National Republican., 1881-03-19
He Favors an Extra Session.


/ see the question of an extra session
of Congress is being discussed. You seem TO favor
it, while many of the sages of the party oppose it.
Viewed from the Republican standpoint, it seems
to me that there should be no controversy, no
doubt, and no hesitancy In calling an extra ses-
sion. If, as charged by the Republicans, that the
voters in the ex-rebel cotton States were bull
dozed last fall and their votes not counted cast,
and by the many other patent ways of the ex-
rebels to prevent an honest election and honest
count, Democrats got certificates of election to
Congress when the Republican candidate should
have had the certificates and it is further charged
by the contendng candidates in these States, that
their witnesses are prosecuted and even murdered
fer testyng to the facts of the case making it i'm
possible to prosecute these contests, Congress
should be convened and com mittees sent during
the and fall to those States to inquire into
the facts of the case. High sounding inauguralS
have influence for the protection of these con-
testants, and when the regular session meets in
December almost one half of the term Of the Con-
gress is gone and no committee can then be sent
South to inquire into the facts of the case and the
result will be that the contest will drag along un-
til the end Of the Congress, when the sitting mem
ber will be allowed to hold his seat, and the
contestant, If not murdered III the meantime, will
be paid for his contest. If the administration
mean to yindicate the purity of elections and
punish those who have made elections in the
South farce now Is the time to do il. Action not
promises, Is the word. Members of Congress are
now being paid nearly $500 month. They have
time to investigate this summer-they cannot in
the winter-and there will be an election on hand
the next fall Ifthere is no extra session the only
object of contest will be the pay the contestant
will receive. But says the tariff man, an extra
session will commence war on the tariff and upset
business. / take it that the next Congress will
have time enough to appoint a COM
mission of suitable men who understand
the tariff question from an American
standpoint to investigate the whole SUBJ
ject and report to Congress general policy for
the collection of the needed revenue. There comes
the man who is terribly uneasy for fear that Tom
Jones will be paid for spawned horse lost in the
Mexican war if there is an extra session of Con-
gress II might be better TO have no more sessions
of Congress and then Tom Jones would never be
paid for the lost horse. This is the argument
against an extra session. and 1t is the only argIl-
ment that means anything. do not know whether
Sherman and the President meant what they said
about the necessity of funding bill, nor do
1 know whether they were right or wrong in
their statesments but If they were right it will be
a great and gTieyous wrong tOthe people if there
1t has got to be pretty settled conviction among
the people that the declaration of politicians is all
buncouabe. If that is so, and there is no need of
protecting the people who vote the Republican
ticket In the Sonth, and there is no need Of pass
ing funding BILL there is no need of an extra
session of Congress; for such session would ineon-
venience the President and Cabinet officials and
members of Congress. If an extra session was
held they could not get off to watering places
quite as soon as if there was no session.
ANTI BOURBON