Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-08-11


al any moment In the senate there are iOTty-tWO L
democrats-a majority OF that boly. OF these ioIly.
two. thirty are southern men aud WE'VE noItncsns
and Of these thirty sOulherners twenty three were
either Confederate generals or held high positlons
in the coniedoracy during tho rebellion. Ihat y |
the situation in the congress OF lne OaIsd a,,ss
while shall prove TO you that the sOulh mas sos
control of congress, | am also going TO show yeu
what they have done since they obtained mat con
troll and what they are likely TO do should they
elect their candidate for president; .-,
Congress is made up in the way have descriOe'i.
Now see the str tegy OF the sOutherners and now
thew are irving to get the control OF this country
by cunning, by brains-fOr give them credit LOT
| lhat-when they could not by force oil arms. Ihey
| are woodworking the northern democrats as they
did before the War-nOt but what vermont demo
Gratis are just Intelligent and just as bright as
Vermont republicans, only they do not, apprehend
the gravity of the danger with which southern
domination menaces tile country, ana party ANNA
tons have led them to vote carelessly aud mechan-
Ically. The FIRST thing the south ul1 aler gett'hs
conttol OF congress was to reOrganiZe the commit
tees and the officers OF each house. Inc result
was that all the committees contain majority OF
democrats, and maj DrIty of the democrats 10 al
most every committee are southerners. Letmc prove
this to you in detail: of the twenty-eisht stand.
| ing committees of The Senate, the charmanshlp OF
| seventeen is with the south. They have given the
Craftsmanship of the other eleven 70 their norlhern
friends but in these eleven, as well as In Tue otner
| seventeen, major ity of the democratic majority
| is composed of sOutherners, large proportion OF
| whom were rebels. For instance-the commluee
on privileges and elections, just now most I'M
cases of contested seats in the Senate-all ques-
tionable rights TO seats-s composed OF nine mem
lbers-six democrats and three repubiicans-but
| I've of the six democrats are southerners-one
is from the north.
The Committee on finance Is composed of nine
members-dve democrats and four republicans;
but two of the five democrats are southerners.
The committee on appropriations Is composed OF
nine members-6ve democrats aud four repub
licans; but three of the five democrats are south
erners.
The committee on commerce is composed of nine
members-dve democrats and four republicans;
Int four of the five are southeTners.
The committee on post Offices and post roads is
composed of nine membership democrats and
three republicans; but four of the Sin democrats
are conicdeTales.
The committee on claims, now, in view OF the
immense amount OF pending rebel claims hun
dreds OF millions-a committee OF the graetest i'm
portan3e TO the SOUTH MS is TO the natlon s com
posed of nine memDcfo-hve democrats all CON
feierdtes, and four republicans.
/ rne committee on the election of president and
wee president truly a most important committee
to our whole people, 10 composed of nine members
six democrats and three republicans; but four Of
he tx democrats are cOnfederates.
la the house OF representatives, OF iorly-two
committees, the craftsmanship of twenty-five is
with the south; so in the Senate IN almost all the
committees, while the majority OF the members are
democratic, majority OF that majority are cOnfed-
crates.
lmrmbers-ninc democrats and Six republicans :
but live of the democrats are southerner5.
The committee on ways and means is composed
OF tnlIt teen memDpTS-clgut utnOCTdl5 anu INe
IcpublIcanG; but of the democrats i've are south
erncrS.
Tnc committee on appropriations consists of If
teen mcmbers-nine democrats and SIX republi-
cans; Uut SIX of the democrats arc southerners.
| rhe committee on banking and currency consists
: III ,lcVen members seven democrats anu lour re-
publ hans; but ioGr Of the democrats are southern
ICrs.
rhc committee on the Pacific railroads consists Of
thirteen mcmOcrs-eSht democrats and five repub
Leans but OF the democrats are southerners.
The ruiutnlttcG on war claims consists OF eleven
I mcmbeis-.iX democrats and five republicans; but
| four o the democrats are southerners
The committee commerce consists of fifteen
mem be.s-lcn democrats and five republicans; ba
| seven OF the democrats are southerners.
. The committee on post Offices and post.roads con
sists OF eleven members seven democrats and foul
republicans; but five of the democrats are southern
ers.
we all remember what controversy VIC had four
wears ago, amt realize what danger there Is in any
y unpatrlolC ill-cOnsidered action on the part Of
i this committee. There have already been threats
made that the democratic president Will he seated
next March, that he will be counted in in some way
whether Uy fair meansior foul and 1t behooves III
to ascertain by whose hands the action oil ms, IL
! many respects the most important committee IL
, cong - viii be guided. The senatorial commit
!. tee consists of nine memOers-three republican!
and ELK democrats, of whom four are coniederates
u The repr sentative committee consists of clever
: mcmbcls - four republicans and seven demo
+, Gratis, OF whom four are southerners.
have gathered together these statistics which
> suppose t. he correct for the purpose of bring
y ing some dcts TO the attention OF my fellow n
10 puulicans of Montpelier - facts which cannot b
u gam SAID, and the differences from which ar
~ such as To make all patriots apprehensve o
IL danger, 10 matter 10 what party they belong
u These lucs are such that believe every ntelllgen
10 democrat IN the north, when they are once brouSh
> to his aitcntiun-and he understands, as he canno
y nep understanding, what vote Tor the democratl
ticket ntuaus-w pause and reflect before castin
his bnllpi Tor General Hancock for he Will
=, voting the -uuth into power IN all branches OF tn
~ govcrnuvnt-tnat is all. To-day the south has col
~ OF the United
~ There i another point IN regard 10 the way
~, ~ which they have made up these committees 10
~ unders tauu that alt legislation originates win Ii
IA cummilteCs ihey moli statute get II INTO shap
~, anu as 1t hon them it is acted upon by I'll
oa House and senate The recommendation OF con
~ mlttee IN nine out of ten decides the lale OF
:; bill. The House and Senate are TOO pressed vii
" business to consider bills in detail; they leave thu
- to the committees, and much of the real business
~ congress is done IN their rooms. Now we nave
no congress, as have shown you, democratic MAJOR
iv ties every comSittee, and IN almost every con
-? mittee Il majority OF that majority is composed
" southciners For they do not trust their northeE
,e allies where any really important auair Is 10
~ transacted; and when they came 10 make up the
I committees they took the power INTO their ow
a., hands, But the southerners do not rest contcDte
- even with the immense advantage which the po
VI session of the committees gives them. For fear lh
~ their projects may not be able to survive the crit
NJ Clsm Of the debate In the legislative chambers
no for fear that their northern allies may grow restly
nv aud assert spirit ofindependence upon the floor
n: congress, the southernerss have devised and put
Nv practIce system OF gag law which Is called tt
~, caucus. That Is TO say, when bill which the
IL deem important to llIeit interests, comes Il
w. in either house for action, instead OF allow
10 ing 1t TO be discussed, and its merits or de
nd merits made patent 10 the country In ope
nr debate upon the loOr OF congress, they have
secret meeting by themselves. Atthe cali Of one
GO the southern leaders, the democratic members
m congress get together by themselves anu the que
~, ton is brought up before them IN secret Caucl
~, whether II II the measure shalt rcccycithe
~, ~, united support. lfa majority votes that 1t shal
~" then by lhe rules of party discipline, Is the du
Intnr y
s With this practice In force no matter how reuclaI
~ a northern democrat may be TO see measure pas
he is dragooned into supporting 1t, for what ca
the northern democrats do in a party caucus again
their southrcn brethren? There are only nity-hN
them TO one hundred )uthclnels. Suppose b
tn to increase the army, or bill to increase the naS
or should come before the House of Representative
I'm suppose It was introduced by Il republican,, prOu
BE of his country's history and anxious to malnta
he the dignity oil the old Nag at home and abroad.
We is made party measure. The democrats call the
n. caucus anu they go into secret meeting by then
so selves to decide what their action upon the b
1y snail be. To the oncihundred southern member
r many OF them eX-c0neoeratc solders, or eX oilca
OF the confederate government, the army and nav
sy of the United States represent the power whiC
lis CONQUERED them after bloody struggle. Can the
love them like the men who served undor the sta
or and the stripes for four long years, and TO who
the support oil the boys in blue on land and on 81
to remains n sacred duty, never to be neglected?
he stands reason that they cannot vote Is take
in this secret caucus, the proceedings OF which WI
N. never be submitted TO the broad sun light of pub
ty city, as in open debate. The southerners numb
IS one hundred. The northern democrats only Mt
n five. OF course the southerners carry the day. III
e, northern democrats must obey the crack oil II
At party whip, and they go back to the House.
at The bill comes up for action and the one hundrG
el- and lifly live democrats vote sohdly against
0t That is the caucus system, by means OF which, yO
ey see the southemers have absolute control OF cor
gress to-day, precisely the same as II every nort
ed ern democrat represented n constituency south
er Mason Il DiXon's line. Am not correct in tn
st statement? Does any man dispute it, or questiO
by it? No man can, and no man VIII who has watch
he cd the proceedings of congress during the last N
as years. sin &C the democratic party got the contr
I'D Of tine House in March, 1875. 1t IS as true of Il
IN senate as of the House. suppose such bill as
nj, have described were TO come before the Scnat
lst The democrats go into caucus by themselves,
IA it turns out that there thirty southerners au
twelve northerners. Inc contederates have
III majority and dictate the action OF the caucus, an
a the northern democrats fall into line and vote
I'm their southern allies wish. These things being
a have not demonstrated 10 you that the south Is
e" control of this government SO far as the congre
up of the United states Is concerned? How cou
yet they be completely in control II every one
Ter the one hundred aud ilty-fve democT ratio membe
d lived south of Mason 4 DiXon's line? BY Il
en- caucus system the party votes as unit. There
w. no individual expression OF opinion, and as Il
he sontherncrs are IN majority within the party, Il
he northern democrats must obey them, and 10. II
- soutneIneTs crack the party whip and the northe
AZ democrats fall into lluc, AS they must, by the ruiz
c- of party discipline. SO we have the spectacle Il
lat day of a southern domination of the congress
We the United States.
n THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
oil Having proved that, as hope. to the satisfaction