The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-03-20
The Struggle in the House,

I The Struggle in the House.
The New York Trsbune's Washington col
g respondent, gives the strength of politics
j. factions in the House and the relation eac
e stands to the other. 1t says
i'll Nobody in Washington talks about anvthin
: except the Speakership contest, and no one, ez
y cept, perhaps. the leading candidates and thei
confidential managers, knew anything defnit
e about it. The first question, and the one whiel
gives By far the most general concern is whethe
the Democrats will be able to control the vote.
of majority OF the House for any candidate
whom they may name. or whether there is to be
! three cornered fight, in which the nominee Of
! the Democratic caucus will be the strongest can
didate, but not quite strong enough to be elected
The most sanguine OF the Democrats place theil
majority over both the Republicans and Green
hackers at FIVE, snpposing ali their men bers now
alive to be present at the organization of the
House, and all to vote for the regular Democra-
tic candidate. In this mai GRITTY of five are inclu-
ded all the men who were nominated by straight
out Democratic conventions, no matter whether
they call themselves Greenbackers or not
If the. Democrats should be mistaken about two
or three OF tfsse men, then all their plans would
be upset,
The Greenback element is literally thus far an
unknown quantity. The leaders OF it talk big
enough, but it is impossible to say whether they
magnify their number In order to keep up the
confidence of their followers and attract recr uits
to bull the price at which they may finally sell
out, or whether they really have the positive as
! surances of what they boast. What they say Is
that the men who were elected as Greenbackers
are solid and Will affiliate with neither Of the 9th
| er parties and that besides these they have the
written pled ges of others, men who are counted
as Democrats, to act with them. If this should
turn out to be true land the Democrats unques-
| tionably fear that it may be SOY, there would be
great trouble in tie Democratic camp.
Another fact that may have some influence in
shaping the Speakcrship contest il the bitter en-
nifty which few of the old Democratic members
of the House feel for the leading candidates OF
the party. Speaker Randall mortally offended
some of his party associates in the organization
OF the last House, and three Of those men are al
ready reported to have declared that II il appears
that MI. Randall is to have majority OF the De-
mocratic caucus they will not go into it. and will
n ut vote for him if he is its nominee. Mr.. Black
burn also has bitter enemies in his own party,
who are said to hold very similar attitude toward
him. and who refuse to recognize that the South
has any patent right upon the Speakership, even
if it's public men are shut out from candidacy In
the Democratic National ticket in 1880 If the
Democratic majority in the House were a large
one, there would be no doubt that all these NAL
contents would be whipped in. Boiling would
be useless and suicidal. But with third party
holding the balance OF power, or lacking only one
or two votes OF it. there may be chance for these
gentlemen not only to get the revenge that would
be so sweet but also to secure some OF the spells
themselves.
The Democratic sick-list seems to increase in
length, and now includes as Representatives VINO
may not be able to participate in the organiza-
tion of the House, the following Acklen, Bland.
Lay (Mo,) and Singleton Ql.). Telegraphic in
quires after the health OF the last three ofthese
men said not to have brought encouraging .
replies. Mr.. Acklen's physician says that, while
his patient of danger he is not as sick as
he has been represented to be. The rapid recov-
cry of all is of the utmost Importance to the DEM
ocratic party.
There has been some talk to-day about COM
bination between a few Conservative Democrats
and the Republicans for the election OF General
Ga field to the Speakership, but all suggestions
of this kind have been received with disfayor by
the Republicans who think that it would be
calamity for them to elect Speaker to preside
over House which he could not control, and for
the legislation of which the party does not want
to be responsible. The Republicans will form no
coalition.
Honor to Whom Honor is Due.
Those faithful representatives OF the peo
pie that have struggled with such heroic
courage against Overwhelming numbers
and resources will not be soon forgotten
by grateful constituency. There are yet
left in Old Virginia a few men of whom the
old mother may well feel proud. Men are
so constituted that they often prefer death
TO dishonor, and history is ripe with in
stances of noble lives sacrafced upon the
alter of patriotism. Yet men bear wounds,
carnage, and death in battle better than
they bear the cowardly sting of the poison
tipped tongue of Infamous SANDER. 1t de-
mands a higher degree OF moral courage to
bear the ills of physical pain-of danger and
even of deat!l-than to bear in silence and
maintain the right against the incessant
storm of foul falsehood, scurrlous SANDER
and cruel defamation. Though we differ in
political sentiment with such leaders as SEN
,.tors Paul, Fulkerson, Massie. Delegate Bar
bour and Others of the same extreme polti-
cal views, we hold that the rare moral ceur-
age they have ev,nced in the late memorable
struggle for what they conceived to be the
dearest rights OF the people they represent,
demands and must receive the respect and
admiration of all men who are yet capa-
Die Of approaching high moral courage in its
truest sense. 1t is to reg cited that our
cities are so destitute of such leaders. Men
whose knees colne together too easily through
fear of reproaeh make poor representatives
Tor an oppressed constituency. There are
tlmes in the history of every country when
leaders of parties are not expected to initiate
the example of the ground hog, who lodges
MS own SHADE W. Though we claim that we
lave as much right to differ, in political
opinions. with these brave representatives as
hey have to differ with US, we cannot assign
70 them any worse motives for their action
than they can charge upon us for our own.
And although we cannot agree with them in
+, jecting the overture of our creditors, we
believe them to be as honest in their convic.
lions as they are earnest in their heroic strug-
lie. As '.ABRAH ANS faith was accounted
10 him for righteousness, We feel assured
these faithful representatives, that have so
bravely stood to the front against such fear
ful odds of press and purse, will net be for-
gotten by discriminating and a generous
people. One thing is assured: no dishonest
or mercenary man can make the fight these
men have made. Let the man who challen-
yes the motives of such men investigate his
.-Manchester Courier.