American citizen., 1881-04-30
Majority Right i'm the Senate.

The Senate has been in session now
more than a month. 1t might have
transacted all the business it was called
to perform week ago, and adjourned.
But it has abandoned the special duty
it was called to perform, that of acting
on nominations made by the new Presi-
dent, and given itself up to general
discussion of question of order.
Whose fault is this? The Republicans
say it is that of the Democrats who will
not permit the majority to rule. The
Democrats reply that it is the fault of
the Republicans. who make the confir-
nation of President Garfield's appoint
ments wait on the mere distribution of
the Senate spoils among the caucus
nominees. Each party is trying to con-
vince the country that it is right and
the other wrong-and this is the strug-
gle now going on at Washington. One
thing is to be noted: No one denies
that the majority has a rightto govern;
but it must govern according to law
and subject to the rights of the minor
ity. If there be any methods and
formalities of procedure which
stand in the way of the ma
jority exercising its power, then
it has no right to exercise it. The mi
nority is as fully entitled to its rights as
the majority is to its-and the Demo-
cratic minority in the Senate have the
warrant of law and precedent for every
step it has taken in this struggle. The
charge that the action of che minority
is reasonable and revolutionary is alb
surd. 1t is true the public business is
impeded; but this is the fault OF the
majority. The Democrats are ready at
any moment to proceed to public busi-
ness; it is the Republicans who refuse.
The only public business before the
Senate is the confirming of President
Garfield's nominations; but when the
Democrats propose day after tl1v to do
this. the Republicans day after dry re-
fuse.
Besides, there is a prodigious amount
of hypocrisy in the imputations of trea-
son by the Republicans to their OppO-
nents. If the Democratic conduct be
treason, then the Republican Senators
are the worst of traitors, for they have
been guilty of the very same conduct
they denounce in their opponents. 1t
is Republican habit to believe a
great many thirgs right when done
by themselves, and insullerably wrong
when done by Democrats, and the Sc
rene hypocrisy with which Senators
Hoar and Sherman denounce the course
of the Democrats is only equaled by
the serene complacency with which
they pursued the same course under
similar circumstances.
The chief sufferer by the deadlock is
the Republican President. His uncon-
firmed nominations are accommodating in
the Senate like stock of unsuitable
goods. The Democrats are ready to
confirm them, but the Republicans are
not, and this is how the public business
is impeded. 1t is said that President
Garfield approves the action of his par
ty. But every new nomination he sends
in to the Senate is condemnation of
it. If he believes his party is right in
refusing to act on nominations, why
does he not withhold his nominations
till, in the opinion of his party, the SEN
ate is prepared to act on them?-St
Louis Republican.
The Boston Herald, sensible.
Republican paper. says:
g 1t is members of the President party
who seek to stir up the old strife. 1t
is they who refuse the employment of
their best powers in the enterprises of
high moment, which the President well
SAYS beckon US forward. 1t is they
who have made the reorganization of
the Senate greedy clutch for power,
and. turning their backs upon all their
pledges of reform. have converted the
of a new Administration
into grand inquisition for the spoils.
We think it will turn ont that they
have played this game once too often"