The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1881-02-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsaIsares, Feb. Ath 1880

Congress has been considerably EN-
barrassed by the absentccism whicI
prevails 10 such an extent this session
i While there are l52 Democrats OH III
roll and only l4T is necessary 10 max
r II quorum, the party is unable 10 pas
- any measures contested by The Re
: pubican', because no quorum o
Democrats is in attendance. Their
are several members elected as Dem
u ocrals who are not only weak-t.nee,
u aid indifferent from a party stand
point, but who nrc also untit legis
tasors and uilaitlful Representative
This is the nuvarnished truth. o.
: Wednesday last, when the electoral
a count resolution was up. there wer,
RI l4S Democrats in this city, but onll
: l1l could be mustered on an aitemp
10 pass the most Important pohtica
measure of The session-a measure
which alone will relieve Chester A
I. Arthur OF the power 10 determine
and declare the result of the next
Presidential election. Some of these
absentces were at home, some wore
ut the Department attending to bust,
r ncss in which they are privately in.
: teresled, and others were even ltss
decentY employed. Of those who
were IN their seats, several wonld moi
remain an hour after their dinner.
time arrived, and lett III spite o; NIL
remonsirapce. So long as the De.
mocracy nnst rely upon this sort OF
material II win lie cold day when II
don't get lett.
Aside from allPariy considerations,
This absenieeism Is most reprehensi-
bic. A inemb bee OF Congress has res.
Tonsible duties TO perform and he ~
expected to attend 10 them as he
agrees 10 do when he seeks and OBJ
tains an election. Jimmy O'Bfieu,
OF New York, has scarcely been IN
his scat this session. lie came oyer
last Monday, wandered about the
House an hour or Two on Tuesday,
and returned that night 10 the me
ropolis. Both his constituents and
the party suffer from such neglect.
or all the Democrats absent last
week but two had valid excused
And this has been the experience OF
the party since II came into power in
the House. In the 44th Congress the
majority was so large thai fifteen or
twenty Absentecs were not missed
but in the last two Congresses great
difficulty has always been ex-
pericnccd in connection with every
measure the Republicans have chosen
TO fight. The people should watch
their Representatives aud hold them
to n rigid responsibility. Look for
their naInes III theN published roll
calls, aud II thev are not there, call
them TO. account No mun who
shirks his duty or who is SO luke.
warm as to dodge a square vote
should be returned second time.
The politics OF the present day de.
maud truer, steriler stuff than that.
One OF the peculiar things connect-
cd with legislation in Congress IS the
strange course usually pursued with
reference to contested seats. When
the seat OF o member Is contested, IL
wonid seem right that ali carly in
yesiigation and settlement OF the case
he had But that is not the wsy il is
done The House Committee on
Elections is one Of the slowest com
iniitee in that body and one that al
most invariably reports upon the bus
mess before il; in the very last days
81 tie last session, when the term
over which the contest arise has
almost expired. In tho present Con.
gress two cases have just been re.
ported, though the facts were jnsl as
well knowitand as casily determined
at tho beginning ofthe session. In
the Florida case. Mr.. Bisbee. a Repnb-
licali. 10 given the seat occupied by
Mr. Hull, and no doubt he was EMIT.
led toit. Two years ago Bisbee was
ouslea from seat in the same man.
ncr, and IL Democrat given the seat
which belonged 10 him, The result
is that for two successive terms this
sumo district has cost double for rep.
rcsenlatiom. the man who in each
Congress rendered no service except
during the last few days OF the term
draws precisely the same pay as the
onewho has occupied The scat. There
is injustice lurking IN this system,
and such following after Republican
prccedenis ought never TO have been |
tolerated in Democratic House.
In one respect, however, the Dem
ocrats have shown how much greater
is their regard for lair play than that
OF the opposite party During the
six year OF Democratic control in life
lower branch of Congress compare.
lively few contests hayc arisen. aud
IN very lew cases has Republican
been unsea, ed. Every contest has
been settled upon tia merits, and
there have been no charges of parliz-
All action. But We. shall soon see how,
the other side will att
The Committee on Elections of the
next House Of Representatives will;
have u ore contested cases before il
than were ever brought in zone Con-
gress, u all who have signiied their
purpose 10 contest seats do so. Five
out VI The six Democratic members
nom mississippi have been notified
HAL their seals Will be contested by
Republic ns. Several contested eases
viii come up from Alabama, three
rom Louisiana, three from South
Carolina. one from Florida, one from
Arkansas, two from Virginia, one or