Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-02-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
lTFrom Onr regular Correspondence
WAsHINaroN, Jam. 81. 1ssl.

an extent this session. While there are
l52 Democrats on the roll and only
147 is necessary to make a quorum, the
party is unable to pass any measure con-
tested by the Republicans, because no
quorum of Democrats is in attendance.
There are several members elected as
Democrats who are not only weak .kneed
and indifferent from party standpoint,
but who are also unfit legislators and un-
faithful Representatives. This is the
unvarnisbed truth. On Wednesday last.
when the electoral count resolution was
up, there were i4S Democrats in the city,
but only l4i could be mustered on an at
tempt to pass the most important politi-
cal measure of the session--a measure
which alone will relieve Chester a.
Arthur of the power to determine and
declare the result of the next Presidential
election. Some Of these absentees were
at home, some were at the Departments
attending to business in which they are
privately interested, and others were
even less decently employed. OF those
who were In their seats, several would
not remain an hour after their dinner
time arrived, and left in spite of all re-
monstrance. So long as the Democracy
must rely upon this sort of material it
will be cold day when it don't get left.
Aside from all party considerations,
this absenteeism is most reprehensibe.
A member of Congress has responsible
duties to perform and he is expected to
attend to them'as he agrees to do when he
seeks and obtains an election. Jimmy
O'Brien, of New York, has scarcely been
in his seat this session. He came over
last Monday, wandered about the House
an hour or two on Tuesday, and returned
that night to the metropolis. Both his
constituents and the party suffer from
such neglect. OF all the Democrats alb
sent last week but two had valid excuses.
And this has been the experience of the
party since it came into power III the
House. In the 44th Congress the majori-
ty was SO large that fifteen or twenty alb
sentees were not missed; but in the last
two Congresses great difficulty has al
ways been experienced in connection
with every measurethe Republicans have
chosen to fight. The people should watch
their representatives and hold them to a
rigid responsibility. Look for their
names in the published roll-calIs. and If
they are not there, call them to account.
No man who shirks his duty or who is SO
lukeworm as to dodge a square vote
should be returned second time. The
politics of the present day demand truer,
sterner stuff than that
One of the peculiar things connected
with legislation in Congress is the strange
course usually pursued with reference to
contested seats. When the seat of a
member is contested, it would seem right
that all early investigation and settle
ment of the case be had. But that is not
the way it is done The House Commit
tee on Elections is one of the slowest COM
mittees in that body and one that almost
invariably reports upon the business be-
fore it in the very last days of the last
session, when the term over which the
contest arises has about expired. In the
present Congress two cases have but just
been reported, though the facts were just
as well known and as easily determined
at the beginning Of the session. In the
Florida case, Mr.. Bishbee, a Republican,
is given the seat occupied by Mr.. Hull,
and no doubt he was entitled to it. Two
years ago Bisbee was ousted from seat
in the same manner and Democrat
given the seat which belonged to him.
The result is that for two successive
terms this same district has cost double
for representation. The man who in each
Congress rendered no service except dur
ing the last few days of the term draws
precisely the same pay asthe one who has
occupied the seat. There is injustice
lurking in this system, and such follow
ing after Republican precedents ought
never to have been tolerated in a Demo-
cratic House.
In one respect, however, the Democrats
have shown how much greater is their
regard for fair play than that of the OPP
posite party. During the six years of
Democratic control i'll the lower branch
of Congress comparatively, few contests
have arisen, and in very few cases has a
Republican been unseated. Every con
test has been settled upon its merits. and
there have been no charges of partizan
action But we shall soon see how diff
erently the other side will act. The Com
mittee on Elections of tile next House of
Representatives will have more contested
eases before it than We're ever brought in
one Congress, if all who have signified
their purpose to contest seats do SO. Five
out of the six Democratic members from
Mississippi, have been notified that their
seats will be contested by Republicans.
Several contested cases will come up
from Alabama,- three from Louisiana,
three from South Carolina, one from
Florida. one from Arkansas, two from
Virginia, one or twoTr0m North Carolina
and number from other States. The
only member from Mississippi who es-
'capes contest is Mr., Money, and there
was no Republican candidate in his dis.
trict. An impression seems to have gone
out that the Republicans intend TO un-
seat a goodly number of Democrats from
the South in thenext House, and nearly
every man who ram for Congress as a Re-
publican in that section has given notice
of contest. Greed of office is the cohe-
sive principle of the Republican party,
and the readiness of the entire organiza-
}tion to stand up as one, man in the per-
petration of any partizan outrage is one
secret of its success. Democrats always
hook for redress in appeal to the people,
but before the day of reckoning comes
round the wrongs are forgotten.
K A singular accident, the effects of which
have not yet entirely disappeared, oc-
Cured to member OF the House of Rep
resentatives just before holiday recess.
He had been in the habit OF using hair
tonic before retiring to bed, cooling his
powerful intellect thereby and inducing
sleep. One night he forgot it, put cut
the light, and laid himself down to sleep.
But becoming restless, ne RENE mbered
the tonic, and reaching out his hand