Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-03-15

Congress, the appropriations requi-
site for carrying on the government
failed to be passed, and an extra
session for that purpose has become
necessary. The Forty-sixth Con-
gress therefore commences its sit
tings, not NJ the regular period in /
December, but in a session specially |
summoned by the President for the !
purpose of completing theunfinished
business of the Forty-fth. This,
unless necessitated byan exceptional
juneture of political affairs is always
undesirable, we will endeavor in
this paper to explain to our readers
the circumstances which renderedit
inevitable.
The Republican party during their
supremacy in the National Legis-
Iature enacted two measures for the
purpose of perpetuating their con-
tinuance in power which are still in
force. These are the statute by
which no one can be impanelled as
juryman in the Federal Courts
without taking the oath known in
former times as the iron-clad Oath)
that he has never sympathized with
the rebellion, and the second a bill
for the supervision of elections
whereby Federal Supervisors Can
get complete control of cleo
tions, and United States Mar
shals can be appointed to aid them
in carrying out their purposes.
Bills for the repeal Of these measures
were, by the action of the House,
appended to the appropriations nee
essary for carrying on the nation,
which bills were rejected by the
Senate, and so the appropriations
and the bills fell together.
A third point on which the two
Houses were ut variance was the
use of the army as a posse co1litatds
at elections. This dangerous power
was withdrawn from the executive
after a struggle similar to the pres
cnt last year, but an amendment
was this session tackled by the Sen
ate to the appropriation when il
came up from the House, by which
that power was restored to the exec
utive. The result was that the
House refused to pass the apprOpria-
ton with that amendment, and the
bill, as before, failed to pass.
Now it is admitted ON all hands
that this method of forcing legisla-
ture by lacking measures TO money
bills ought to be exceptional, ought
not to be resorted to except in
emergencies seriously threatening
the foundations of the republic; and
we readily admit now that it is in
cumbent on US as adt,erents Of the
Democratic party to establish such
2 Justification for the present state
Of things, so far as il has been
brought a0Out by the action of that
party.
The money power is the one pre-
rogative possessed by the House OF
Representatives by which its co
ordinate authority in the nations
counsels is secured to it, and its
peculiar function of originating
money bills is its one condition OF
asserting that power. 1t is a need
ful prerogative too, and has never
been so needful as in late years
For some years now one party has
been predominant i'm the Executive
and the Senate, the other in the
House of Representatives. Now 9
political observer must be blind in
deed who does not perceive that
both the Executive and the Senate
have very largely increased theil
powers since the war, while tht
House of Representatives has re
manned where it was. The very
habit acquired by the Executive
during the war of exercising large
discretionary powers, the immense
increase of business in all depart
ments, with corresponding increase
OF funds at its disposal, as well as o.
patronage; the practice carried into
4 rigid system OF assessing Office
holders for election expenses, and
especially the power of controlling
elections by the means now sought
10 be abolished, have made the vii
Of the Executive almost irresistible
while the Senate, in virtue of the
unconstitutional tenure of Office ac
and by other means, has vastly eK
tended its power and influence. By
these means the former two depart
ments would have unqueStiOnably
been too strong for the House o
Representatives and restricted it Il
q mere negative function in the
government, were it not for this
same money power which has
always, as Z last resort, furnished
the Lower House with the means o
asserting itself.
With great wisdom and prudence
however, the House, knowing thu
profound arrangement of public
business which must ensue from the
refusal of appropriations, has exer
ciscd great reserve in putting fOrtf
this power, and has only done 81
when great dangers threatening the
very foundation of our Republican
institutions have to be met, and car
he only met in that way. To show
chat such dangers have necessitateC
the present crisis will be no Difficult
matter.
The three matters in which thu
House is at issue with the Senate
are practically referable to one anC
the same purpose on the part of thu
Republican party, that of substitut
ing the will of the Executive for thu
will Of the people in the election o
LEGISLATORS for the nation. To begir
with the measures for the supervis
ION of elections, to which the othel