New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-29
WASHINGTON.
HE STRUGGLE IN THE HOUSE.


THE CAUCUS BILL THAT FAILED LAST AoNDAi'
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THR TRIBuNB'I
WARRINGTON, Jan. 2S.--The senseless proceedings
NJ the House of Representatives yesterday and to-
day ought not TO be misunderstood WITH less imam
30 working days before them, and with an accumu-
aton of business TO which at least twice that time
ought to be devoted, 800 sitting in continu-
Gus session night and day, while the WORKOUT clerks
slowly call the roll and record the fact that the
House has refused to adjourn that il has refused TO
adjourn until Friday; and that 1t has refused 10
adjourn until Saturday. And for what purposeI Is
Il because some measure Of vital Importance TO the
hfe Of the nation OF the welfare Of the people lies
behind these dlatory motiOnsi mol This contest
is not over the Civil Rights bill; everybody under
stands that Butlers motion TO reconsider, being
question of the very highest privilege was the most
convenient TO call up, and for that reason 1t was
made use Of for the purposes of the majority.
The proof that those who are leading in this con-
lest are not lighting for the Civil Rights bill is most
ample. In the first place, the friends Of this meas
are care little for the bill that is now in Buffers
Committee, which they are ostensibly attempting
30 get before the House. That is a House BILL and,
II it should be passed, would have to go to the Sen
ate whore il would be obliged to run the gauntlet of
talk which the Democrats of that body are always
ready 10 place in the pathway of such measure and
defeat IT, The real friends of increased civil and
social rights for the negro desire the passage not of
House, bnt Of the Senate BILL either with or with
out amendments and il the object of the present
struggle was to place an act of this kind upon the
statute books would be directed toward the bill now
upon the Speakers table, and not toward that which
now rests in Buffers Committee. Another proof that
the object Of the contest not the of the Civil
Rights bill is found in the fact that some of the
who has been most influential in bringing it on,
voted against the Civil Rights bill last Monday.
Less than one-half of the Republicans of the House
attended the caucus last Tuesday evening, in which
Buffers move of yesterday morning was agreed to;
and among the most active of those who were pres
ent were these same Southern Republicans who
would no more dare to vote for the Civil Rights bill
than they would dare to cut off their right hands.
Nobody in Washington believes that Butler himself
desires the passage of the bill The Senate bill
came to the House on the sd of May,
1874. Congress was in session whole
month after that and with nearly twO-thirds
Of the Members Of the House committed to its sup
port it would have been comparatively very easy
thing for them to have forced its passage or pre-
vented an adjournment until after its consideration.
But no honest attempt was made either last session
or this 10 push the bin through Congress. The House
allowed an adjournment to take place in June A
short session began and there have been until now
no night session If Butler had desired to pass this
bill be would have taken advantage Of some Of these
past opportunities.
The struggle not for the purpose Of facilitating
the business of the House The Senate Civil Rights
bill stands indeed, al the head Of the list Of those
upon the Speakers table. and none of them can be
reached until that disposed Of but the passage of
the Butler bin, towards which efforts are now
ostensibly directed. would not advance the
business Of the House hour. That bill
is not in the way Of any other business,
and if it should be passed tonight the Senate bill
would still lie on the Speakers table, and block the
business Of the House IN that direction The genu-
ine friends Of that measure would still be just as
anxious TO pass it they to pass the Butler bill,
and the objections of the Democrats would be much
greater. If the object of the present proceedings
had been 10 expedite the business of the House,
Butles would have been instructed by the
caucus TO have waited until after
the morning hour yesterday, and the
TO have moved to 60 business the Speakers table,
and would have forced the Democrats to flbuster
against that. Again if the object was to facilitate
public business the Republicans would agree to the
proposition made by the Democrats yesterday
afternoon to pass the Appropriation bills, the new
Tariff BILL and other necessary legislation, and then
spend any time that remains IN a fight over this
measure.
One object Of the struggle, and the principal one
Is So force the passage of the rule which failed
on Monday last. Eighteen Republicans dsobeyed
the edc of the caucus and voted against that rule
Their votes insured its defeat and attempt is now
made, first TO punish them-althOugh the means
adopted look very like cutting off the nose to spite
the face-aud second TO force them to agree to its
passage next Monday. With that almost any new
reconstruction measures can be passed, and jobs
without number galvanized to life. Those lS men
comprise the very best men in the House. and
they were governed in their vote on Monday
by conscientious conviction Of duty The most of
them were honorable members Of the Republican
party years before many of the men who are now
attempting to run it ever thought Of joining its
ranks for the sake of plumber and they the last
in the world TO do anything to injure the party
But they cannot be dryen against their cOnscienoes
which Is a fact that Butler and his retinue OF
carpet-baggers and Confederate Republicans can't
appreciate and never will.
Why are these eighteen men opposed to the caucus
rule = First because they do not believe it right
for majority, however strong to force upon the
minority rules which they themselves arc not willing
tOye under when they are called upon to step down
and out of power and the Democrats control the
House THIS proposition is plain that it is diff
cult 10 conceive that there $50 Republican Repre-
senatyes in the present House who refused to ac
knowledge it. These Independent Republicans had
other reasons for opposing the caucus rule. They
determined that no vote of theirs shall, either
directly or Indirectly, help through the House
any Of the hundred infamous jobs that are now
pressing for action Under the system of log-rol-
al (oY in