The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1881-02-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsniseTss, Feb. 4ih 1880

/ O0'st>sS 80 ht"o otth Wi
barrassed by the absentecism whic
prevails 10 such an extent this session
white there ARE l52 Democrats on III
Troll aud only l47 is necessary TO max
u quorum, the party is unable 10 pas
any measures contested by The Re
publieane, because 10 quorum q
Democrats is in attendance. Their
are several members elected as Dem
ocra,s who are not only .weak.knee
aid indifferent from a party stand
pc int, but who nre also unfit legir
ta.ors and uniaitlfui Representative,
This is the uuvarnished truth. d
Wednesday last, when the electoral
conutrcsolution was up. there wer
l4S Democrats in this city, but onl.
l1l could DO mustered on an altemp
10 pass the most Important pohtica
measure of The session. measur,
which alone will relieve Chester A
Arthur OF the power TO determine
aud declare the result of the nexl
Presidential election. Some of these
absences were AT home, some wore
ut the Department attending to bust
moss in which they are privately in
teresied, and others were even lts.
decently employed, or those who
were Ia their seats, several wonld moi
remain an hour after their dinner,
time arrived, and lett Ia spite o; MI
remonstraDce. SO long IS the De
mocracy fnnst rely upon this sort Of
material II will he cold day when II
don't gel lett.
Aside Irom allPariy considerations,
this absenieelsm Is most rcprelensi-
bic. a inemb bee of Congress has res
+ onsible duiiesto perform and he Is
expected to attend 10 them AS he
agrees 10 do when he seeks and OBJ :
tains an election. jimmy O'Brien,
OF New York, has scarcely been ia
his seat this session. lie came o. er
last Monday, wandered about the
House an hour or TWO on Tuesday,
and returned that night 10 the me-
tropoIis. Both his constituents and
the party suffer from such neglect
OF all the Democrats absent last
week but two had valid excused
And this has been the cxpericnco OF
the party since IL came into power in
the House. In The 44th Congress the
majority was SO large that tiiteen or
twenty Abseutecs were not missed !;
but in the last two Congresses great
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 Il rigid responsibility. Look for
their naInes III The. punished roll
calls, aud II lhev are not there, call
them TO, account No man who
slirks his duty or who is SO luke
warm as to dodge square vote
should lie returned q second time.
The politics OF the present day de.
niand truer, sterler stud 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 member is contested, il
would seem right that ali carly in-
yesiigation and settlement oil. the case
he had But that is not the way il il
done The House Committee on
Elections 10 one OF tho slowest COM
rnittee in that body and one that al
most invariably reports upon the bus
mess before il. in the very last days
Of Tie last session, whcn the term
over which the contest arise has
almost expired. III hepresent Con.
gress two cases have just been re.
paried, though the facts were jnsi as
well knowlfand is easily determined
81 the beginning OF the session. In
the Florida case. Mr.. Bis6ee. a Repnb-
lican. Is given the seat occupied by
Mr Hull, and no doubt he was EMIT.
led 10 II. Two years ago Bisbee was
ouslea from seat in the same man.
ner, and Is Democrat given the seat
which belonged 10 him, The result
is that for two successive terms this
sumo district has cost double for rep.
rcseniation. 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
one who has occupicdtlie scat. There
is injustice lurking in this system,
and such following after Republican
prccedents ought never to have been
tolerated IN a Democratic House.
In one respect. however, the Dem
ocrats have shown how much greater
istheir regard for lair play than that
OF the opposite party During the
six year OF Democratic control in life
lower branch OF Congress compara..
tivclySiew contests hayc arisen, aud
in very lew cases has a Republican
been unsea ed. Every contest has
been settled upon its merits, and
there have been 10 charges of 'pariiz-
an action. But we shall soon see how
differently the other side will at.
The Committee on Elections of the
next House OF Representatives will:
lIave ore contested cases before il
than were ever brought in zone Con-
eress, il all who have signified their
purpose TO contest seats do so. Five
OUT oi The six Democratic members
from mississippi have been notified
thai their seats Will be contested by