Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-12-28
WASHINGTON.
From our own Correspondent.

cure the success of their defeated can
didate was demonstrated to the salts
faction of all loyal men in the selec-
ton of Hon. Samuel S. Randall, as
Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives, to fill the vacancy caused by
the death Of Hon. NJ. C, Kerr after
the adjournment of the first session of
the Forty fourth Congress. It can't
be considered unfair to test Democracy
by the men that party loves to honor
and elect as their Speaker. Hon Sam
uel j. Randall was an advocate Of
what is known as ''the salary grab"
insisting thai it was necessary that
member of Congress should receive
Seven thousand five hundred dollars
year to enable him to live in the ex-
pensive city of Washington in accord
ance with his official position. 1t be-
came law by the aid of his and his
brother democratic votes He did not
hesitate to take the back pay author
ised by said law but, unlike many others
when the people condemned it. he kept
the amount he had received and then
behold this same man at the last ses-
sion of Congress insisting tina: Four
thousand five hundred dollnrs was am
pie to pay any Congressman and when
his position on the salary grab was al
luded to his only reply was that his
constituents had endorsed his course,
as they would have done had it been
fully proved that he had been guilty
Of perjury.
What contrast with tho Republi-
can Party. Can a single instance be
pointed out where Republican advo-
Gated and took the increased pay that
was returned to the present Congress2
The Republican masses will not en-
dorse or sustain their representative
men when they are guilty of doing
wrong. but what difference did it make
with the masses of the democracy in
returning their representative men who
voted for law to take Five thousand
dollars more for two years services
than they agreed to serve for when
nominated and elected.
Look at the rulings of Speaker Ran
dali at the organization of the House,
rulings contrary to every precedent
since the formation of the Government.
That member who held the Certii-
cate of the Governor Of the State from
which he is 3 Representative, could
not participate in the organization of
the House. This ruling in the face
of the democratic doctrine of State
rights was surprise TO all who heard
it. Again the ruling, that Colorado
was not State in the official know
ledge of the the House and denying
the member from that state any parti-
cipation in the organization of the
House of which he was as much u
member as the Speaker himself was
one of the greatest of the many wrongs
ever perpetaated in the name of Dem
ocraey. This action appears to be one
showing the determination Of the
House to act in opposition to its own
friends in the Senate. {The two Sena-
tors from Colorado having been admit
ted and sworn in without dissenting
voice. and to prepare the way, as it
were to a conflict with the Senate when
the counting Of the electoral vote takes
place. Notwithstanding the Senate
by a vote of so to has decided there
are no joint rules in force and two of
the four Senators who voted in the
minority less than year ago insisted
there were no joint rules in force, and
in the face of Mr.. Randall having said
on the floor of the House as late as
Dec. 9th 1878. There is no rule of
this House and there was no rule of
the last House by which a committee
on Rules canbe appointed =" Speaker
Randall still insists that there are Joint
rules where the accepted parliamentary
authority Barclay 5 Dlgest) says there
are not and.when the Journal Of the
House itself records the fact that the
joint rules are published therein solely
for information. No one will claim
for an instant that the joint rules were
laws of the country as they had never
been submitted to or approved by the
President, and without such approval
they are in force no lenger than suits
the convenience of either branch of
| Congress, and under the clause of the
Constitution which gives each branch
of Congress exclusive jurisdiction over
It's own rules it is utterly impossible
for one Congress to pass rules which
shall be binding upon its successors
without the consent of the successors.
or otherwise they are deprived of the