New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-10-15
THE NEW CONGRESS.
WHAT 1T MAY DO.

QUESTION
! lFEon REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRInuSE'l
WASHINGTON Oct ia new session is always
an enigma Nobody can see far into 1t, to predict
its course. The aims and opinions of nearly 100
/ members do not settle down into wel-dehned chan-
uels Of action until after good deal Of ferment and
/ friction. To some extent however, one usually
foresee the drift Of legislation touching questions OF
National politics. because the majority and minority
parties in ordinary times have antagonistc policies
/ which they have been battling for before the peo-
pie. and the former has measures TO pass which the
latter IL determined 20 resist. But these are not or
binary times. In one respect they are phenomenal.
/ The two parties face each other IN Congress III
almost evenly balanced power, one having
small majority in the Senate and the other III
the House but neither knows exactly what 10 wants
TO do what it to keep the other from dong
There is a total absence Of any well-detned party
purpose. Individual views about what measures
ought 10 be adopted are numerous enough and va
rcus enough, but it is impossible to classify and
/ label tbern as Republican or Democratic Ire truth
u.s. both parties arc n loss 20 know what TO hght
about one wants 10 get possession. and the other
- keep pu5 o5son OF tie Federal o.ic's-the peren-
nal caus, o. strife In constitutional governments
dos not ttl-blt when iJ comes 30 formulating the
o,ics of administration or legislation. to convince
people That the oats ouRut to get IN. or the 'ins
to stay IN. each party Is equally at a loss.
The Democrats, having majority IN the House,
and coming here with tie Endorsement OF the Fail
elections ough: to take the responsibility OF organ
zIng the Legislature. They declare that they are
going 10 run the Government for the remainder Oh
the century. The Republicans are therefore entitled
By their position to wait quietly, until they see
/ what principles their boastful adyersdrles propose
TO run the Government upon. Their theories Of
INT. sarHH -ng
after year. ever since 1861. and they can say
to the Democrats: There Is our record.
/ You have told the people that you could
make a better one. Let Us see what you
propose to do What do they propose to dot If
/ thew ONLY knew rhey would be mHch easier in cheii
! minds. There is not question coming mp Tor os-
cussiOn in Congress upon which they are unanimous
/ or upon which unanimity can be forced by the
screw of the party caucus. The Resumption question
might be supposed to unite them, for most OF tner
State conventions have declared that the act OF
| 1870 ought TO be repealed, but little inquiry
shows tia, many of the Eastern and Southern Demo-
Gratis are strongly in favor Of letting the law SahL
The po-iton of the Eastern Resumptoniss is due 70
their familiarity with business and monetary M
terests and the Southerners know that as the price
of the staple of their section is fixed in gold IN the
Liverpool market, specie payments cannot hurt
their constituents The House WILL ia all probabill-
nv. pass a bill 10 repeal tie Resumption law and II
will got the votes of q majority OF the Democrats
hut it Will not be a disuuctively Democratic meas
ure wish it would assume that character, md
that party soue could thus DE raised; but 1t L. TOO
much 10 expect that all the Republican soft money
zeIots have been converted by the logic Of events
| If the Renublicans of the House win stand
by the President and Secretary sherman, gold dol
lars and paper dollars will be Of exactly the same
value one year from heXt January. Enough of them
will do so. | believe. to defeat the passage Of !
repeal hill in the Senate at the worst To sustain
a veto but as long as neither party is solid on one
side or the other OF the resumption question, 1t eau
not be regarded a. a clear political issue.
Take next the silver question The men who
want 70 make il legal 10 pay public and private
debts i'm a metal worth less than the deprecated
| greenbacls arc chiefly Democrats, but are by no
means all Democrats On this question the lines are
about rs eccentric rs the resumption question,
and are equally far from running parallel with party
| divisions. There are plenty of Democrats VINO see
absurlity and dishonesty in the cry Of the Dollar oil
| the Fathers. Tie tariff question Is coming mp
araip. Probably three-fourths of the Democrats
are opposed to the principle Of protection but they
will not dare to make revenue tariff bill q party
measure. because the other fourth would stand mp
rcsoutely for their convictions. To assaii TIE pro-
! tectve principle which uudcrlie- tariff system
would be 70 lose Ohio, Connecticut and New-Jersey
| and TO throw away the prospect Of gaining Pennsy-
/ vania The Democrats we may be assured, will not
/ try 10 unite this line.
/ viii they try to reduce the regular army' No;
! because 4 number of Democratic members think Il
is none too large for the needs of the country, and
others believe. with General Mcclellan. that it
ought TO be- q good deal larger than it is Viii they
! make a point of cutting down government expenses
still further No: because they expect TO come IN
power shortly themselves. and Will then want lib
eral concentrations t. spend. VIII they favor subsi
/ diesg There they ere split into two nearly equal
! factions. VIII they attack the banks? Most Of
tha,n will but there are Democratic bank presidents
and stoo khoders IN Congress and other Democratic
| believers u a bank currency who vii defend the
| present system Will they assa the Presidents IL
tie Such Of the flbusters of last session as are
still members will try TO do so, and they Will have
few raw recruits from the West to help them bawl
fraud aud usurpatiOn" but the most influential
leaders do not want 10 raise this ISSUE and will choke
off the clamor resolution declaring President
HAYES not constitutionally in office would get less
than fifty votes in a Democratic caucus. What.
then. DO the Democrats as a party mean TO do
This is the question the Republicans ask. The Dem
ocrats may reply: What are you going to do your
selyesi You have no more principles tnan
We have But the Republicans can cay to
this: 1t is not for MS to propose
measures and theories. We VIII defend record.
You say you are the dominant party OF the future,
and are going 20 control the Government. II your
business 10 put forth some policy. Yours Is the al
frnatiye side in the discussion. You have the floor.
Now, what do you affirm Evidently the Demo
Gratis don't know what to affirm. E.ys.