Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-08-11


eleven members - six Democrats and five
Republicans; but four of the Democrats are
southerners.
The committee on commerce consists of
fifteen members-ten Democrats and five
Republicans; but seven of the Democrats
are southerners.
The committee on pestofices and post
roads consists of eleven members - seven
Democrats and four Republicans but five
of the Democrats are southerners.
The committee on the electoral count
and we all remember what controversy
we had four years ago, and realize what
danger there is in any unpatriotic or ill
considered action on the part of this COM
mittee. There have already been threats
made that the Democratic president will be
seated next March that he will be counted
in in some way-whether by fair means or
foul and it behooves us to ascertain by
whose hands the action of this-in many re-
spects the most important committee in con-
gress--will be guided. The senatorial COM
mttee consists of nine members-three Re
publicans and six Democrats, of whom four
are confederates. The representative COM
mittee consists of eleven members-four Re
publicans aud seven Democrats, of whom
four are southerners.
have gathered together these statis-
tics, which | suppose to be correct, for
the purpose of bringing some facts to the
attention of my fellow-Republican Of Mont
pelier-facts which cannot be gainsaid,
and the differences from which are such
as to make all patriots appreheDsive of
danger, no matter to what party they be-
long. These facts are such that believe
every intelligent Democrat in the north,
when they are once brought to his attention
/ and hp m do bp 10
Outstanding, what a vote for the Democratic
ticket means-will pause and reflect before
casting his ballot for General Hancock; for
he will be voting the south into power in all
branches of the government, that is all. To
day the south has control of the congress
of the United States absolutely. There is
another point in regard to the way in which
they have made up these committees. You
understand that all legislation originates with
the committees. They mould statute get
it into shape, and as it comes from them it
is acted upon by the house and senate. The
recommendation of committee in nine cases
out of ten decides the fate of bill. The
house and the senate are too pressed with
business to consider bills in detail They
leave that to the committees, and much of
the real business of congress is done in their
rooms. Now we have in congress- as have
shown you, Democratic majorities in every
'committee and in almost every committee
majority of that majority is composed of
southerners for they do not trust their
northern allies where any really important
affair is to be transacted, and when they
came to make up their committees they took
the power into their own hands. But the
southerners do not rest contented even with
the immense advantage which the possession
of the committees gives them. For fear
that their projects may not be able to sur
vive the criticism Of debate in the legisla-
tive chambers, or for fear that their north
ern allies may grow FESTIVE and assert
spirit of independence upon the floor of
congress, the southerners have devised and
put in practice system of gag law which is
called the caucus. That is to say, when
bill which they deem important to their in
terests comes up in either house for action,
instead of allowing it to be discussed and
its merits or dement's made patent to the
country in open debate upon the floors of
congress, they have a secret meeting by
themselves. At the call of one of the south
ern leaders the Democratic members of con-
gress get together by themselves and the
question is brought up before them in secret
caucus, whether or not the measure shall
receive their united support. If a ma
jority votes that it shall, then by the
rules of party discipline it is the duty of
every Democrat to vote for it without more
ado. With this practice in force, no matter
how reluctant a northern Democrat may be
to see a measure pass, he is dragooned into
supporting it, for what can the northern
Democrats do in party caucus against
their southern brethren There are only
fifty.five OF them to one hundred southerners.
Suppose bill to increase the army or bill
to Increase the navy should come before the
house of representatives. Suppose it was
introduced by Republican, proud of his
country's history and anxious to maintain
the dignity of the old flag at home and
abroad. 1t is made party measure. The
Democrats call their caucus, and they go
into secret meeting by themselves to de
eide what their action upon the bill shall be.
To the one hundred southern members,
many of them ex-confederate soldiers, or ex-
officials of the confederate government, the
army and navy Of the United States repre-
sent the power which conquered them after
bloody struggle. Can they love them like
the men who served under the stars and the
stripes for four long years, and to whom the
support of the boys in blue on land and on
sea remains sacred duty, never to be neg
lected 1t stands to reason that they can
not. A vote is taken in this secret caucus,
the proceedings of which will never be sub
mitted to the broad sunlight of publicity, as
in open debate The southerners number
one hundred the northern Democrats only
tifty-fve. OF course the southerners carry
the day. The northern Democrats must
obey the crack of the party whip, and they
go back to the house. The bill comes up
for action and the one hundred and fifty-five
Democrats vote solidly against it. That is
the caucus system, by means of which, you
see, the southerners have absolute control of
con gress to-day, precisely the same as if
every northern Democrat represented a con-
stituency south of Mason and Dixon's line.