Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-12-04
The Forty sixth Congress.

things into consideration it will un-
doubtedly prove most important
session. There are grave matters of
great national import to be decided,
and it is to be hoped that in their dis
cussion and decision of these things
the leaders of both parties will rise to
the dignity of patriotism and sink
partisanship beneath love of coun-
try. Upon the shoulders of the
Democratic majority of course rests
the greatest burden, and we have no
doubt of their being equal to every
emergency. Upon them is imposed
the duty of allaying sectional feeling
and Of building up a more cordial
union among the people of our com
mon country. 1t is the evident pur-
pose of the Republican leaders to
keep alive the angry passions of the
war. Upon their success in making q
solid North depends the future of
their organization. The Republican
party is not national party to-day.
1t exists in only Il portion of the
Union, and therefore it is life To it,
leaders to fomcnt scctionalism. The
Democrats in Congress should see to
it that they do not aid their opponents
By incorporate utteranccs in debate
Ii will be the studied purpose of
every Republican in Congress to keep
the bloody shirt in motion. The bat
tie of next year will be commenced in
the Forty-sixth Congress and our
record now must be our record then
Hence the importance of wise and
patriotic action on the part of the
Democratic leaders. The people
have confidence in the Democratic
majority. 1t Is the height of folly
for any one to attribute the dis
astcrs that befcll the party in this
years elections to it, representatives
in Congress. Immediately the result
was known the whole Republican
press shouted in chorus, The extra
session did il" The Democrat. were
not responsible for the extra session.
They remained in Washington at the
command of the acting Executive,
and their action throughout met with
the warm conmendation of dispas-
sionatc men of all parties. Was the
extra session responsible for our de-
feat in New York where we have al
most forty thousand majority on the
whole vote and yet lose the State
Did the extra session make Philadel.
phia thirty thousand Republican or
was il the split there in our own party
which produced the result? Was it
the extra session that flung Lacka.
wana, Luzerne and Schuylkill coun-
ties into the Republican column when
possibly one-half the voters in those
counties never heard there was an
extra session? or was it caused bv
some more powerful agency? In our
own county, for instance, was it the
extra session that caused a falling off
of 100 in our vote as compared with
the vote of last yearg or was it because
the Democrats only neglected in the
unusual apathy Of the campaign to
90 to the pollsY II is all the merest
nonsense to talk of popular verdict
against Congress. There has been
none rendered, and to-day if the same
questions once more arose the people
would bid their representatives God
speed in their battle against the en-
croachments of the Federal govern
mont. Our representatives in the ex.
ira session fought a noble battle and
they fought it we'll, and the people
will so say next year when they go tC
their constituents to render an ac
count of their stewardship. They
fought fraud triumphant at one enc
of the Avenue and mad band o.
fanatics in the Capitol. That the,
did not succeed in getting all they
demanded is cause for regret, not dis
may. They were right, and they die
at last wrench from u fraudulen
President one dangerous power aut