The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1881-03-27
Extra Session Talk.
EDITORIAL ooRREsPoSDENcE

subject OF an extra session Of con-
gress is much discussed. The failure
Of the funding and the apportion
ment bills, and the desire for in
vestigations by congressional COM
mittees of the methods whereby
several Bourbon congressman were
returned elected in the face of
overwhelming majorities against
them, are among the reasons urged
FOR convening the two houses of
congress in extra session. If the
inquiries in the southern contested
election cases could begin in May
we might hope TO have decisions
before adjournment, and Lowe, of
Alabama; Lynch and Buchanan,
Of Mississippi; Lee, of South
Carolina; Stovall, of Virginia, and
other liberals would have their
seats, in place Of men defeated.
The slender majority OF the ad-
ministration in that body is at
tributable to wrongs which should
be speedily undone. The vacan-
cies created by the elections Of
Conger, Hale, and Frye to the
senate and the appointment Of
Morton as minister to France
could all be filled by special elec-
tons. The apportionment bill
ought not to be considered until
the contested election cases are
settled, if such a course is practi-
cable. The sickness of two or
three members on the republican
SIDE might enable temporary
opposition majority to prevail in
the passage of the apportionment
bill reinforcing by trick of fig
ures the frauds which many fear
have been perpetrated in the cen
sus. The failure Of the funding
hill will cost the people, in the
matter of interest which might be
reduced, from twelve to thirteen
millions Of dollars.
If an extra session should he
called it would enable the Presi-
dent to test the sincerity Of those
of the opposition who profess a
willingness to give hearty sup
port to the administration. Now,
when the new government is just
beginning life, with declarations of
general good fellowship from many
who are of the democrat house
hold, an extra session would per-
haps be attended with less friction
than would the regular session
which is to come after months of
time shall have elasped. This is
not simply party question. The
sooner the fact can be demon
strated that in each house OF con-
gress the friends OF the admins
tration are in the majority, the
better for the security of business
stability. If an extra session would
develop the fact that the one hun
dred and forty-eight regular repub-
licans in the lower house would be
reinforced by half a dozen liberals
already elected, and eight or ten
more who are entitled to seats
which have been certified to
Others, and then if the two inde-
pendent senators would act in a
friendly spirit towards the admins
tration, and perhaps be reinforced
by two or three liberal democrats,
the power of the bourbon democ-
racy for harm would be ended.
These things are all possible, and
the accomplishment of a portion
of then only would remove the
dread which will otherwise be felt
as to what may happen in congress:
Ia December. The affairs of The
country are now in good, healthy
condition, which a fair start of tn,
government would continue. 5
long wait might cause a sense o
uneasineSs which it would be bet
ter to avoid.
But a prudent friend at on
elbow expressed fears that an extr,
session would not enable us {,
forward the matter of investigat