The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-10-26
The Situation Mt Washington.

1t is evident, by the news from Washing
ton, that party lines in the Forty-fift Con-
gress are rs closely drawn as ever. While
there is deep and growing dissatisfaction
among the Republican members in relation to
the policy of President Hayes, they are united
on one point, namely, opposition to Democ-
racy Accordingly, as in the past so it is
now, the Republicans in the Senate are ready
to set aside the dictates of justice, when car
rying them out would decrease their MAORI
ty. This fact is made plain in the contested
cases for seats in the Senate from South Caro-
lima and Louisiana. The facts in each case are
well-known to every member of the Senate,
but instead of coming to direct vote and
deciding between the rival claimants, the cases
were referred, by strict party vote, to the
committee on privileges and elections. There
the matter will be allowed to rest, at least I'M
til after the November elections. The Re-
pubcans have good reason to dread the eff
feet on the public mind which the discussion
of the Louisiana and South Carolina troubles
would have. They can show no fair reason
for refusing to admit the Democratic claim
ants, and as their admission would nearly
balance the two parties in the Senate, they
have adopted the course of pigeon-holeing
the cases in committee. So far as Louisiana
is concerned, the injustice done is most fla
grant. That State has had but one Senator
for the last four years, and for the last eight
months both her Senator'S places have been
vacant. II she is a State in the Union she is
entitled to a representation in the Senate
equal TO that of any of her sister States, and
in thus depriving her of her rights the Re.
publicans are guilty of political jugglery.
The Republicans arc trembling with fear
lest the Democrats will introduce o resolution
expressing approval of the Presidents policy
towards the South. They do not desire to
to place themselves upon the record as ap-
proving policy which they opposed so long,
and for which the Democrats have so
earnestly contended. They have not the
moral courage to confess they were wrong
and the Democrats right. On the other hand
they are afraid to enter the lists in direct op-
position to the President. They realize the
fact that an overwhelming majority of the
American people sustain the course of Presi-
dent Hayes, and violent opposition to it
would involve their own political destruction
While the Republicans are thus harrassed
and distracted by fears, the Democrats are
calm and serene. Their policy in relation to
the Southern States has been carried out by
President Hayes, who at the same time has
become the instrument for breaking up the
Republican party. AS for President Hayes
himself, at tic rate things are progressing he
will soon be man without party. The
Democrats will never forget nor condone the
means by which he acquired his seat, and his
own party will in the end cast him off. 1t
may come to pass that the only course left him
will be to follow the example of President
johnson, and take refuge in the Democratic
party.
Up to this ii me very little business has been
transacted. Speaker Randall has been engag-
ed in making up his committees, and the result
OF his deliberations will probably not be an
nounced before next Monday. 1t is believed
that he has taken no one into his confidence,
audit is therefore fair to presume the commit
tees will be constituted in such manner as
to expedite the public business and promote
the best interests of the entire country. By
the first OF next week both branches of Con.
gress will be in fair working order and the
business for which they have been called to- |
gether in extra session can be attended to. |
------SsS.s--
The flag of Cuban independence is about |