Daily globe., 1879-01-29
q THE DEMOCRATIC PROGRAMME.
1s agreed Upon by the Caucus Of Senator's
and REPRESENTATIVES.
Washington Special (Jan. 26) to Chicago

4s agreed Upon by the Caucus Of Senators
and REPRESENTATIVES.
Washington Special (Jan. 26) to Chicago
Times
A joint caucus of the Democrats of the two
Houses will be held tomorrow evening for the
purpose of considering several important mat
ters. Among these will be the Edmunds reso-
lutions. The last time Edmunds made mo-
tiou in the Senate (Friday EVENING" to take up
his resolutions the Democrats then Indicated q
disposition to tilibuster against taking them up.
or to introduce other matters to crowd out this
discussion, which the Democrats, for some rea-
son or other, are not specially anxious to pro-
woke. just what line of action will be taken
by the Democrats in the future will be agreed
upon perhaps in to-morroW's caucus. The sub
ject OF an extra session will also be discussed.
This will be contingent upon what course they
determine to pursue in reference to several
matters of legislation which the Democrats
want to effect in this Congress-. One of these
is the clauses which have been introduced in
the legislative bill providing for the consolida-
tion OF the surveys. Senator Edmunds has
already signifed his intention of enforcing
the rule prohibiting legislation in ap-
preparation bills. at this caucus the Demo-
Gratis will determine whether they shall insist
that this or any other legislation they may
wish to put through in this way shall remain
cssary to to have an extra session. If it is de-
termined to fight the Republicans on this
ground the legislative bill Will be reported to
the House containing all these provisions and
such others as they disposed to bring up
and press to a passage this session. The short
ness Of the session renders it impossible to
perfect the legislation just presented to Con-
gress in any other way. One important piece
of legislation the Democrats are detetnined
to accomplish, if possible, before the adjourn
| ment, is the repeal OF sections 800 and Sll of
| the revised statutes, requiring Jurors to take
iron n-clad oath that they were never in rebellion
| against the United States government. This
| subject will also come up before the caucus
The Southern Democrats are especially anxious
to have this law repealed. They say that their
| juries are made up, OF necessity, under this
| law, of ignorant, illiterate colored people,
intelligent white people excluded from act
ing upon these juries by reason Of having to
take this oath. A bill has already passed the
Senate repeating section $40, but the Southern
Democrats claim that the provisions Of section
| S2l are equally unjust and obnoxious.
The last section leaves it discretionary with
| the United States attorney whether not this
nath shall be administered. They say that un-
| der the present system and administration this
| provision is as severe as the the Senate
proposes to have repealed. It was proposed to
pass an amendment in the House repeating the
l last section as we'll as the first and send the
bill back to the Senate for concurrence, but if
there should be any antagonism to it the pass
age of the bill at this session would be endan.
gered. or the bill as amended by the House
might fail to pass the Senate at all. A bill re-
pealing both sections did pass the House at tht
last session, but was buried in Christiancy'
committee in the Senate and will probabl,
never be reported. 1t is therefore propose(
that provision be tackled on the Legislative
bill repeating both sections. 1t is for this pur
pose that the legislative, executive and ju
dicial appropriation bill is held back. The bill
will be reported after the caucus with this ne,
provision in it, if the caucus SO determines.