The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1876-12-22
miscellaneous.
WASHINGTON LETTER.

w WASHlNUlUN LETTER..
! Opening Of Congress-Mr. Randall rs Speaker
The Presidents Annual and Special Aessases-
Democratic Policy In the House d, ossr,
| Cronin and Duke Gwin-Ths President's-
Herith and Randolph Cold Weather.
WAsHINGToN, ID. c., Dec. IL, 1876.
1t is generally conceded that Mr..
Randall is indebted to the partiality
of Mr. Tilden for his promotion as
Speaker of the House. Poor Cox, it
seems, has subsisted on an exclusive
crow diet for six months only to learn
| Just at the moment when his reward
was at his finger ends, apparently, that
he does not possess Mr. Tilden's con
| fideuce. He assumed an indifference
over his defeat that deceived no one.
Mr.. SayIer did not possess r. sigma io:..
and could he have once freed hins-lf
from the all-pervnding influence Of
Tilden which hangs like black shad-
ow over the Democratic side of the
House, lie might have made trouble;
but the disciplils of the Democratic
party is as rigid as that obtaining in a
community of Jesuits, and protests
against the one man power are never
long entertained. General Garfield in
the absence of Mr. Blaine is, by CON-
mon consent, the leader of the minor
ity, and received the iull Republican
vote for Speaker. Mr.. RaDdsll's
speech of thanks contained covert
menace to the President which was In
the very worst taste, but was applaud
ed by portion of the Democratic side.
Just how much his boasts of fairness
and impartiality with which his speech
was interlarded, became manifest be
fore the close of ibe first days session
in a ruling III which, for temporary
partizan advantage, he ignored both
rules and precedent, it was claimed
by old Legislators; but the refusal Of
the Democratic side to admit the Rep
resentative from Colorado was an ou q
rage, rivaling that of last session when
Goode was given the seat which all the
evidence proved. belonged TO his CON-
petitor. On the whole the first days
proceeding totally discouraged any
hope that patriotism. rather than par.
tizanship, would control the House.
majority. The opening cermonies In
the Senate were devoid of special in
terest. The two Senators from Color
ado were admitted to seats without q
protest. Democratic Senators not
caring to make themselves ridiculous
by assuming a position that both law
and an outraged public sentiment
would speedily oblige them to advo-
cate.
The reading of the Presidents annu
al message on Tuesday occasioned no
special remarks but the allusions to
'the enemy in the rear" Northern
Democrats) during The war, was ap-
pIauded by the Republican side of the
House, and is said to have been keenly
enjoyed by the Confederate Brigadiers
and Colonels, who appreciate their hon.
est place in history as contrated with
"copper-heads." In the House Mr..
Atkins has reported the annual pen
sion bill, appropriating something
over S2S, 600. 600, and in the Senate
both Mr.. Morton and Edmunds have
introduced resolutions, looking to
a Constitutional amendment relative
to the election of President and Vice
President, while Mr.. McCrary las
offered preamble and resolution, at
the House, calling for the appoint,
ment of a special committee to confer
with like committee from the Senate
for the purpose of agreeing upon some
method, satisfactory to the country,
for counting and declaring the vote
for President and Vice President. The
President on Wednesday sent 10 Con
gress a special message accompanied
by a letter from the gentleman who
went to New Orleans on the Presidents
invitation to witness the count
of the Returning Board, with q
copy of the testimony taken before it,
relative to the late election in Louisia-
ma The consideration of these docu-
ments has ewumed most OF the time
since. In the House. portion of the
Democrats were defiant, Wood of New
York particularly violent. They tabled
motion to print the testimony,
and appearing to appreciate the
hopelessness of explaining away the
Democratic butcheries in the South
during the late campaign, they seem
to have settled down to the policy of .
general denial as the only feasibls one.
But the proof in this mass of Testimony
is too voluminous to be winked edt Of
sight or whistled down. Is con-
tains relations more horrible ;fhas
anything that ever occurred when
slavery was an institution Of ths 6cuth
under the protection Of the Lava
Democratic Senators appeared paan-
fully embarrassed when forced into
the position of either apoIosizing for
atrocities or repudiating the perpetra-
tors and the methods by which they