The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-14
AN EXTRA SESSION.
WILL THERE ne AN EXTRA SESSION
OF CONGRESS OR NOT7
The Republicans Threaten an Extra SEES
sion Unless They are Allowed to
Have Their Own way.
Especial Correspondence Of the Democrat.

Especial Corrpspondsnce of the Democrat.I
WASHINGTON, December 3. 1879.
VIII there be an extra session. Is n question
that grows In frequency OF asking here. JUST
Mt present everybody's answer is, Ne; but
when the inquiry is pushed nobody seems
able 10 explain just how the thing + W 20
avoided. The condition Of affairs Ia curious.
It may be taken for granted that no more I'm
portant work will be done prior to the holiday
adjournment, which js set for next Saturday
week. A number Of resolutions will DO adopted
and n good deal Of committee work done by
the House. while the Senate ls booked for fif-
teen or twenty great speeches, from Senator
Eustls on the Mississippi levees, down to Jim
Blaine on the bloody shirt Then Congress
will reassernble about the fourth Of january,
leaving just eight weeks for the actual
WORK OF THE SESSION.
This work comprises q great variety II sub
ject-matter covering q wide field Of discussion
and embracing, In ono way or another. all tho
leading pressing interests Of the country.
In the first place there are tho appropria-
tion bills all the big ones the river and har
Dor; the army bin. embracing O scheme for
reorganization from top 10 bottom. partIcu-
Iarly tho top, which you know Is always Ms
ready to fight for its existence in the lobby rs
10 combat the enemy In the field, II not more
So the Legislative. executive and judicial BILL
which this year will be certain 10 give rise 10
protracted and angry discussion over tho
supervisor law or the Item for the pay Of tho
electioneering agents employed under it; tho
navy bill the Indian bill, embracing o. dis
cussion of the transfer Of tho Indian Bureau
10 the War Department, the sundry civil
bill, involving, as it has done for years, n
more or less severe conflict between two radi
calIy diverse schools Of policy. MS wide apart
M liberality and parslmony are; these are
simply few Of the subjects Of difficulty pre-
scented by the appropriation bills alone
Then, when We move from the iiHld Of strict
iy necessary legislation TO the realm Or gen
eraI work, II can be safely said that
THE CALENDARS or THE TWO HOUSES
never were SO crowded with such an immense
mass Of such important matter Ms ~ the case
this session. A simple enumeration of the
most important measures Of this class will
serve 30 show the state Of affairs: There are
tho Texas Pacific bill tho brazilian mail. tho
Levoe bill the Oklahoma bill, the proposed
new Force bill. to which Blaines resolution
and the measure advocated by Edmunds In
Besides these matters of general Importance
there are a great number Of special concerns
which, while not necessarily troublesome,
may DO made TO consume now ana then
working day when IL is least expected
Now, If the doctrine were accepted that all
Congress has TO do is to register John Sber-
mans DEGREES by passing the appropriation
bills.in accordance with the Treasury esti-
mates. the work Of the session need not Occu-
by more than u fortnight. SO far as the Dem
ocrats are concerned, there Is no disposition
to force an extra session; that Is to say, no
disposition to net or to obstruct Legislation
with that end primarily In view. The Same
Is true of the Republicans. But each party
has certain wel-defined objects which It Ia
determined to accom- plish, and as these OBJ
jects cannot possibly be recoDciled 1t follows
that, unless one party or the other vacates Its
pretensions, some of tho appropriation bills
must lapse, either by reason Of n lack Of time
or u square deadlock. For example, the
Democrats are bound to eliminate
THE INFAMOUS SUPERVISOR Law
from operation, II not from the statute, books,
by refusing to vote any appropriation what
soever to pay for its execution. The Repub-
leans are equally determined to secure the
passage OF n deficiency bill to pay the ex-
penses OF the Federal bulldozing practiccd
ut the late election In New York, Cincinnati,
and elsewhere. Thus unless ono party or tho
other yields, the Legislative, executive and
judicial bill, as well Ms the supervisor do
ficiency, must lapse; and 1t IS not to be SUP
posed for moment that Mr. Hayes would
fail to call an extra session ut once II the bill
which provides for tho regular payment to
himself Of Mr. TiIlnn's salary should fni
The Radicals, chiefly through theft news
papers In the North, have industriotsly cu
tivated the impression that an extra session
would be an awful evil; and that, Ii one should
occur, the Democratic party would be solely
responsible for II. The object Of all this II
plainly apparent. The present session ends
the Radical control Of legislation in either
branch Of Congress. Whatever political legis-
lntion rs needed for the conquest Of the cOun-
try by force or It's capture by fraud in 1880
must be accomplished this session or left I'M
sdone forever. The Radicals, therefore, can
not afford to reeede Mt any point. But tho
Democrats are under no such stress. They
need not bother their heads about political
Legislation except far enough to check the de-
signs Of the Radicals; and here Is where the
dead lock will come II IL comes Mt all The
game OF the Radicals is to brighten tie Demo
Gratis into letting them have their own way
in order to avert
THE HORRORS or AN EXTRA SESSION.
The only question ut stake Is whether or
not tho Democrats will be weak enough to
surrender At this writing am proud TO say
that there are no signs OF Democratic weak
ening But with Sam Randall in the chair
and Abe Hewitt on the floor there must
always be heavy discount allowed for con-
tingencics, which cannot DO forotold on any
ground OF legitimate principle pollcy or ,,,,
pediency. These things cannot be overlooked
In calculating the Radical power for gnischief
in any given instance. 10 sum 1t all up
should say that If there Il no extra session 1t
will be because tho Democrats yield at all
points and let the Radicals have their own
way; and If there Is one It will be by reason Of
RADICAL OBSTISACY
In insisting upon their own schemes for the
coercion or corruption OF voters In The next
national canvas a. g. d.
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