The Republican journal., 1877-10-25
Washington Matters,
DESIGNS ON LOUISIANA AND SOUTH
CAROLINA.

DtSl'rNS On LOU lSlANA AND SOL III
CAROLINA.
The Senate Republicans have disclosed
their purpose concerning the contestants
from Louisiana and South Carolina. That
purpose, in brief, is to keep the Demo-
cratic contestants out of their seats as
long as possible. by pigeon-holng their
cases on the elections committee. Thurs
days result can be summed up briefly.
The Republicans, underline lead OF Messrs.
Edmunds and Conkling, forced the fight
ing on Mr.. Mitchell's motion to refer Spot
fords case to norton committee of which
Mitchell is the accidental chairman. 1t
was a shrewd move, for they knew that
all their followers could not be depended
on to vote Spotford out and Kellogg in
but Judged rightly that none would dare
desert the party on the question OF refer
encc, since all could easily explain that
vote by saying simply that it is time
honOred custom in the Senate to refer all
important questions to a committee. The
event proved the accuracy of their calcu-
lations. The two votes, one to refer the
credentials to the committee on elections,
and the other, refusing to instruct the
committee when to report, have convinced
the Democrats that the vacancies in Louis
iana and South Carolina will be kept open
until 1879, if possible. The Democrats
take it very coolly. Indeed, they feel and
say that the record the Republicans have
made will make thousands of Democratic
votes. 'They must be fools" said Thur
man, after the Senate adjourned. "Oh,
WELL" replied Bayard, laughing, ''three
months of life is worth a good deal to
man condemned to be executed sit is
the old story said another. History re-
cords no instance Of a party voting itself
out of power 1t is a noteworthy point
that if Eustis, Spotf,ord and Butler were
admitted the Senate would be tied, Nor
| ton and Sharon being absent. This fact,
doubtless, keeps the Republicans solid.
They are elated with their victory, car
ing little, apparently, that it is sure to
hurt them most in the end. Mitchell
makes no secret of his intention to bury
the cases in the committee. ''Ihe party
never was SO solid" said he exultingly.
The Republicans are not claiming Judge
Davis as much as they were. 'Do You
know what l think of all this talk about
needing more light on these cases." sad
be to Stanley Matthews; at is what we
call, out west, poppycock.' He further
told Matthews very plainly, that he was
taking just the course to ruin the admin
stration. The fact that Mcdonald voted
sets at rest the assertion that he has neg
atived his vote by pairing with Morton
while absent.
CHEERING TO THE DEMOCRACY.
The Republican party in Congress seems
to be in condition of hopeless melan
choly. Republican members from the
rural districts of PENNSYLVANIA, have
brought depressing reports Of demoralZ-
alton everywhere. Politicians of both
parties are sure that PENNSYLVANIA will
| go Democratic next month. The Demo-
cratic members from that State claim
that it will give a Democratic majority
of twenty five thousand Republican
members admit that the Democratic ma
| jority will not be less than fifteen thous-
and. Some of them are telling as a good
! Joke on Secretary Sherman, and as an
| actual fact. that the Democrats are cir
| culating copies of his financial speech
at Mansfield, as campaign documents.
| Equally cheering reports are coming from
| New York State. Tx Representative
Meade, who is here, says he knows he is
within the limits Of probability, when he
says that New York will give Demo
cratic ma iority of seventy-tive thousand.
! SENATOR DAVIS PROPOSED INvESTIGA-
| TION.
The investigation which Senator Davis
of West Virginia proposes to make into
the affairs of the Treasury Department,
is continuation of similar investigation
set on foot by him two years ago. Great
| discrepancies are said to exist in the fig
ures OF the Treasury reports between the
years 1869 and 1871. These discrcpan-
ces affect nearly all of the principal items
of the Treasury accounts, but more par
ticularly in relation to the public debt,
which. Senator Davis claims, was in
creased according to the figures for the
| three years before mentioned over $780,
600, 600. Senator Davis is Of the opinion
that now is the proper time to make the
required investigation, as it cannot be
alleged that the inquiry is for political
| purposes.