The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-06
THE EXTRA SESSION.


called for the eighteenth of the present
month, and, Immediately upon Its convoning
the same party contest that has maze The
session unavoidable will be renewed, but
under very much altered circumstances Fof
the first time since 1859. unless some woful
mishap intervanes. both houses Will be or
panzed under Democratic control.
This circumstance will very materially
change the political situation, inasmuch as II
will make what has heretofore been merely
an irrecQncilable difference between the Sen
ate and House. determined resistance on
the mart of the consolidated Legislative de-
partment Of the government against the
usrrpations Of the Executive. From success
fuI recusant, IL is true, but still a mere recu-
SAINT, possessed Of none but q negative power
to resist and defeat obnoxious measures, the
Democratic party becomes Invested with the
active and aggressive capacity to accomplish,
as well as Of the negative one Of refusing To
do or TO allow to be done. In the fight the
House has been making on the election laws,
II has been forced 10 resort To oil Of its pecu-
liar prerogatives and to use with memorable
iirmness its constitutional control Of the
public purse, in order TO maintain the posi-
ton II had taken In defense Of the people
and the constitution. Now the boot will be
changed to the other foot. The Senate and
House both being Democratic, can pass laws,
and IL will be the fraudulent Executive that
will have to interpose the prerogative OF the
veto. We shall now see whether the use of
this extraordinary executive power will raise
the howl which the resort to a similar privi-
iege by the House evoked.
With these altered circumstances there
comes also a new and greater responsibility
for the party. All that the just expired Con-
Qress has failed to accomplished the incom-
ing one must take hold OF and act upon SO
far as the repeal of the election laws Is con-
cerned we do not sec how the policy iDaug-
urated by the House can be abandoned or i'm
proved upon. Should these measures be
taken up on their own merits and sent to the
President In separate bills, they will certainly
be vetoed. We see no way OF securing their
repeal except by persisting in the forcing
process Of lacking them on to the appropria-
ton bills But, come what may and
and at whatever cost, these obnoxious laws,
and all others like them, must be wiped
from the statute books, and ut this extra
session of Congress- This Is the first and
par amount duty of the party, inasmuch as
1t involves principle which goes to the very
foundation Of our political institutions, and
one which has been too long violated In the
administration Of the government There is
no reason why we should not return and at
once, to the purely civil and local self govern
ment which maintained before the war and
which was found all sufficient during O cen
fury OF the republics existence. The first
step to be taken in that direction is the repeal
of these laws, and thus to divest the Federal
government OF all power or shadow OF au-
thority to interfere with the ballot, and re-
init to the States, which alone have the right
of comforting or restricting 1t, the absolute
control, supervision and protection of the
elective franchise. In no other way can the
autonomy Of the States DO protected against
Federal aggression and the Capitalization to
which 1t tends; in no otherway can be elmi-
mated that extraneous and wicked influence
which has kept alive in Southern politics q
race feeling which extends to no other re-
lations of life, and for which there can be no
excuse or justification. Make Federal inter-
ference with our local elections impossible,
and leave IL with the States to supervise and
direct the practical exercise Of the right of
suffrage, and to protect all suffragans In Its
exercise and we shall hear no more of bull
doing or Of negro suffrage, OF Southern out
RACES, or returning board frauds.
The repeal of the provisions providing for
the appointment and defining the powers of
supervisors and deputy marshals, az insisted
upon by the last Congress, is but the intro
duetion to what has TO be done. These sec
lions OF the Revised Statutes have no bearing
upon the prosecutions now pending under the
election laws. In these cases relief can be
afforded by refusing to supply the deficiency
fund asked for by the misnamcd Department
of Justice to enable the administration to
execute the laws" thus providing for the ex-
penses OF the Republican party crusade
against Southern Democrats. But, this is
only a special case and partial relief. Such
must be made impossible In
the future, and this can be done
only by repealing the whole body OF
the enforcement act and all other laws which
embody the principle Of Federal supervision
over the ballot or of individual amenity to
the United States for crimes or oflenses
against the free exercise of the right OF fran
chise. The Democrats will not have obtained
their objective point till all of this is done,
nor will the people be satisfied with anything
less than the repeal Of al statutes that re-
cognize the right of Federal supervision.
Mere temporary expediences will not satisfy
them when great principle is to be vim
dieated.
The Tennessee Legislature appears to be