Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-08-05
The Next Congress.

When the ALNllth Congress
meets next December there will be
81 Republicans, 80 Democrats, in
Guiding David Davis of Illinois, and l
Readjuster Democrat, General Ma.
hone, in the Senate. There were
elected to the House l48 Republicans.
135 Democrats, s Greenback men aud
two Readjuster Democrats.
There are now FIVE vacancies in the
House-three Republicans and one
Democrat in the New York deIega-
ton, and one Republican in Maine.
The Democrats expect to gaia mem
bers in New York, in place of Miller,
elected Senator, and in place of the
city member Morton, appointed Min
lister to France IF they do this the
straight Republican force in the
House will be reduced to lac, or one
less than the number necessary to elect
Speaker, provided all the members
are in their seats and voting. But it
is extremely probable the Republicans
will be able to gain Two or three of
the Greenback mem Jers, on condition
Of giving them good committee places,
or share in the subordinate Offices
Of the House, such as deputies of the
Sergeant-at Arms or Of the paste- and
folder brigade
This will be easily managed, and
the Republicans will organize the next
House, in this way, without much
difficulty; but they will have no ma,
jorlty, warranting or enabling them to
carry through extreme partisan or
sectional measures, such as a general
unseating of Southern Democratic
members on the false plea Of intimi.
dation. The Democrats have a rem
e1y established by the Republicans to
cOmbaSsuch extreme measures, and
that is simply to refrain from voting;
and the Republicans will not be able
to expel single Southern member, on
the bogus and fictitious contests which
are now being engineered. If there
are contests that rest on a sound basis,
they should be considered and voted
on but the Democrats will be justified
in using all available parliamentary
methods to prevent what the Re-
publicans threaten in the way of a
general unseating oil Southern DEM
ocrats now holding certificates. It
can't be done. 1t requires l47 men,
hers to make quorum, and no num-
Der less than this can transact bust
ness it the existence of quorum is
challenged.
They are powerless, as the Demo-
Gratis found out in number of party
measures in the late Congress. We
wanted to pass, in view of the Presi-
Dental election, a stringent law for
bidding, under severe penalties,
assessments on Federal officials, clerks
or contractors for political purposes.
Such law, if thoroughly enforced,
would have elected Hancock; but the
Republicans denounced it as an
assault on private rights, and broke a
quorum to prevent a vote being
reached on it. They did this contin-
uOusly during the whole session.
whenever the bill came up. Failure
to pass the bill enabled them to
garner million of dollars at the least
from Federal officials and contractors,
not forgetting the star route gang, and
so carry New York and Indiana. A
good many of these people are now
talking civil service reform very loud
ly; but it is only talk.
The Senate is even closer divided
than the House. If Malone votes
with the Republicans the members
will be tied, and Vice. President
Arthur will have the casting vote, as
he had at the spring session. There
is no reason to doubt Malone will vote
in December as he did last May. 1t
is probable the democrats will permit
the Republicans to elect Senate off,
GERS, but they are pledged to defeat
any Readjuster Malone puts forward.
He will not have Democratic aid to
realize the price of his treaohery.
1t may be said that never before in
our history have the Senate and House
been so closely divided politically, as
they are now. At times one branch
or the other has been very close, but
not both branches at the same time.
And this close division seems in ac-
cord with the political sentiment of
the country. There were not five
thousand votes difference last fall be-
tween the TIVE parties, in a poll Of
over nine millions Of votes.-[Pitts-
burg Post.