The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-06-26
RANDALL AND THE POST ROUTE
BILL,

to leave the inference that the responsibility
rests with the Democratic party. Now
there is not the slightest difficulty in locating
the responsibility for the defeat of this
measure. IT Is personal responsibility
resting entirely upon Mr.. Randall, and was
brought about by means which the Demo
cratic party can never be responsible for and
will never fail TO condemn most heartily. Wedo
not hesitate to say that In this whole business
| the Speakers conduct was arbitrary and out
rageous in the extreme, and we will go to the
furthest in our denunciation Of it, but we in
Sist that the entire responsibility rests upon
Mr.. Randall and no one else.
| The Washington Post Of the twentieth in
slant says Of his conduct in this case:
| As Speaker Randall would not recede from
| his opposition to the Brazilian line OF mail
steamships. the bill has failed for this session.
| Mt least The loss of fifty mill lions of foreign
| trade during the approaching fall and winter
can therefore be attributed to Mr. Samuel j.
| Randall.
But this was not all he did. His action also
defeated the post route bill, measure in
which almost every State in the Union was
largely and vitality interested.
The following statement will show the in
terest Of the South In this bill: 1t provided
for the organization: In Arkansas Of 10 new
routes; Alabama, II new routes; Florida, u
new routes; Georgia, 80; Kentucky, %; Lou
isiana, IA; Missouri, 49, Mississippi, 81;
Maryland, 10; North Carolina r.; South
Carolina, 81; Texas So; Virginia, 49, and in
West Virginia, 30. The rest Of the country
which Mr.. Randall ruthlessly sacrificed
In his INSCRIPTIONS determination to de.
feat the Brazilian mail contract, measure
which had an undoubted majority In both
houses Of Congress. In this disreputable JOB
he was assisted by Cannon, Of Illinois, bla-
tant and rabid Radical, who was actuated In
his course more by hostility to the South and
the Democratic party than by any other con-
sideration This was the tool Mr.. Randall
awaited himself of to defeat a measure which
was supported by q majority of his own par
ty, but against which he was personally hos
tile; and yet we are told that the RESPONSE
bllity for the defeat of the measure by such
means rests upon the Democrats in the
House.
The means by which Mr.. Randall accom-
pIished his ends will doubtless prove of in
terest to the country. 1t happened in this
wise The post route bill was sent back from
the Senate to the House with the following
amendments, viz:
1. To readiust compensation for CARRYING
mails on railroads.
O. Exempting railroads from delivery of
mails from stations to postof1ices.
8. Rearranging the classes of mail matter.
A. Receiving of certain periodicals free OF
duty.
s. Restoring the franking privilege 10 mem
bers of Congress.
6. Establishing the line Of mail steamers
from New York via Norfolk, and from New
Orleans via Galveston, to Rio de Janeiro.
In the House strenuous opposition was
developed to the fourth and fifth OF these
amendments, but majority was clearly de-
veloped in favor Of the sixth, which provided
for the Brazilian mail contract. The only
member of the Post Route Committee which
opposed this amendment was Cannon, and
for this very reason he was selected by
Speaker Randall as the chairman Of the
House conference committee asked for by the
Senate when the Senate amendments were re-
turned by the House. When the bill came up
in the House for action on the Senate amend
ments the following resolution was adopted
RESOLVED. That the House bill No. 1896. to estab-
fish facilities in the several States herein
named. with the Senate amendments thereto,
be returned to the Senate, as a part of said
amendments are In the nature of and consti-
tute revenue Dill.
This resolution provoked a request from the
Senate for a conference, and committees were
appointed from both houses to that end.
These committees met, and reported to their
respective houses that they had been unable
to reconcile the differences Of the two houses.
The report Of this committee says:
pose to waive the discussion rs to the question
Of privilege at Issue between the two houses,
and to take up the House bill with the Senate
thereto. and consider them for the
purpose Of making p report. upon the several
matters embraced. The conferees on the part
Of the House decline to agree to this PROPOSE
tion for the reason that they do not in their
opinion po-seas any power under the resolu-
tion If the House to consider the bill or amend
ments Without an enlargement thereof.
When this report was made to the House
Mr.. Waddell, chairman of the Post Route
Committee, asked a suspension of the rules
for the passage Of resolution creating a
conference committee with full authority to
consider the Senate amendments and agree
upon a bill. Cannon and Carlisle, the other
members Of the conference committee which |
made this report, interposed technical OBJ
lection, which Randall sustained and which |
operated the defeat of the entire bill, which |
could have been passed with, at least, por-
ton Of the Senate amendments, had Mr.. Wad-
dell's resolution been adopted. But no;
Speaker Randall knew that the Brazilian |
mail contract was one Of the amendments |
that would certainly go through, and he pre-
ferred to sacrifice the entire bill rather than |
give that chance of passage.
But the special enormity Of the Speakers |
conduct was in the selection of the commit
tees of conference, which consisted of Cannon,
Waddell and Carlisle. The last
named was not even member Of the Post
Route Committee and was appointed on the
conference committee because of his known
hostility to the Brazilian mail contract. A
greater outrage was never heard of in the
whole history of legislation. Cannon was the
1Illy member Of tho Post Route GOmmittaa |