Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-08-17
atEXAGAzETTE & VIRGINIA ADVERTISER
PUBLISHED DAILY By
F.DGAH s5NowDEiN-
iAzETTE BUILDING, NO. 20 PRINCE STREET
The Close Ofthe session.

crnment
The legislative results Of this long session
are not specially brilliant; but the same thinl
may be said with truth Of every session of Con
srcss within the last forty years which immc
,ila,ely preceded Presidential election. 1t il
4. chronic iuirnty Of Congress to pervcrt such
session INTO mere electOneerug canvass. |,
has happcned n this session that one OF the
,.r.at flval parties has controlled the Senate
and he other party the House, and justice con-
s:r.luS Us 10 say that the democratic House, 10
sp,c OF lis shortcomings, has made better re-
coli rhar the republican Senate.
The democratic party has laborcd under a
disadvantage not shared by Its oppouents III
consequence Of It's long exclusion from power.
For the lasl sixteen years the democrats have
been deprived OF opporuules to bring forward
their budding or llSlng statesmen AID give
them the tralulug aud experience ludlSpenSa-
blC for conspicuous ust fuluess lu public HE.
The large democratic majority 10 the present
House consisted, 10 the maln OF raw members,
TO whom Congress was new theatre ut ac
tom lo the composition Of the committrcs
most ot the members had to be assigned 70
uDaccust, med duiIes-an element of weak
ness Tor which Gue allowance has not b2cu
made. Aud yet, III SUN ming up the work OF
The session, this raw House OF Legislative
ncOphyt,S appears to advaDla.e ln cOuparlSon
with the Sc ale, Whtre the republicans have
not only had majority, but majority OF
trained membcrs. The work OF the raw and
inexperienced democratic aiOrlly ln tn" lluuse
may safely challenge comparison with that OF
The republican majority III the Senate, consist
ing OF old stagers who have had every 0ppoi-
tuLlty 10 acquire legislative skill and are pre-
cudeu from pleading the baby act 10 cxteuua-
,lon oil their shortcomings. The republican
maiority III the Senate has done nothing to eS-
taol!Sh claim to pubic confidence, wnereas
the raw aud untralucd democratic majority OF
the House, iD spite o. the pIunderS OF inexpc-
rleuce, has done much which a sound pubic
sentiment will approve.
The House has reduced the public expenses
,huty n,lIioDs below the expenses of last year,
aod would have made much larger reductions
If had tot been thwaried by the Senate.
Even il some OF the proposed curtalments for
the relief of the taxpayers We're crude and IN
c,nsldcrate these errors or lutXperlence do not
ca;Icei the merit oil steady aud persistent efforts
IN bcha! OF economy. The government has
sraWu into habits OF tX,ravagance, and public
sentiment will lIdorse the strenuous attempt
u the House to re establish simplicity anu
ccbnvmy. We do not believe that any pubic
interest will suffer by the measures OF retrench-
mcnt which have been carried through Con
.rcs> by the unylelulng attitude OF the House.
The couOtfy VIII easily pardon some mistakes
ut iciau Wheu the slncerlty has been so appar-
rnt to reduce the expenses OF the government
aud alleviate the bui den OF the taxpayers.
l'ha; any pubic interest will suffer by these
strides toward cconomy We do not believe
When we turn from the House to the
Senate we seek 10 vain for any measure
which deserves strong approval What has
the Senate done or proposed during this
long session which reflects credit on itself or
rs political party? 1t is idle to mark the
Shortcomings of the House, whose majority
has consisted of new and inexperienced mtm
bcrs, when Senate oi trained meD has done 50
hltlr. We are DOT n>cDsbe to the blundcrS
ot the House, but when we compare Its action
with that OF the Seuate we are unable to point
to any measure of the latter which presents
favorable contrast. The Senate has resisted
the attempts 0! the House to curtali the public
expenditures The Senate acquitted Bclkpap,
wholn he House mpcached ou conclusive cvl.
l.ncc Of his guilt. The Senate attempted 10
revive the franklng privilege, and failed by the
non concurrence of the House. The Senate
i"cated the House bill Tor transferring Indian
afaias to the War Departmental wise aud
wholesome measure which the enlightened puo-
lie sentiment OF the country strongly lndorsed.
The Senate has confirmed Cl:pp IS public prln-
t.r, 10 spite of his demonstrated uuEtness. The
Senate has passed no bill TOR giving effect to the
law requiring specie payments 10 1879, al
md
ani although everybody acknowledges that
ucw legislation is necessary Tor giving 1t effect.
Autu!y can lay his finger on any act OF the
present Scnatc which has apy tendency to allie
vatr public burdens or to Introduce better
y~trm in the administration Of the government.
/! would bo a violation of fairness to Judge the
ii4usc by rule which cannot be applied to the
Senate These two branches OF Congress arc
81 ordinate, and it would be absurd to hold one
- Il responsibility which does not belong to the
nhcr. The Inexperienced House, 10 spite OF
It's bunicrS and shortcomings, has done some
,hrnc to ru' public affairs on "a better footing;
ihc Xpcricuccd Scuatc has done nothing.
" do not ignore the mistakes OF the House.
II artcd unwis y in furnishing Mr.. Blaine the
opp rtunlty which h was 81 prompt to seize
70 alraign The democratic party as the champ
ION :. Jrtf rson Davis. 1t made d signal eX
|l,itiou of impecity in It's attempts to deal
with the currency question. 1t has expended
effort in Investigations where the game was not
worth the powder 1t made an abortlve aud
useless attcmp; to reform the tariff. But IN
spite OF these failures it is int 0sSblc to with
toti rom it :he credit of persistent and sue
caS>ul efforts to reduce ex,ravagant cxpend-
lures and tighten the burder oi federal taxa
ton. The Senate has established no such
cain TO public recognition and gratitude. We
mu>t Judge the two houses by their achieve
mcnt>, aud i is 100 evident that the Senatc
has nothing to gain by a comparison with the
legislation OF the House. Had the House been
As expcrl need in public affairs as the Senate
Us record during the session might have been
better, but it has no reason to shrink trom a
comparison.
It is easy to say that the democratic majority
IN the House has been impelled by mere parry
motives in lis successful efforts to reduce pubilc
EXPENSES Rnt Marty ynal ALWAYS deserves aD