The Portland daily press., 1879-06-02
THE PUZZLED DEMOCRATS.
Programme Decided On at the
Democratic Caucus.
Restrictions to be Placed on the Appro-
priation Bills.

WASHINGTON, May 31.-Two advisory COM
mittees of the House and Senate Democratic
caucuses held Joint meeting to-day OF Tour
hours duration, and reached SUBSTANTIALLY an
unanimous agreement as to- the course Oh
action that should be adopted by tne Demo NO
cratic party in Congress with regard 10 the
appropriation bills There were present
Senators Thurman, Salisbury, Herman, Eaton,
Bailey Lamar, Voorhees, and Vance, and
Representatives Chalmers, Carlisle; Cox
Ewing, Springer, Atkins, Clymer' heagai'
PHELPS and Bicknell. Mr.. Thurman presided,
and Messrs. Hampton and Goode were absent.
After full interchange OF views ana an
especially minute examination OF the rresr
dents veto message, in connectlon WIN suiury
existing statutes prohibiting lnterlerence py
the army with elections, it was decided to
recommend the immediate passage OF bill
making the usual appropriations for the sup
port of the army throughout the next fiscal
year, but containing proviso that no portion
of the money therein appropriated shall be
used for the pay, transportation, equipment or
subsistence of any troops used for police pur
poses to keep peace at the polls. 1t was
further decided to recommend the passage of
the legislative appropriation bill, in SubStan-
TALLY the same terms as last years bill, and
for the same amounts, except that they shall
be more infinitely specified; and except also
that 1t shall not make any provision for the pay
OF supervisors or deputy marshals OF elections.
The new bill will, however, contain clause
providing that no officer shall be appointed or
any obligation incurred for any object for
which a specific appropriation shall not have
been made by Congress- This clause is already
on the statute book, with the exception of the
words or obligation incurred" and there it
also an existing law which prohibits the diver
sion Iof any appropriation to purpose
different from that for which it has been
specifically made. The committees next
agreed to recommend the passage of a separate
measure, embodying those sections of the
vetoed appropriation bill which provide for
amendments of the law concerning the
method of drawing ruries, and for the total
abolition of the Jurors test oath.
In view of the fact that the President in his
veto message makes no comment on these
provisions, it is believed he will promptly ap-
proved them, when presented to him by an in
dependent bill 1t was also argued to-day in
behalf of the adoption of the programme
above outlined that the Presidenr cannot
justifably withhold his signature from an APP
preparation bill merely because it omits to
make provision for particular objects, and tina
in the anticipated event of his approving the
present bill, the Democrats will have accom-
plished for the next year exactly what they
would have accomplished for an indefinite
period of time by former bills, and what they
may continue to accomplish by similar legisla-
ton as long as they remain in power.
In response to the objection raised by few
of those who participated i'll the meeting to-
day, that the adoption of this policy would be
considered as backing down" on the part of
the Democrats; its advocates made the point
that although there had been individual ut
terances in favor of Withholding the supplies
in event of failure to secure the enactment
of political clauses originally enacted in appro-
priation billsit is not true, that any such stand
ever had been taken by the authority of the
party. On the contrary the question whether
any stand should be taken had never been acted
upon by the Democratic caucus of either
branch of Congress or by caucus committee
until this afternoon. The joint meeting then
adjourned until Monday, by which time the
recommendations agreed upon will have been
formulated in appropriate phraseology by the
subcommittee, consisting of Senators Thur
man, Eaton, Vance and Bailey, Representa-
tive Chalmers and Sprague, Ewing and
Reagan, and submitted for final approval pre-
paratory to presentation to the joint caucus of
Democratic members of both houses, which
will probably be held Monday.