National Republican., 1876-07-08
THE DEAD LOCK IN CONGRESS.

Those who have hoped and those
who have prophesied that the dead
lock in Congress over the appropriation
bills not yet passed is giving way under the
force of reason and healthy sentiment, will
have abundant time before the consumma-
ton is reached TO calculate and properly es-
innate their prophetic power. The truth
is that the House has determined to insult
and bumiliate the Senate as far as possible,
before any compromise shall be reached,
and it remains to be seen how far the ex-
Confederates can carry out their vexaIiOus
purpose.
The trouble with the present House of
Representatives is that the majority is COM
posed largely of men who hate and have
fought the Government, and who are yet
full of that bitterness of rebellion. These
men have no feeling in common with
liberal, wise and just policy of admins
tration. They came here for mischief and
are ready for anything that will embarrass
or impede the wheels of Government They
have been hunting for Republican scalps
since they entered Congress, and as the
yield in that direction is confined to Gen.
Belknap, and he is yet in possession of mis-
own hirsHte thatch, theSt republican haters
and Union revilers are now on the war
path against the free and unmpeded pro-
gress of the Government under wise and
just appropriations.
The House Of Representatives, unfOrtu-
nately, has fallen into weak, ii not ignorant
and corrupt, hands. The election of
Speaker bought great ineriortty if moth
ing worse, to its head. As To the integrity
of the Speaker, who has not been above
suspicion, We have only TO say that Re-
publican official with half the testimony
against him would not have had as happy
an escape as attended Speaker Kerr. The
leaders of the House are far from being
statesmen. AT home they are scarcely re-
moved from the plane of mere ward poll
ticians, and here their elevation has only
tended TO distinguish their want Of lpacity
TO appreciate and provide for the necessi-
ties Eof the Government. Morrison, Ran
Gall and Cox are the three master spirits of
the Democratic side of the House, and
uCNSl ndo ulOIC bClI-IOuCCII duu
incapacity wrapped in three bodies. Nor
rison has proved an utter failure Randall,
as a statesman, is sort of bull in china
shop, while Cox is as light as kite and of
about the same utility in his relation to the
probabilities Of government. Holman is
most of man and statesman on that side,
and he is held at arms length by the others
for the reason that under a fair chance in
the race he would far outstrip his Demo-
cratic peers in the House. For that reason
he has been held in check throughout the
session, and has been allowed to perform
only party drudgery.
These are the master-spirits of the House
who have inaugurated dead lock in the
Government, and are glOating over the
mischief they are inflicting upon its inter
ests. Randall is insane upon the subject
of retrenchment and reform, and readily
rushes among the crockery, no matter the
extent ofthe breakage under the dead lock.
He has loaded every appropriation bill
down with obnoxious legislation that seeks
to revolutionize the Government in this
surreptitiOus and oppressive manner. Sam
Cox rushed wildly to st. Louis, under the
beck of John Kelly. whose pet he is,
and there, in e. tbrong of equally wild
Democrats, made hasty and inconsIderate
promises Of retrenchment, which to make
good now would entail embarrassment if
not ruin upon several important branches
Of the public service. Under these com
mitments which no sober man would have
made, the Democratic House have deter
mined to force the Senate to stultify and
humHate itself, or to bring about stop
page OF the wheels OF Government.
On the other hand, the Senate is resdy to
copcede 10 the House anything but its con-
stitutional right as coordinate branch of
the law-makIng power Of the Government.
In all matters where the law does not de-
fine offices and salaries the House has its
own way. On all questions of discretion
ary action the caprices of the House are
yielded TO. But the Senate has planted It.
self on the broad and conservative prnci
pies of the Constitution, there, we trust,
TO stand firmly and decidedly until its
prerogatives shall be respected and
the welfare of the Government shall be
protected from such wild and unregulated
encroachments as are now being attempted
by these .qusck reformers, who would