The sun., 1881-03-13
Let There be No See-Saw Over the
Committees Of the Senate.

There are more than forty committees In
tho Senate. Though only about three
fourths OF them bear the names OF standing
and joint committees they are all perma-
nent, and under ordinary circumstances last
through Congress. These committees
practically control legislation In the Senate.
Without the preliminary sanction of the
committee having charge OF the class OF
subjects In question, 1t Is next to impossible
to get q matter before the Senate for con-
sideration. II by rare good fortune 1t
reaches that stage, the chances are ten to
ono that it will go no further without the
approval OF the committee
From this we discover the cause OF the
struggle between the Democrats and Re
publicans for obtaining possession Of the
committees in the present Senate.
The Republicans have blamed the Demo-
Gratis for trying to get control Of the COM
mittees while the seats recently occupied by
Messrs. CARPENTER, BLAINE, WINDOW, and
KIRKwooD remained vacant. They call it
sharp practice, and give it other hard
names. But is there sensible man in the
nation who doubts that under like circum-
stances the Republican Senator's would do
the very same thing in their own case
Would the most audacious party that ever
existed in this country be likely to abstain
from using all the means within it's reach
for securing it's hold upon the most i'm
portant branch OF the national legislature
through an entire Congress? Nevertheless,
an affirmative answer to this question will
not make 1t either right or expedient for the
Democrats to follow bad examples.
1t Is understood that all the seats in the
Senate will be filled on Wednesday OF this
week. when 1t will consist OF 81 regular
Democrats and 81 regular Republicans, be-
sides Judge DAVIS and Gen. MALONE. Sena-
tor DAVIS was chosen by combination OF
all the Democrats and few Republicans in
the Illinois Legislature, and Senator MA
HONE was elected by coalition Of all the
Republicans and a portion OF the Democrats
in the Virginia Legislature. DAVIS had al
ways been Republican, and MALONE had
always been Democrat. But there seems
to be no doubt that in the matter OF ap-
pointing the committees DAVIS will vote
with the Democrats and MAHoNE with the
Republicans. II this turns out to be so the
Senate, on this subject, will stand 3S to 3s.
Vice-President ARTHUR will be in the chair
and will call into requisition that clause Of
the constitution which declares that the
Vice-President shall preside over the Senate,
"but shall have no vote unless they be
equally divided"
This might appear to incline the scale to
the Republican side But victory on this
vital question, obtained in this manner, in q
body composed OF such peculiar materials,
would rest on a basis so narrow and frail
that it would be in danger OF toppling over
at any moment.
The committees thus appointed could be
recast at any subsequent time by the change
OF single vote. The casual absence Of a
Republican Senator would afford an oppor-
tunity for securing the same end. Then, on
the other hand, the momentary ascendancy
of the Republicans would suffice to restore
the old committees. And so the unseemly
struggle could be kept up all through the
Forty-seventh Congress.
This would never do. The Just and expe-
dent mode OF making up the committees is
to arrange them on the basis OF fair com
promise between the Democrats and the
Republicans.