The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-03-14

THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.
What the Fory.FyM Congress has De.
veloped.
WASHINGTON, February 24.-The ses.
sion of Congress Is now so near its close
that while it is little too early to SUN up
the legislative results, tho political conclu-
sions may be stated with some degree of
accuracy. Partisan politics have had less
effect on legislation this winter than is
usual the political debates have been
: neither numerous. NOR important. The. Toll
-lausHn,n snitkeaa ~ Itticaf dtdanitti,e
sestabiishcd at this session, afns been Of
small account, aud under the quietiug and
business.like influence of the administra.
tion, and with both parties extremely aux
ious to avoid mistakes, Congress has mainly
busted itself with the appropriation bills,
aud merely political measures, such as at
tempts on the Currency, have broken down
in committee or in the houses. Nevcrthe-
less, as politicians from all parts of the
country are assembled here, so the news
and views of every State arc moro easily
gathered and compared here than at any
other point, and out of this comparison
come conclusions on which, whether they
are correct or not, large number of impor-
tant men act.
Well, in the first place, the last three
months have undoubtedly made the Repub-
deans moro and the Democrats less hopeful
of success next year than they were before
Congress met When Congress assembled,
ON the 1st Of December, the shrewdcst
Republicans privately gave up the contest
in 1880. They did not believe that their
party could elect the next President, hence
the general concurrence in the Grant move
mcut at that time.
eff we can elect Grant that will drag us
out Of tue slough" said prominent Repub-
lican early in December. eff he is beaten
he is out Of the way, and that is gain to
which he hangs like an Old Man of, the
Sea-"
The Democrats at that time were of the
same mind. They had no doubt that they
could beat Grant, whom they believed as
strong as any other Republican candidate in
some contingencies, but the weakest Of all
in others.
All this is now changed. 1t is not very
easy to tell precisely the reasons, but the
fact is that the Republicans are at this time
encouraged and hopeful, and the Demo.
Gratis know that defeat is looking them in
the face The main reason, perhaps, is
that tho session has perceptibly increased
the dissensions in the Democratic party and
its general decentralization as an organization,
while the Republicans are, undoubtedly,
more united than when the session opened.
The Democratic party rs it is assembled
here, has too many officers and too few pri.
Yates. If Mr.. Banning, of Ohio, could
enforce on his party such measure as the
army reorganization bill-a measure retir-
ing on half pay or no pay, large share of
the Democratic commanders-this would
greatly help it. 1t is, as they say the army
is, greatly ver.ofhcered. 1t has too many
Presidential candidates, too many candi-
dates for the Speakership, too many men
who would like to be-chairmen of commit
tees, or who arc or would like to be eminent
in some way, and each of whom is engaged
in cutting the throats Of all the others, or,
to speak more accurately, in undermining
rivals
THE NAME or GRANT.
The Democrats are torn to pieces by
energetic Presidential candidates, while the
Republicans rally about the name of Grant,
with whom they are confident of beating
Sherman if the ustute secretary of the treas.
ury should loom up too strong in the con-
vention, and whom they can drop If it
should at any time be convenient to drop
him for some one else than Sherman
They owe more than they are willing to
to confess in this matter to their President
If Mr.. Hayes, like Gen. Grant in 1876,
had hankering for another term, or if,
like Jackson, he were bent on advancing
the fortunes Of favorite, or, like Buch-
anan, on marring those of some one he
detested, his party would to-day be in even
q more demoralized condition than the
Democrats. But the President does net
want second term and has no candidate
of his own he leaves Presidential rival
ries entirely alone, and the party machinery
moves, therefore, without any friction from
the White House. The Republican can
didates are not fighting each other--at
beast, not to the par:y's injury. No one of
them is in haste to commit himself or his
party to any particular policy for 1880, and
tho Republicans have tho further advan-
tage that they occupy the interior lines-to