The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1880-11-11
The Work Before Congress.

an important one, even if we leave out
of the question the counting Of the cleo
toral vote. First in order will be the re-
appOrtionment for Congressional repre-
sentation during eneXt ten years, begin
ming with the Forty eighth Congress.
The census returns Of this year are suffi-
GENTLY completed to show that, accept
ing the basis last adopted, Obj ,425 of
population) the House would be increased
from 293 to :}6o members. But as now
constituted the House is an unwieldy
body, and the Hall of Representative is
hardly adequate for 293 members. AT
the present rate of increase twould soon
outgrow the Capitol building, if it has not
already done so. Congress may there
fore see fit to increase the basis of repre-
sentation, 50 as to keep the House with
in reasonable limits.
This will be the last session Of the
FortysiXth Congress, and as there will
be, practically, but eleven weeks for leg
islation, during which time the regular
appropriation bills must be passed, an
extra session of the Forty seventh Con
gress is probable. In that event Presi-
dent Garfield will no doubt ask Congress
to inquire whether, under section , of the
fourteenth constitutional amendment and
% Of Iva a,
right to vote in some of the Southern
States has not been abridged and this
will inN olive the sending out of commit
tees to ascertain whether the number Of
Representatives from the Southern States
ought not to be reduced, us the law pro
vides shall he done III certain contingent
CleS and the solid South Shorn of a Dor
ton Of its lbs votes. Another important
question, not of a political or sectional
nature, but involving the financial honor
OF the Nation, IS the repeal of the Silver
bill, which will be the burden of the last
message Of President Hayes and the main
feature of the report of Secretary Sher-
man to Congress. In the Treasury See
rotary sherman and his associates regard
the repeal of the silver bill as of the
highest Importance The first thing to be
urged is the repeal of the law making it
obligatory to coin Silver and the repeal Of
the law authorizing the issue of silver
certificates, with authority Of law to dis
continue the issue OF one and two dollar
legal tender notes until the fifty odd
millions Of standard silver dollars and the
twenty-five millions of fractional silver
coin have entered into circulation.
The third important question is the ne
cessity OF making provision for funding
500 ,0OO,O0O of bonds, 5000 900, 900 of
which are six per cents. the remainder
tvcs. The skies are rcdeemablc June 30
next and the tivcs May next. There
are still SO, 0o0OOO four per cents not
issued, and whether the bill of Mr. Wood
limiting funding operations to a three
and half per cent bond, will be passed
at the coming session or the responsible
ty of providing for i new bond Will de-
volve upon the Forty seventh Congress
the future alone can determine
The Prog Age, in long and laborcd
defence Of the Democratic demand for
tariff for revenue only demand the
people Of this country sat down upon very
heavily on the 2nd of Nov. only succeeds
in airing It's own Ignorance. For example,
the Age says "that such has been the
marvellous progress of invention, that al
most everything is made 10y machinery,
and the amount of manual labor required
is reduced tc Il minimum The idea it
seeks to convey is that the invention OF
labor saving machinery is taking employ
ment from manual laborcrs Exactly the
reverse Of this proposition is true and
the same may be said of the arguments Of
the \ge generally. They are of the
boomerang order
The American, new political and
literary journal published weekly in Phil
adelpEia, makes the following statement
concerning the rumors as TO bargains and
agreements between Gen. Garfield and
Senator Conkling
These umors were altogether misleading Meth
then at luV other time did Mr. ffariali t.nu-
clllate Senator tonkling or any other mans sup
port by any pledges beside those contained in
his letter Of acceptance We know whereof we
speak when we say that not even tieorge Wash
lngton entered upon office more free from en-
tanglement of every sort.
MIR. Wharton Barker, who is interested
in the American, is warm personal and
political friend of General Garfield, and
this statement is considered semi of1icial.
1t will be surprise to some, no doubt.
to learn that there were five Presidential
tickets in the field at the late election.
But we have not heard of any state going
for Weaver and Chambers, (Greenback)
Dow and Thompson prohibition) or
Phelps and Pomeroy (Anti- Masonic)
Perhaps little state has been overlook
ed somewhere.
No doubt the Democratic newspapers
feel badly over the election; but than is
hardly an excuse for their silly talk about
Gen. Grant and an empire succeeding