The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1878-09-10
N ID CE s ITY
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Democracy Maintaining a Majority

] Democracy Maintaining a Majority
Next House of Representatives
(From Thurman's Athens Speech, August 81,
1878
In the present Congress the Republi-
cans have the majority in the Senate, and
they have man in the White House
called the President, and the Democracy
have the majority in the House Of Rep
resentatives. While the Republicans
have both the Senate and the President,
yet the Democratic party has succeeded
in forcing-if l may use that expression
the passage OF several measures of
great Importance to the people, and which
II think will result in great benefit to the
country. That has been done because
that House was Democratic, for those
measures could not have been passed had
it been Republican.
Now, you may think it little strange
that the House Of Representatives should
be able thus to control, so to speak, the
Senate, which is Republican, and the
President, who is Republican. But,
my friends, that results from this fact:
Under our system OF government, the
House of Representatives may he said
to hold the purse strings Of the Nation,
All bills to raise revenues and all sppro-
lpriation bills must originate in that
House. They cannot originate in the
Senate, and Therefore, that party which
has the House OF Representatives, has II
| in its power to fx conditions to grants
Of the peoples money which the other
departments of the government must ac-
cede to, II they would secure an appro-
priatioL. In other words, our House of
Representatives can exercise that power
which has been exercised for many cen
turies by the British House of Commons,
andrto the exercise Of which the British
people owe nearly all the liberty they
possess. .eas =
7Letme give you an illustration. Que
year ago there was on your statute" book
aiawunder which the President Of the
United States, upon the construction
| given to itby the late Administration,
could employ the army of the United
States-yonr soldiers, enlisted to fight
your battles, and paid out OF your pur'
ses--in controlling the elections in the
States. Aud. the use OF the army 70,
that purpose in the South became so flag.
rant that the whole country almost rails.
ed up to condemn il. But yet there stood
the statute unrepealed, and it would have
remained unrepesied to this day, had it
not been for the Democratic House ol
Representatives, which put in the appro-
Ipriation bill for the army provision
to stop misuse Of your soldiery, and The
Senate had to take the bill with that pro
hibtion in 1t, and the President had te
take it orlose the appropriation, 1t was
an exercise OF the constitutional right O
the House to grant money upon eondi
ton, and requiring that that condition
Ishould bracceded to II they would hav,
the money. A8 . asaf &
/ Now, my friends, this power of th,
House over the purse strings Of the Ma
lion makes Il more important that yo'
should have Democratic House o
1 Representatives than that you shoul'
have Democratic Senate. II you hat
to choose between the two--a Democrat
lie House and Republican Senate, yo'
ought not to hesitate for one moment t
say, Wewill take the Democratic House,
BUTT is much more to be desired that W
shall have both. Now, after the, 4th o
March next we will have the Senate b.
not less than six majority-probsbl
more. We will have the Senate frml
for at least four years. II not for siz
and I hopefor much longer time. An,
a If you elect q majority of Democrats t
the House of Representatives. then W
will have the legislative department i
our power. And then, gentlemen, yo
may look with some reasonable degre
ofhope for those measures Of relief to th
people which it Is the province OF th
Democratic. party to tring forward an
| to carry into law. gg
i But there is another reason why 70
should all work to have Democrat
3 msjority il the House in the next Con
II gress, and that is that the House to b
d elected this fall will be the House in exit
VI tence when the votes are to be counted i
! the next Presidential election. When th
1 votes were last counted the Senate wa
] Republican and the House was Democra
d ic, and the result was from necessity tbs
! famous Electoral Commission which ha
) now become historical. I won't exactl
say of It as heard q Democrat say th
other day on the stump-historicall
q damned. Laughter. ssas,s.s "a
ii We will have, as say, q . Democrat
D Senate, when the nextcounttakes place
4 and If the Republicans have the Hous'
we will be 10 precisely the same cond
el ton We we're in two years ago-a cond
ell ton which threatened to plunge thl
|. country into civil war over the count {
4 the election. Now tits the duty ofever
III HOVQ CtllzSn w, SthtV0Z w fRtNVShs ooSh
i state of affairs again. Ifthere shall be
e Democratic House of Representatives
n existence when the next count TAXI
4 place, then there will be no such deadloc
4 as that which occurred two years ago
i no necessity for creating an Elector'
al Commission no, necessity whatever 4
). exercising doubtful powers, but the cou
% will be fairly and honestly made and
: who shall have received 9 majority of Il
5. electoral votes win be inaugurated. Tie
10 Will be no doubt about that. For thr
IS reasons it is of the utmost importan
re that the next House of Representativ
!. should be Democratic, and in view of th
Is as we'll al inview, of the principles th
is will be supported by Democratic repl
or sentative, and that would be opposed BY
q Republican representative, i feel atl libt
ty asa citizen Of Ohio, and as one,