Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1879-03-13
The Old Congress and the New.


Tho Forty-6fth Congress ndjourned a.
noon yesterday, without passing the leg;s--
latlvc and the army appropriation bills.
Between the two Houses tho Fundamental
differences were, that the House refused to
concur 10 tho Senate amendment to tho
army bill authorizing the use of troops at tho
polls, aud that the Senate refused to concur
in tho House amendments to the legislative
bill, repeating tho test oath for Jurors and
'epealng tho sections of tho revised stat
utes authorizing the appointment of Super
vlsors OF Election. An extra session Of the
Forty sixth Congress will begin on March
IL, the Democrats having majority of 8
10 the Senate and iu the House. Tho
classification of the two houses is "a folio rs:
Scnate-Demoorats, az; Republicans, 33;
independent l. House-Dcmocrats LAG;
Independent Democrats, 2; Republicans,
III; Greenbaok Democrats, Z, Grccnbsck
Republicans, 5. In estimating the majori
ties, We have given the Independent in tho
Senate to the Republicans, and counted oil
tho Greenbaokers in the House as Repub
lioaps. 1t is moro than probable that on
non financial questions tho actual Demo
caatic majority in the llouso will be from
20 to 23.
Tho extra session is made necessary BY
the failure Of the Army and Legislative
appropriation bills, aud their failure was
caused by the Democrats Insisting on the
am ndmcnts relating to the test oath and
tue supervisors of election, and refusing to
sanction the use of troops at the polls as
before stated. The Democrats stood on
high ground, demanding the repeal of lcgis
lotion of doubtful constitutionality, and
crtanly dangerous in its character. The
United State have no right to interfere
with elections. The citizenship of the
Suites, which confers tho right to vote, is
derived from the States alone aud it rests
with tho Suites to regulate and manage
voting. During the years of Republican
rule more and more authority was assumed
by tho General Government until the
Republic beheld the spectacle of troops
surrounding the polls and occupying State
Cnpitols, supporting, with tho bayonet, tho
civil officers and candidates of the dominant
party, while in other States tho Federal
Supervisors arrested citizens, by the thou
sand, on traing charges, to preyont them
from voting tho Democratic ticket 1t was
tho duty of tho Democratic party to require
Mt the earliest moment, tie repeal of the
legislation which allowed such acts to be
done. The liberties of tho country dc
manded it. Calamity tho Democrats stood
tog thor. Their courage and their persc-
veranco cannot be praised too highly.
The opposition to an extra session, out !,
side of the Democratic party, was very
general, but We arc confident that nothing
but good will come of it, if the Democrats
hold together and confnc themselves, at
tho extra session, as far as practicable to the
consideration and passage Of measures th4t
brook no delay, such measures as those in
| relation to elections which failed at the
previous session For the first time since
1850 the Democrats have control Of both
branches Of Congress. 1t is of great consc
qucnce to the country, and of supreme
consequence to the Democratic party, thut
no Wild or extravasant legislation be at
tempted. The country is not quite sure
whether tho Democratic party is lamb or
tiger, und if success in 1880 is worth
having, to crown the work Of deccntraiza-
tion, the Democrats must keep themselves
down, and show, by their prudence and
moderation, that they realize the RESPONSE
bility now resting upon them
Nc,os an1 Courier, 5th.