Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1881-02-02


During the week the majority II
Congress has been considerably en-
barrassed by the absenteelsm which
preyales 10 such an extent this session
While there are 1852 Democrats on
tho roll aud only i47 ID necessary 10
make a quorum, the party Ia unable to
pass any measure contested by the
Republicans, because no quorum Of
Democrats IL In attendance, There
arc several members elected ~ Demo
Gratis who Nre ne, ouly weskea'hneed
and Indifferent from the party stand
point, but who are also unfit lcgisla
tors and uniaithful Representatives.
This Is. the unvarnishei truth On
Wednesday last, when the electoral
count resolution was up. there were
i4s Democrats In the city, but only
al could DO mustered on on attempt
to pass the most important political
measure of the session-a measure
which alone will relieve Chester A.
Arthur OF the power to determine aud
declare the result of tho next Presi-
dental election. Some OF these Alb
sentecs were At home, some where NJ
the Departments attending to business
10 which they ARE privately interested,
and Others were even less decenlly
employed. OF those who were in
their seats, several would not remain
an hour after dinner-timc arrived, and
leit in spite of all remonsIiance, SO
long as the Democracy must rely up
on this sort OF material it will be q
cold day when it don't get left
Aside from all party conslderer-
atoms, this absenteeism is most apre'
hensible. A member Of Congress has
responsible duties to pretorm aud be
il expected to attend to them as he
agrees to do when he seeks and OBJ
tains an election. Jimmy OBren, Of
N. y, has scarcely been in his seat this
ses ion. He camo over last Monday
wandered about the House IN 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
absent last week but two had valid
excuses. And this has been the expert
ence OF the party since it came into
power in the House. In the 44th
Congress the majority was so lars"
that fifteen or twenty absents were
not missed but in the last two Con-
crosses great difficulty hos always
been experienced in connection with
every measure the Republicans have
chosen to fight. The people Should
watch their representatives and hold
them to a rigid responsibility. Look
tor their names in the published roll
calls, and if they are not there, call
them TO account. No man who shirks
bis duty or who is so ukewarm as to
dodge square vote shouldn'tbe return
ed second time. The politics OF the
present day demand truer sterner stuff
than that.
One Of the peculiar things connect
ed with legislation in Congress is the
strange course usually pursued with
reference to contested seats. When
the seatjof q member is contested, it
would seem right that an early investl'
cation and settlement OF the case be
had. But that is not the way it is
done. The House Committee on
Elections is one OF the slowest COM
mittees in that body and one that al
most invariably reports upon the busi-
ness before it 10 the very last days OF
the last session, when the term over
which the contest arises; has about ex-
pred, 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. tisbee, Republican
is given the seat occupied by Mr..
Hull, and no doubt he was entitled to
it. Two years ago BIsbee was out
side from, a 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 represen-
tation. The man who in each Con-
gress rendered no service except dur.
ing the last few daya Of the term
draws precisely the same pay as the
one who has occupied the seat. There
is injustioe lurking in this system, and
such following after Republican pre-
cedents ought never to have been
tolsssted in Democratic House.
In ono respect, however, the Demo
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