks. Trouble exists only in single
State. and yet the Southern carpct-baggers
have devised scheme of legislation
which. II carried out. might plunge many
in the Southern States into the same or
worse condition than now exists in Louis
iana and undo all that has been gradually
and slowly done towards the establish
n ent of peace, order and good govern
ment. II the Republican members of
Congress want to destroy the Republican
party. they will promote that purpose by
re-enacting repressive and provocative
measures which have been repealed or ex-
pired by limitation. and for which there
Is no urgent necessity existing. The
thing il blunder In any light IN which II
can be viewed. aud l. only playing into
the hands Of political opponents.-C Chicago
Tribune (Rep'tbiican).