The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-26
The outlook in Congress.
In. Y. SUM-


Both parties In the House Of Representa-
tives appear to have got their blood up to
fever hea and both are cOntending for po-
litical advantage. The Republicans, when
they had the power under Grant, invented
the machinery known as supervisors of cleo
lions, and attached it to an appropriation bill
In 1872 John |. Davenport, who unites In his
person the functions OF clerk OF the Circuit
Court, United States commissioner, and gene
raj supervisor of elections, Is entitled to the
patent for this partisan invention, by which
many thousands Of dollars were put into his
pocket and enormous power into his hands,
which the people of this city, and especially
our adopted citizens, saw grossly abused at
the last election and on previous occasions.
All these laws, from reconstruction down
to the last on the statute book while the
Republicans were supreme In Congress, form
part of the general scheme OF Capitalization
begun soon afeer the close of the civil war,
and intended to go on until the States should
be shorn of rights that had never before been
disputed. Mr.. Morton and those who acted
with him looked to nothing less than radi-
cal change in our institutions, through the
abused forms of law; and they had the hearty
sympathy and cooperation OF Grant In that
project. ConfiScation, test oathS, exclusion
from juries, negro rule, political disabilities,
Federal supremacy in the States, and whole
brood of kindred measures were among the
elements used to promote its success.
The repeal of any of these partisan enact
ments has been obStinately resisted by the
Republicans since they passed into minor
ity in the House, because they tenaclously
cling to the past and regard repeal as re-
Election on the wisdom or justice OF this
| bigoted form of legislation. They have yet
to discover that the world moves. and that
the people of the United States differ from
the fanatics who followed Cromwell and
who originated this Indifferent and proscrip-
| tive SOFT of policy.
Therefore, when the Democrats proposed
to repeal Mr.. Davenport's law, In the very
manner that the Republicans had passed It,
Mr.. Hale, De Golyer Garfield, and other pa
triots of that brand, who had carried the iot
through originally, were virtuously Indignant
that their example should be initiated, AND
threatened things terrible, meaning an extra
session and the like, rather than surrender
their supervisors and unlimited stock O
deputy marshals at five dollars day, tt
work as electioneering agents.
| This menace stirred the resentment OF tnt
Democrats and compacted their column
which had been previously somewhat wayer
! ing, from the known opposition OF Mr.. Bay
ard, Hr. Hill and others in the Senate, to this
movement. What the outcome may be dc
ponds now very much on the backbone OF tn'
conflicting sides and the future action OF con
ference committees. A way, out OF suci
dilemmas can always be found when there II
will to discover it. The party whips are yer!
active in plying their vocation, but after Tn
first explosion there Is usually calm, Wnei
the second thought comes in very lncon
venently for the designs OF lntrlguers VIII
an eve to the main chance An extra session
does not necessarily follow from the pas
siOnate utterance in the House, ana IL Cal
, easily be prevented at the critical moment b.
wise counsels, if the leaders are disposed
that course, as most OF them are known U
be in the Senate.
A division between the Democratic chiefs
in the House and the older party heads a
: the other end of the Capital does not loO
well for harmony inside the party, especial
r on a question which might be supposed
l be q bond of union between them. Although
Mr.. TIL lrman in the joint caucus took tn
T lead of the repealers and antagonized tn
l position taken by Mr. Bayard, still he ha
3 always been outspoken against an extra SCI
r sion as impolitic and attended with seriou
r risks But he may have 70 surrender to tn
|. demands of the youngsters, who have nun
l her of enterpriseS on hand, such as the elet
ton of Speaker by snap Judgment, an earl
distribution of all the Congressional patron
: age, a law to give out the public printing b
t contract to favored com binatioD, and oth'
: interesting .bS, which have been concocte
S for some time past by a ring OF manager
e anxious to serve the country and them sci We
9 In the regular routine of legislation tt
Z House is tar ahead of the Senate and ca
= easily finish its work and have time to spal
before the bell tolls the departure OF IL
Forthwith Congress. The appropriate
( bills draw their length slowly along ~ u
: Senate. One of them would have pee ncou
. pleted fortnight ago but for the InaInae
t ment required to get the Roach SUBSIDY Y
t the postoffice bill by diplomatic convent. u;
e with Mr.. WINDOWS COMMITTEES on App. App ..
lions. OF course, Mr.. Window Is very mue