Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-07-17
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
Politics at tho Capital.

news about Wilard's, discovered two
young men in conversation. There was
nothing remarkable about the fact of
| seeing two young men IN conversation /;
but in this case the individuals in CUES.
ton happened TO be those who, by a
sort Of common consent, are regarded
as the primary instigators Of the late
extra scssion-one in the capacity of
Representative in Congress and the
other that of journalist. To this intro.
duction it is hardly necessary TO add
that the two men in question were Mil
ton J. Southland, of Ohio, and a. G.
Buell., OF Missouri, both now pcrma.
ncntly resident in the District Of Colum.
bin. Your correspondent, with natural
curiosity to lean any hitherto unpublish.
ed gossip regarding the inception Of the
extra session, proceeded to interview
Mr. Southard. who was asked Whether,
when he offered his now famous amend.
mcnt to the Legislative Bill near the
close of the last Congress, he torcsaw
the tremendous controversy to which it
would give riser
"Oh, yes; in general way replied
the Ohio Representative. 90 course 1t
was impossible to forcsce the shape or
direction the discussion might take as
TO details but knew that all the sub.
jcct required was to be put on the
boards, as the saying is, in order to bc.
come an all.engros-ing thcme Of public
comment and popular agitation:
C0rrcgyoudsW-Dld YOU consult with
any considerable number Of Democrats
IN either House before you offered your
amendment?
Nr. .S5Gilrd -- Not formally. The
matter had been generally talked over.
We all knew that Mlit Saylcr had been
beaten by the deputy marshAlz in Gin.
cinnati. and that the operations Of
Johnny Davenport in New York had
exercised an important influence upon
the the result Of the Concrc-Fionul cleo.
iions IN New York. II was also a mat.
ter OF notoricty that the election laws
had been made use OF IN Massachusetts,,
in Chicago, ia Philadelphia. and in
Louisiana a. part OF the Republican
machine. Altogether it was generally
computed that the operation, or rather
the partisan abuse OF these laws had
made difference of at leAst from ten
TO twelve seats in the House in favor OF
the Republicans, thereby affecting the
majority in that body to the extent OF
from twenty to twenty.four. ! am con.
yinccd that had those laws not been in
existence or had the partisan method
OF executing them been unknown to
the Administration. there would have
been at least 100 instead Of $50 Demo
Gratis returned to the present House.
which would have made the Democratic
majority 81 instead of III over all.
These things naturally formed a staple
subject OF conversation among Demo-
cratic members of the outgoing House,
and there was q common consent that
something must be done in defense OF
the principles OF popular representation,
and done at once. But no settled plan
had been devised either by the titular
leaders OF the party in conference or
by the party as whole ia caucus.
may sny that my amendment was a
volunteer expression of what knew TO
be the universal sentiment OF the party.
| saw that the party was waiting for
somebody 10 take the responsibility Of
the initiative and took it, fully conf.
dent that when the step was once taken
the party would back 1t up.
Cor.--The result justified your judg.
ment3
Mr. S.-Eutirely 20. had no appre.
hension that it would he otherwise
There were many Democrats who ex.
pressed fears that forcing an extra ses.
sion would turn out TO be bad policy.
They seemed 10 be under the influence
Of the clamor of the New York press
which, without exception, represented
an extra session 10 be an evil Of indeii
mite proportions. The only way to over
come this influence was to force the Is
sue and bring on a discussion which
would open the eyes of the country to
the character of the election laws. and
at the same time open the eyes OF rep.
resentative men in Congress to the mo-
tiyes which inspired the clamor Of the
New York press.
Cor.--Was there at any time during
the closing hours of the regular session
any danger of back down.
Mr.. S.--Not to my knowledge. There
we're a great many rumors Of detection
here and there and you may have
noticed that during the last night of
the regular session tho galleries and
lObbies were jammed with a throng Of
Department employees, male and female,
who were doing everything they could
and exertinR every possible influence
in their peculiar way to secure the pass
age of the Legislative Bill. But the
confcrecs on the part Of the House,
who during the last twenty.four hours
of the session had charge Of the matter,
were firm, and as long as they were so
there was no danger. do not believe
there was a word of truth in any rumor
of detection. Mr.. Blackburn got
alarmed at one time, and went so far as
10 make arrangements to flibuster the
aaaatan puf in raaa the non faraou sbo,,fI