The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-07-03
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
FROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.
WAsntrcrnr Iltnn 10 1881

WAsHINGroN, June 10, 1880.
The Democrats realize that they committed
n great blunder in passing the resolution to
adjourn while the electoral count rule was
still pending, as 1t gave the Republicans pow
er to defeat that measure by illibusterlng.
Consideration Of the snbject has therefore
been postponed until the December session.
At that time the result of the election will be
known and should It be involved in doubt,
like the last election, there would be great
difficulty in passing measure satisfactory to
both Sides The situation would then be the
same as 1t was four years ago. This certain
ly should have been provided against. I do
not think the Republicans were any more
wise In opposing the new joint rule than the
Democrats were in getting caught in the
trap. Their position, however, is that tho
matter should be determined by law Of Con-
gross and not by joint rule, the lattor, they
claim, not being binding upon any except
members of the two houses. This position the
Democrats dispute and contend that If Con.
gress has power to count the vote at all It has
power to determine the method of procedure,
and they refer to the fact that just such a rule
the famous 22d joint rule-was used by the
Republicans through several successive cleo
tlons. Thus the matter stands at present, and
1t is to be hoped that the election will be so
decisive as to render useless all technicalities
and disagreements.
The interest of the Democrats now centers
upon Cincinnati and to dlsinterested specta-
tor it looks as though things were a good deal
mixed. There is quite an outcry for Seymour
as a candidate, and If he would accept 1 think
he could have the nomination, but he persists
in refusing, and as the matters stand 1 don't
see how anybody can tell who is to be the
man. There are many names mentioned but
none Of them seem to have much Of q follow
ing. Tllden is ahead, but there is so much
opposition to him / don't think he can gain
much. But "if is not Tilden, who in-is it?"
is what they all say around here. We will
have to give 1t up and wait for the convention
to answer that conundrum. One thing seems
reasonably certain; If good nomination is
made we shall have lively campaign.
The agricultural appropriation bill, las final
ly passed by both houses, contains a eomprom-
Use appropriation of 81, 500 for experiments in
the manufacture of sugar from sorghum and
corn stalks, and makes provision for one addi.
| tional chemist, instead of three, rs proposed
! by the Senate. The requirement that an
equal proportion" of seeds be distributed
among Senators, Representatives, and Dele
gates is amended SO as to provide that ian
| equal proportion of three -fourths of all seeds,
plants and cuttings shall, upon their request,
be supplied to Senators, Representatives and
Delegates in Congress for distribution among
their agricultural constituents, or shall, by
] their hn Mt In baf CT ts
Secretary Evarts will deal promptly and
decisively with the Spanish government in
the matter of the firing by a Spanish man-of-
war on two American schooners-the Ethel
Merritt and Eunce Newcomb. He has al.
ready looked into the case of the Merritt and
| finds that there is no shadow of an excuse for
the outrage on her. The vessel was on heN
proper and natural course. She was precise
| ly where she ought to have been, and even
| had she been much nearer the coast there
would have been no excuse for the attack on
! her. The Spanish government is not at war,
and it would hold 1t an extremely unfrlendly
| act If this government were to grant bcllger-
ent rights to the Cuban insurgents. Yet such
attacks on our ships have no excuse in
time of peace, and if they were continued
would make It necessary for our government
in selt-defense to take public notice of the
state of war existing on the island of Cuba.
MIR. Evarts, it is quite certain means to act
vigorously in this matter. Spain has already
been forced by him to pay in the last two
years $4,000 as reparation for similar out
RACES, but the matter now has gone so far that
ample guarantee will be cxacted against the
repetition of an ofTense which not only en-
dangers the lives and property OF American
citizens, but, as MIR. Evarts rightly holds, at
tacks our whole carrying trade by making
our ships less safe than those Of other nations.
Dom PEDRO.