Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-07-10
THE EXTRA SESSION

THE EXTRA SESSION
The extra session just closed has
been both protracted and stormy be-
yond expectation. AS new before
its sessions have been signalized by
five executive vetoes. Ample pro-
visic however has been made for all
the absolute expenses of the Depart
ments. The L. S. Marshal apprOpri-
ations which are the subjects of the
last veto a be dispensed with with
out damage to them or any n else.
They can get along well enough on
their civil service fees until suitable
provision can be made for them, and
as for deputies at elections the coun-
try can survive their starvation and
would be better off if they had been
completely suppressed.
By the Republicans in Congress, the
extra session has been used in effort
to regain lost prestige and attain
party reunion. To the Democrats
it has furnished opportunity to present
again the fundamental aXioms Of free
government and renew the PROSTATE
claims of the States and masses. This
has been done prudently, and yet, in
a way, at once manly and defiantly.
The insolent demands made upon
them by an exacting and encroach-
ing executive have been calmly, but
effectually repealed. The aims OF
the Republican party at the same
time have completely exposed and the
attention Of the coutry directed to
their destructive tenetS.
To some observers the extra ses-
sion may have seemed to have been
nothing more nor less than the effort
of one party to get a more adyanta-
geous political position than the other,
but to the attentive reader of congress
sional reports there never were pre-
sented anywhere more thoroughly
searching constitutional debates. On
the part of the Democracy there has
been a revival of the claims of pOpu-
lar right. On the Republican side
the chief concern has been to renew
old hates and shake again the bloody
shir,. The Democrats have display
ed both prudence and ability. but the
forced avowalS of the Republican
party have been made the more con-
spicuous by their p~harasaical and
hypocritical attempts at cOncealment.
The Democracy went rs far and did
as much as the constitution placed
within its power. For 4 time it
seemed as if the Republicans would
re-unite, and there vas correspond
ing joy in their camps, but the end
revealed the delusion and their en-
thusiasm gave place to dlsmay. 1t
was indeed Il happy event for the De-
mocracy that their efforts in behalf OF
free elections demonstrated the sham
OF the hollow truce between the exc
cutive and stalwarts and showed that
neither had the entire support OF the
Republican party or could have it at
the next elections.
The subtertuges to which the eye
cutIvc and his party have been driven
| ought to make Democrats more watch
full and united. Everybody now UNI
derstands the uses that have been
made Of the army and dcputy-mar-
shals. II is notOri0Ws that they de-
feated the popular will and placed in
cumbents in Office that could not
! otherwise have obtained position .
There is every reason tc believe that
similar attempts will be made in the
future. The revelations recently
made IN New York Of the design en-
tertained by Grant III regard to the
arrest of Tilden show that he held
himself in readiness to use both army
and navy to defeat the installation of
a President elected by the people
Nothing can prevent a repetition Of
such shameful conspiracies, but sucl
a demonstration of popular sentiment
as shall sweep from power all who
have been connected with them OIL
have been directly or indirectly bene'
flied by them.