National Republican., 1875-12-06
THE ORGANIZATION OF THE HOUSE,

The Bourbons have. carried the day.
Although Mr.. George M. Adams served in
the Union army during the war, his nomi-
nation to be Clerk of the next House does
not alter this fact. Mr.. Kerr was essen
tally tie Bourbon candidate, and, besides
that, labored under the disgrace Of being
supported by Tammany Hall. Mr.. Randall
received thirty-one Confederate votes on
the first ballot and Mr.. Kerr forty mine. As
soon, however, as the Bourbons appealed
to Mr.. Randall's friends on grounds of 80
called principle they shamefully deserted
HIM, and Joined the supporters of Mr. Kerr.
This is, in brief, the story of the Demo-
cratic caucus last Saturday.
The Washington correspondent of the
New York Tribune, on this occasion very
good authority, il discussing the situation,
alluded to Mr.. KEN as follows:
Again, the Indiana candidate has the
straightest Bourbon record of any Democrat
in the House. In the years Immediately fol-
lowing the war, when the Republicans were
busy clinching the victory OF the Union cause
by legislation, Mr.. Kerr was the stock spokes-
man, and bitter one, too, of the handful OF
Democrats who opposed that legislation. An
extreme State rights man before the war, 1t
is doubtful whether he believed in the power
of the nation TO coerce rebellion. He certainly
was never classed with the war Democrats.
and was in full fellowship with the wing of his
party popularity known as 'Copperheads.' On
the other hand, Mr.. Randall supported the
war, and since 1t closed has been about as lib
eral as q Democrat could be and retain stand
ing in his party"
The New York Herald editorially con-
ours in this estimate of Mr.. Kerr's charac-
ter, as follows:
1.-THE election of Mr.. Kerr would be an in
dorsement Of that Bourbon spirit which is still
strong in the party, which was strong enough
to elect as Senators Wallace, of Pennsylyania:
Cockrell, of Missouri; Eaton, of Connecticut,
and others, who represent nothing in the
Democratic party but its mistakes, and who
are as much out Of sympathy with the gene
ration in which they live as the Bourbon
princes when they returned to the throne of
France"
And the Herald might have added that
MIR. Kerr was in active sympathy with. If
not a member of, that infamously treason
able organization, the Knights of the Golden
Circle
In plain words, then, the leaders of the
Democratic party have signalized their re-
turn to power in the Lower House of Con-
gress by throwing aside the disguise of
Conservatism, which they assumed before
the people, by disregarding all their prom
ises not to repeat the blunders of the past,
and by exalting to the third place in the
Government a man whose only recon-
mendation resides in the fact that he is the
plant instrument of the traitors who tried
fifteen years ago to destroy the Govern.
ment They had an opportunity to do
better. The nomination of Mr.. Randall,
Mr.. Ssyler or Mr.. Cox would have satisfied
the people that the Democracy has learned
something from its past experience; but
the result shows that the old spirit of oppo-
sition TO the principles of true and loyal
government is still dominant in the party
councils. In short, the old party lines
as they existed at the beginning of
the war have been re. established and
the old battles for the fallacy of State
rights and the supremacy of good govern
ment are to be fought over again. The
Conservative element of the party has been
overridden. The Southern wing COM
mitted an act of base ingratitude
in deserting Mr.. Randall, to whom they
are under lasting obligations; but it was
Characteristic of them. Whenever their
love of so-called Southern principles is ap-
pealed to they repudiate every other obi.
gatien and expose their utter inability to
appreciate the changed condition of affairs.
They are in the foreground now; have got
complete control of one important branch
of the Government and. judging from the
organization of the House as effected by
them on Saturday, they intend to repeat
the blunders of the past, if indeed. they do
not do worse.