The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-03-25
The Expected Compromise ina WASH


There is a lively state of feeling in both
parties at the national capital as to the pos
sibility of a friendly adjustment OF the diff
ference which has led to this regrettabie
special session. 1t is fortunate that the
President was no party to the controversy
in the late Congress. 1t was diff
ference between. the democratic House
and the republican Senate, and nobody
has any warrant for saying what President
Hayes would have done had the House bill
lacking repeal of the Federal Election law
to the Legislative Appropriation bill passed
the Senate and been sent to him Tor his APP
proval. In the absolute form i'll which the
repeal was demanded he might have vetoed
it, but this. is only plausible conjecture.
The great fact to be considered now is that the
President is uncommitted. and Is ut full
liberty to act as his judgment and conscience
may dictate. According to tho most ra-
tional conjectures which can be formed he
would have approved bill repeating the
jurors test oath and the presence OF troops
at the polls, but have vetoed the clean and
absolute repeal Of the Federal Election law,
which the late democratic House engrafted
on one Of the most important of the appro-
priation bills.
According to present appearances the
democrats of the new Congress are disposed
to recede from the demand for an absolute
repeal of the Federal Election law, and
would merely modify instead of repeating
it if they felt assured that the Presi-
dent would meet them on this middle
ground. They affect to believe that
he would, the republicans affect to
believe that he would not. and this
difference of opinion as to the possible ac-
ton Of the President stirs political feeling
at Washington to it's profoundest depths.
If it were possible to forecast the action of
the President with certainty there would
be no place for all this anxious suspense
and these impetuous assertions and denials
of what the President will do or refuse
to do.
It is absurd for either side to expect that
the President will unequivocally commit
himself as to his action on bill which has
not yet come before him. 1t is safe for the
democrats to assume that he will be reason
able; but they also must be reasonable If
siderate they will not put him in the position
of seeming to yield to threat. Should
they attach the repeats which they desire to
appropriation bills it would be veritable
threat to stop the supplies unless the Presi-
dent yielded to their demand. If they are
wise they will not proceed in this way.
They have no reason to doubt that
he will yield from conviction to
their wishes on all points except the
Election law, but it is improbable that
they can force him to assent to total re-
peal of this law. He might consent to
reasonable notifications Of it, and if they
attempt none which are not reasonable
they may safely trust to his we'll known
fairness and to that we'll. attested indie
pendence of mere party ties which seems
to be o part of his character. They
ought to give him an opportunity
for acting on his real judgment Of q bill
amending the Election law. They should
first make sure that the bill they send to
him is reasonable, and then trust to his
character to sanction it. But if they hitch
it to On appropriation bill they ap-
proach him with menace which
would be indecorous and improper
If he should veto reasonable bill
it would still be in their power to hitch it
to necessary appropriation; but it would
be unbecoming to do thing of that kind
except rs last resort, when all other
means had failed. If they are fair to the
President, il they make reasonable allow