The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-12-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

w IONs IL Va IJCCs u lOtCs
Nothing very startling marked the
occurrences at the Capital the first
week of the session. Wood, Chair
man of the Ways and Means Com
mittee in the House and hence
recognized as leader of the Demo
cratic majority, boiled over the first
day. He made a bad mess of it as
he did at similar stage of proceed
ings three years ago. On that occasion
Mr.. Blaine promptly took him in
hand at the close of his diatribe, and
he was so severely handled that his
convalesence was retarded beyond
the close Of the session. The servility
of this Representative of the Five
Points Democracy to his old task
masters of the South was notorious
even among the old line dough faces
sent here by Northern Democracy
prior to the war. Lapse of years
seems to have made him more than
ever obsequious and ready to bow to
the arrogant demands of his bull
doZer associates. He sought to utilize
his appointment by Randall to the
head of the committee named, to
build up his reputation as reform
err; but the contemptuOus manner Of
his fellows in kicking his bill for the
revision of the tariff out of the House
last session, after he had spent months
in maturing it, deeply wounded his
vanity. 1t was pointedly uncompIi-
mentary to his craftsmanship, and
was regarded as a left, handed protest
against his assumptions as leader
He appeared to think the Presidents
mild allusion to the Southern situa
ton as proYidential opportunity to
retrieve his character and regain his
influence. Accordingly the reading
of the message had hardly ceased
when he secured the floor and pro-
ceeded to deny the truth of every
intimation of Southern outrages con-
tanned in it, and asserted his knowl-
edge Of Republican intimidation of
voters in the North. 1t was an open
bid for the favor of the South and
was So repulsively serviIe in its prom
ises of Instant and unquestioning ODE
dience to the behests of the Confede-
rate Brigadiers, as to make the
position of those for whom he spoke
appear only less pitable than that of
the freedmen under Democratic
"home rule" But he succeeded in
committing his party associates of
the HouSe-notOriOu zealOtS as they
have been for inVeStigatiOn-tO the
policy of opposing any inquiry into
the abhOrrent crimes Southern Dem
ocracy is alleged to have resorted to
in the last campaign to make the late
COnfederacy redundantly solid. Re-
publicans saw the blunder "Mr.
Wud" had made and spiked Democ-
racy to the record, though its clearer
headed members struggled to escape
from the damaging position in which
their leader left them. They labored
four days to that end unsuccessfully,
then adjourned over until to day in
order to reform their lines, bring up
the demoralized stragglers and agree
on programme for the future. Re-
publicans of both Houses appear
substantially agreed on the plan
reached by Messrs. Blaine, Edmunds,
Dawes. Howe and Christiancy. des-
ignated as as a Committee for that
purpose at Senate caucus. 1t is bold
and aggressive. Edmunds was en-
trusted with the details and resolu-
tons, preceded by preamble reciting
the substance of the 18th, 18th and
10th Amendments, will be early Of
fered, proposing a decrease in the
ratio of representation of certain
Southern States in Congress and the
Electoral College, in proportion to
the number of citizens they have dis
franchised by legislative enactments
and violence. Mr.. BIaine's resolu-
tions which proposed a searching in.
quiry into the alleged campaign
lawlesSness and crimes in the South
will also come up and the fighting
forced. AS they are in the line of the
recommendations of the Presidents
message, no difference between the
Executive and Republican Congress-
men can result from their introduc
ton.
The Committee having in charge
the proposed transfer of the care of
the Indians to the War Department
have taken voluminous evidence, in
Guiding that OF General Sherman in
favor, and of Secretary Schurz and
Col. Meacham in opposition. The
bills for establishing postal savings
banks and for a further distribution
of the Geneva Award are inherited
fiom last session and will receive
early consideration.
Public consideration seems prptty