The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-03-20
Extra Session of Congress.

| under the Presidents call, could have been
avoided had il not been for the obstinuncy
Of the Democrats This is not merely
| Republican assertion, but an undeniabe
tact known to the people throughout the
north. The Congress just closed could
have done all that the present session is os-
tcnsihly called for, but the southern demo
Gratis were so persistent and were endorsed
by many of our northern members of the
same party in their efforts to secure Ger.
tam legislation that they saddlcd their
schemes into measures that were vital to
the management Of the government, and
rather than aid in such approbitious legis.
lation the Republicans stood manfully to
gether and twhartcd their schemes.
The facts are that the army appropria-
ton bill that is annually provided for, was
made means by which the democrats
sought to secure repeal Of the law auth
oriZing Marshalls to call out troops TO
keep peace at the polls in election times
when needed, which repeal was attempted
by attaching it as an amendment to the
! army bill which all knew must be passed
for the support Of the army; as not one
dollar can be used (although millions may
DC idle i'll the treasury until it is so ap'
propratcd by law. Another appropria.
ton bill also was cncumbercd with an
amendment repeating the provision for
U S. Supervisors to Investigate and pun
lsh election frauds.
These two amendments were so obnnx.
ious and odious to the public sentiment
of the North, and ones which if prevailed
would virtually rob the colorcd people of
the south of ever asserting their rights as
| free men, and would aiso restore the mob
scenes at the north that usually occurred
in the great commercial circles, and drive
or keep masses of law abiding people
away from the polls, that the cunning Of
the southern advocates suggested as the
only way to accomplish their object was
to cripple the Republicans, or intimidate
them to support the bill as amended in Or
der to secure the appropriation absolutely
necessary anG indispensable for the fiscal
management of the government So at
the last hours of the session the democrats
combined their forces sufficiently to defeat
tho appropriation bills without these rid
crs were allowed to remain.
Conference committees were appointed
who proposed to even consent to continu-
ing the present appropriations to the next
regular session of congress, but the Demo-
cratic House refund army compromise
and the President was forced to call this
extra session to provide means for the
army and civil branch Of the government.
Another cause for the obstinancy of
these unrepcnent rebels is to secure the
spoils from which they have been depriv-
ed for the past 20 years. The patronage
Of the House and Senate is immense, and
the clamors Of the hungry constituent IS
cause heavy pressure. In one sense it
may be well for the Republican party that
these inGiscrcet Democrats have so early
taken the bits in their mouth, and assum.
ed the responsibility they have IN forcing
an extra session upon the heels of so i'm
popular Congress as the last one proved
to be, and if they now carry out the threats
some have made, attempt the "rebel rule
and a solid SOUTH" refuse to provide abso-
Lutte maintenance for government support,
therby blocking its wheels and crippling
its movements, because the great principle
admitted to be settled as the result of the
war. The free exercise of suffrage will
not be surrendered, and millions of freed
men placed in almost as bad condition
as before the rampant and ungovernable
ambition OF their rulers led them to acts
they would repeat were the opportunity
afforded, then the rope they haye spun
will prove the halter for their own nccks
Among the members Of the present con
gress from the north a1e many sound, dis,
Greet, and peace loving Democrats, who al
heart detesl the gradual cncroachmcnts
and unreasonable demands for power, and
removal Of checks to the restoration OF
sectional supremacy. There are members
OF the party in our own midst who become
attached thereto through principals other
than such as the southern democrats now
are blindly contcnding for, but they Ger
tainly " i'll be inconsistent with their early
alliances if they endorse the course of
those wLC now are assuming the leaders
hip.
There is an alarming condition Of opin
ion cndeavoring TO be framed for the
adoption by the southern people, by some
Of the southern leaders The actions Of
some during the last session indicates tha
and it is reasonable, to conclude they re-
fleet the true sentiments of their constitu
ency, and particularly when they are SC
earnestly and warly endored by their lead
Ing and local press Chalmers, Of Miss
isippi, not having the courage to presen
it in person has had in the Congressional
Record speech he never delivered, (bu
purport to be,( wherein he personally vii
lites some Of the northern representatives
and attacks the north generally, >denounc
ing it as inferior in morals and public
who led the butchery Of troops CT For
Pellon, and he is now Democratic mem
Der, and his assertions are highly eulo
glzed by the Mississippi press at large
: The Southern States the leading paper
in the above State, says the southern de