Smyrna times., 1878-12-11

CONGRESS AND WHAT IT HAS BEFORE Ir-Congress |
commenced its session last week in very different
spirit from the preceding one The equahzing |
effect of tie last election has doubtless tempered their
action and shown the necessity of caution. The
charges of frauds, instuting expensive committees
of investigation and the granting seats to contrasting
members who had claims substantiated in right,
has been rebuked by the people at the ballotbox.
The members returned with less defiant spirits and
ready for work. The four days of last week showed
a disposition to push business. Among the bills in
troduced was investigation into the cause of the
yellow fever resolutions looking to the suppression of
the Trade Dollar Blain's manifesto against the cleo
ton frauds in the South Becks resolution as to what
Sec sherman is doing with the silver, resolutions re-
latng to the postal and commercial intercourse
between this country and South America, the man
agement of the effects of the defunct Freedmans
Trust Company, Senator Eusts five million dollar
bill to construct levees along the Mississippi Texas
Pacific railroad speech by Senator Matthews and
Senator Edmunds new antidote to prevent the mis-
carriage of another Presidential election.
The Texas p R. R. lobbyists are in full force, and
intend to make a strong effort to push their pet
scheme through. 1t is backed by rich corporation
and has nearly solid south in its favor to start with
but onthe other hand the sentiment against "subsl-
dies" is very strong and will be hard to overcome
Senator Edmunds expresses the opinion that he
NSANNN - $500 0--- ~
regulate the counting of the electoral vote. although
he is very doubtful of its going through the
House 1t is said that the snake in the bill is
that it practically prevents the House from exercising
in certain contingencies, its constitutional right of
electing the President. Mr.. Edmunds has prepared
with great care speech his electoral bill, which
he delivered yesterday,
The debate in the Senate on Senator Blaines resou-
ton in regard to the recent elections in the South
hx Nv 10i in
with brief speech and he will be followed by Sem
tor Thurman and Gordon.
The Greenbacker's were in Washington last week in
force and are not at all daunted by the last election
They are perectng their organization for vigorous
fight in the next Presidential contest, 1880. They
claim majority of one the balance of power they
will hold in the organization of the next house On
the other hand it is claimed that fully half of the
twenty members elected as Greenbackers, will &c
into the Democratic Caucus They say that the Green
hackers polled million votes in the fall elections
and if it shall be proved in the months to come aftel
the first of January that the government cannot
maintain specie standard and if the finger of hard
times still presses upon the people, then the green
back enthusiasm will revive ten-fod and that party
will sweep everything before it,
A good many Senators and Representatives say the!
donot think there will be any silver legislation at th
session.
The Philadelphia Times last week in discussing thu
the temper of Congress, says:
There is restless uncertainty among the leaders o
both parties. Neither the Republicans nor the Dem
ocrats have anything approaching settled polltlca
policy guide them i'll the present session Hayes ha
united the Democrats against him without uniting
the Republicans i'll his support with any degree
cordially His message on the southern question
dstasteu to both sides. 1t is too tame for the bloody
shirt Republicans. and has just enough of sectiona
seasoning in it to ALLEVIATE the Democracy The Ike
publcans inclined to tolerate the President now
but nothing We regard it as reasonably certa
that the political investigation of this session e.
peciay such aim at election trands. will either
formally abandoned on both sides or so directed as
do no special damage to any one. Both parties sc
skeletons in their own households which they prefe
not to have exposed to the world. There may be
pretence of hunting after the Louisiana election the
and the Florida cipher dispatches, but the chance
are that neither viii try hard to find they sare
out to search for. The judgment Of the most con
slderate leaders of both parties is against wasting tn
time of Congress in disgraceful effort to expos
each others crimes and hide their own. There
great confidence felt in administration circles that
sumption be successfully maintained and th
the financial problem will thus settle itself and cea
to be disturbing element in politics and business