Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-02-10

maue 'hat e1YHty joe members OF me
nert, or Fourty.tourth, Congress eitl-
err served IN the rebel army or held
civil positions under the rebel Govern
ment. We supposed this number EN-
braces those in the Senate. We do
not know the exact number, but an
examination of the list shows that it
probably does not exceed FIVE at the
most. The. remainder are in the
House. ..a
What does this statement mean ?
1t means thatthe control Of the neat
House Of Representations Is a, the
hands Of those who were personally, Of
fciaHy and Actively engaged in carry
ing on the rebellion and seekiny to de-
stroy the Government. 1t means that
the mastery of legislation and of the
purse of the nation has been acquired
by those who were lately seeking to
break up the Union For consider
the facts The Democrats have 1853
members of tile next House being
majority of 80 over the Republicans.
OF this whole Democratic strength,
81 is clear majority. Of this 81,
the actual fighters or officers under
the rebel flag have at least 80, possibly
the full S2-certainly enough, with
the bel p of ono or two Northern dough-
faces where score could easily be had,
to give them an unquestioned MAORI
ty on the Democratic side.
Now what follows? The House of
Representatives. with its power over
legislation and all the appropriations,
is under the control of the Democrat
ic members the Democratic members
are under the control of the caucus
which de ermines the policy
of the party; the caucus is un-
der the control of the caucus which
determines the policy Of the party
the caucus is under the control Of the
majority of it's members; and that ma
jorlty, as we have seen, is made up of
those who served in the rebel army or
under the rebel Government. Thus
it comes to pass that those who
were only the other day fighting to DE-
stroy the Government have now,
through the Democratic party, secur-
ed possession of the popular branch of
Congress, and have the power to say
what it shall and what it shall not do.
This is certainly significant and
startling result 1t shows first Of all
that the Government whose legislation
permits such possibility has been
anything but oppressive" and "tyran
nical " in it's treatment of the defeated
rebel foe. 1t shows in the mere prac-
ticability Of such result magnan i'm
ty unparalleled in the history of the
world. But it also raises other ques-
tons of the most su- gestive character.
Whether the appropriations for carry.
ing on the Government shall be made
will depend upon those who are just
fresh from the attempt to overthrow
the Government. Whether the prin-
cipal and interest of the debt incurred
In saving the Union shall be paid wi Il
depend upon those who fought to break
up the Union Whether the pensions
Of the manned and crippled Union
soldiers shall be continued will de-
pend upon those who struck the wick
ed blow. Whether the true and 10y
al men Of the South shall have any
protection will depend upon their biz
ter foes Already the threat has been
made that the appropriations for the
army and for the navy and for other
vital national purposes shall be cut off.
Aad whether they shall or not is for
those who fought under the rebel flag
to say.
Isn't this most extraordinary state
of things? Isn't it an astonishing re-
suit? 1t seems but the other day that
after four years of bloody war, costing
a million lives and billions Of treasure.
the rebellion was finally subdued. Had
any one, on that great day of Apo
mattox Court House, predicted that in
less than ten years the American PEG
pie would put the control of the House
OF Representatives In the hands of reb-
els there defeated would he not have
been pronounced a madman And
yet that is precisely the result we now
see, as the fruit of the Democratic sue
cess. Many who shared in bringing ii
about doubtless had no thought of such
a conclusion. And how do they like
their work ~
A somewhat remarkable SANDER
suit has just been brought up in the
Court Of Appeals Of Kentucky. It is
one which grew out of the murder of
Jacob and Betsey, the aged
brother and sister of " Old John )"
Harper, the owner of the race-horse
Lonsfellow, while asleep in their beds
something over a year ago. 1t was
charged by Adam Harper, a nephew
Of the murdered couple, that j W.
Harper, his cousin, had intimated in
substance that be adam was the
murderer and FIR th;s bo horh+ ou;t