Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-06-21
THE RECORD OF A FRUITLESS
SESSION.

time IN many years, Oh ACCOUNT VI lasI
summers extra session, both branches
met IN December fully differed, with
the committees already organized and
everything ready for business. They
adjourn now, after a session of six
months and half, leaving scarcely any
thing as the result beyond the passage
of the regular appropriation bills except
few pension bills and other almost as
petty measures. The most important
subject of all, viewed from a patriotic
stand-point-the settlement of some
plan for counting the electoral votes
next winter-was allowed to drag along
month after month, until the republicans
in the House were able in the last hours
of the session to fight off all action upon
the joint rule which the Senate democrats
at last sent over. No financial legisla-
ton whatever has been enacted. Pres
ident Hayes and Secretary Sherman
startled the republicans, and Senator
Bayard provoked the democrats, by pro-
posing legislation regarding the legal
tenders, but zone party was afraid and
the other daresn't," so nothing ever
came of either proposition. A funding
bill was reported from the ways and
means committee, and some speeches
were discharged upon it, but it could
never be pressed to vote. 1t has been
the first regular session of Congress
democratic in both branches since before
the war, yet not the first step has been
taken toward a reform of the glazing
abuses Of the tariff, thanks chiefly to
Speaker Randall's ingenious framing Of
ways and means committe with esspe-
cial reference to how not to do it. A
single bill affecting distilleries and some
legislation regarding the tax on tobacco
constituts the sum total of internal rev.
enue legislation. A number of meas
ures of considerable Importance have
passed one or the other branch, but will
sleep through the summer and fall on
the calendar of the other, as, for instace,
the House bill regulating the removal
of causes from state to federal courts.
In short, when one has named the reg.
ular appropriation bills, he has practi'
cally summarized all the legislation Of
the session which affects the country al
large
Looking back over the last half-yeal
it seems almost impossible that Congress
should have sat so long and done 81
little. Neither branch could be per
suaded to do and work before the holi
day recess. After the House wasted
the peter part of two months in revising
its rules, and instead of having when i
was inishsd, a code that everybody
could understand, more time than eve
has been consumed in the disputes as t
their proper construction. In the Sen
ate Randolph persuaded his fellow-dem
ocrats to take up the Fitz John Porte
case against their better judgment, AM
many days were wasted in long speeches
only to have the subject dropped with
out reaching vote. Then Ben Hill
still more against their will, induce
, his colleagues to revive the Louisian
question by reporting resolution
turn Kellogg out of his seat, and
, dreary discussion has run on intermi
q tently week after week. Finally, afte
the months which should have been ri,
en- to legislative work had been waste
: in fruitless talk, the committees on al
preparations in either branch asserte
q their prerogatives, and the necessar
v bills for the support of the governmer
U have claimed attention most of the tin
9 for the last few weeks. Thus it is tn;
q tee session has run away and left so Ii
tie behind.
If The record is not one of which Il
% democrats can feel very proud. N
o only has it shown them incompetent
, legislate broadly for the country, b.
- even as regards the appropriations, thu
,f have largely thrown away their rept
. ton for economy, and 60 into the Cal
paign with the most enormous river al
harbor bill that ever passed Congre
. The republicans, to be sure, have help'
Il swell the appropriations, and many
> the increases have been carried by the
~ votes with only a struggling suppo
from the democratic side, but it is is
ri old, and, on the whole, just rule viii
IN holds the majority party to responsible
Is for legislation. There is really only
y, single direction in which the democrs
III have made any reputation, and in IL
aS direction it is not possible to praise t
+ highly their record. No rebublic
70 Congress, even when that party's maj,
ct ity was so large that seat more or /,
to was of little consequence, has treat
ne questions of contested seats so fair
10 The democrats pure and simple cons
os tute only bare majority of the Hou
le- and the temptation to strengthen tn
Ike majority is very strong. Yet the de
we ocratic members of the elections co
'ut mittee could not rally majority 70
hS coot,ro nooooll~