New-York tribune., 1879-03-11


lation can be had. The taking of testimony as
10 Southern claims closed yesterday.
THE FOLLY OF THE EXTRA SESSION.
THE DEMOCRATS BEGINNING TO ASK THEMSELVES
ABOUT WHAT is TO BE GAINED-THE FUuLITY
OF THEIR PRESENT ATTEMPT.
IBY TEmGRArH TO THE TRIBCNE.l
WASHINGTON, March 10-SOme of the Demo
Gratis moderate men who know something OF pubic
opinlon in the country at large and understand
that the political battle-ground in the near future
is to be in few of the great Northern States and
not south of the Potomac, beginning to ask
themselves and their party friends what is to be
gained by the extra session of Congress upon which
tney are about to enter. If they were certain of
their ability to repeal the Federal Election
laws, that, IN the opinion of Democrats OF
every shade of opinion. would more than
compensate for all the odam which the extra ses-
sion is sure to bring upon the party, because that
would give them much more confidence than they
now have that they would be able to carry the
State of New-York in the Presidential election of
1880. while without New York the Democratic ont
look for the great contest of next year IS by no
means an encouraging one. But the repeal Of the
Election law is not possible if the President takes
firm stand against it, rs he will and to attempt 1t
by any Of the means that have been laid down III
the Democratic programme, as explained by Sena-
for Beck will be for the Democracy to butt its head
against stone wall.
The Democratic party, in its efforts to do this
thing has like the King of France, marched up the
hill At the end of the extra session, whether 1t
comes in June or December, it will march down
again. 1t is a very easy thing for the Democrats to
say that they will pass bills repeating the Election
laws changing the methods Of drawing jurors IN
the United States Courts and modifying the oath
they may be required to take, and prohibiting the
presence of troops at the polls during any election
and that if the President refuses to sign them they
will put the same provisions upon an appropriation
bin. which shall never become law without them;
but II is another and very different thing to carry
such programme into practice.
The Democrats have mad very recent experience
that they ought not TO have forgotten when they
were planning the extra session. Two years ago
the Democratic majority of the House of Repre-
sentatives determined 10 reduce the strength and
pay of the ARMY and organize or disorganizc)
jtaccordng to a plan devised by the Committee on
Military Affairs aud adopted by that on Appropria-
tons They also insisted that the President should
be specifically forbidden to use the Army in settling
the political disputes u South Carolina and LOulsl-
nua. The Republicans opposed all these measures
when they were proposed as independent PROPOSE
tions and positively refused to agree to them when
they were attached as riders to the Army ApprOpri-
that unless a compromise could be effected the
Army bill would fail and an extra session of Con-
cress would be made necessary. The Democrats
would not yield and the Republicans could not, aud
so no prov sion was made for the support of the
Army. and Congress had TO be called together III
the succeeding October
Now. what happenedi Did the Democrats gain
their point7 Did they reduce the Army, cut down
the pay of the officers and usurp the prerogatye Of
the President as COmmander-ln-Chiefo of the Army
Not at all. The XLVth Congress, which first met
on the 18th of October, 1877 has since been in ses
sion about eleven months and when it adjourned,
a week ago the Army remained at the same stand
ard of strength as in 1877 the pay Of the officers
was the same, and no man has ever since offered
bill to restrict the use Of the Army by the Presl-
dent in the Southern state capitals. All the money
spent by Congress in the extra session OF 1917
was absolutely thrown away, for the Democrats
utterly failed to accomplish any of the objects
they had in view when they took the measures
that made it necessary and their t3lure Las been
continuous to this day. The country was unneces-
sarily agi;ated and kept in a state of SUSPENSE.
Officers of the Army were deprived of the money
which the Government owed them, and many Of
them were obliged to give percentage to have
their pay certificates cashed; and Congress came to
Washington six weeks earlier than 1t otherwise
would have done, simply because the Bourbon ec-
ment in the Democratic party was stubborn, and
had made up ITS mind to do what its leaders ought
to have known from the first it would be lmpos-
sible for them to accomplish. They marched up
the hill-and then marched down again.
Other instances Of Democratic attempts and
promises to do impossible things might be cited al
though there is no recent one which runs on all
fours with the present Democratic policy and pro-
gTamme as the example already given does. Cen
nrorniSgd his he
fore he came to Washington in the Autumn of 1877
that he would have the Resumption Act repealed III
aweek. No one who has watched General Evrg's
course in Congress will blame him because 1t was
not done but the Dimensions Of his failure ought
to admonish Democratic Congressman that IT Is
wise TO look before them and ascertain what
obstacles lie in the path they propose to follow. II,
as IN the present case, there is immOyable
obstacle nothing is to be gained by butting their
heads against il. The force behind those heads is
by no means irresistible, and it requires the fore
sight neither of prophet nor of the son OF prophet
10 predict winch side will be the most damaged.
The Democrats have entered now upon another OF
their foolish tits against a stone wall. They had
an opportunity to withdraw gracefully on the lasy
day of the late session, but with their customary
lack Of good sense they allowed ii to Slip by.
Very few Republicans care for the jurors test oath
OF will oppose very strenuously change IN the
machinery for drawing jurors They are also IN
different whether Mr. Hewitt's amendment prohIb-
itinc the use of troops at the polls during cleo
tons is agreed to not. No party advantage Is to
be gained by making stand against either Of these
measures II the laws remain in these respects as
they are now the Democrats Will cOntinue to con
troll the South and they can do little more If they
are changed The Republicans were willing to yield
all these p0ints in the last Congress If the Demo