Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-05-30
TIE DEADLOCK IN THE HOUSE.

$1,000
had been any assurance that the change
would bring reform. But it has repeat
eddy happened that just when the indie
pendent voters had almost determined to
withdraw their support FROM the Repub-
lican organization, the Democrats have
done something so perverse and fatuous as
TO convince every one that they could not
be trusted. At the present moment the
Democrats in Congress are going over the
old ground. There are number OF seats |
in the House, representing Southern dis
tricts, which are held by men who were
not elected. They were put in by whole
sale fraud, by forgery and intimidation
and the usual Southern election machinery
The facts in all these cases are SO clear and
SO notorious that the Democrats have |
never thought it possible to challenge
investigation, nor are they prepared to go |
on record as willing to vote for the reten-
ton in the seats they hold of these usurp- |
ing members. But though they cannot
dispute the inegitimacy of the tenure OF
their friends, they are none the less re-
solved to resist the unseating OF them, and
so they agreed in caucus to oppose to all
these contested election cases that irregular
form of parliamentary warfare known as
ilibustering.
To thi, end they have refused to allow a
quorum to be obtained in the House, and
have now for over two weeks obstructed
public business by absenting themselves
from the House whenever it was attempted
to bring up the contested election cases.
The immortality Of this programme is only
equaled by its folly. 1t ia in fact fresh
instance of the strange Democratic ten.
deucy to expose the dishonesty of the
party even when nothing can be gained
by the exposure. The Democrats cannot
benefit themselves by what they are doing.
Even when all the usurping Southern
members have their seats the Republicans
still have majority OF 10 in the House,
and this majority is entitled to dominance,
and is certain to have its way sooner or
later. But the Democratic policy, now
as always, is revolutionary. The party
is in a constitutional minority, but it is
not willing to submit to constitutional
methods. 1t has no excuse for filibuster
ing. The very fact that it has resorted
to this method OF resistance is confession
that it dare not offer legitimate opposi-
ton to the unseating of the fraudulent
members But though it has no case what
ever, and though its course is a repudia-
ton of the fundamental principle OF ma
jority rule, it nevertheless cannot resist
the temptation to filibuster, and it thus
shows its readiness te sacrifice the public
interests, and to neglect its duty, in order
to resist what it admits ought not to be
resisted.
1t is putting itself on record, however,
despite its surface cunning, as the cham
pion and defender of notorious fraud. Its
refusal to discuss the contested election
cases, or to vote upon them, will not de-
ceive the public. 1t will be realized that
the Democratic spirit which flew into re-
bellion in 1861 because it had been fairly
beaten at the polls, survives in 1882, and
that it is taking the same illegitimate
methods now that it resorted to then, only
in less pronounced form. Its flibustering
programme is neither more nor less than an
attempt to evade the proper consequences
of constitutional action. 1t has been de.
feated, and it will not submit to the de-
feat. In short, it is clinging as of old to
its traditional policy of ''rule or ruin, and
it is doing this even though it sees that it
cannot finally succeed. 1t is incapable of
denial by the Democrats themselvs that
in the case of Mackey versus Dibble, the
former is fairly entitled to his seat, which
the latter obtained through perjury and
fraud This is the situation in all the
Southern cases, and the fact is not ques-
toned. But though the Democrats admit
that they have no ground for resistance,
they have still pledged themselves to keep
up resistance, and hence the present dead
lock in the Honse. So once more the pub
lie attention is directed to the fact that the
Democratic party is incorrigible that it is
Bourbon to the bone and marrow; that it
is so welded to dishonesty as to prefer that
course even to political success and that
no considerations of prudence or policy
can prevent it from exposing its ingrained
immortality upon every occasion.
This is the lesson of the deadlock, andit
is one which the country will not be slow
to apprehend. 1t is true that the Demo.
Gratis could not have INSTRUCTED public
business so long had not many Republicans
been culpably lax in their performance OF
Congressional duties. In fact the Demo.
Gratis have been enabled to make use of
the continual absence of number of Re.
publicans to strengthen themselves, and
thus they have succeeded in preventing
justice, and in hindering necessary legisla-
ton. The most remarkable feature Of this
business, however, is the utter futility OF
the filibustering policy. 1t is perfectly
clear that in the end the Democrats will
have to yield, and that the usurping South
ern members will have to give up their
seats to the duly elected candidates. All
this agitation moreover only serves to en-.
tighten the public as to the facts in the
situation, and thus confirms and deepens
the distrust which the Democratic party
has earned 80 fully by its dishonest and re-
volutionary methods. In fact more
thoroughly perverse and stupid course
could not have been devised, and it, is GER
tain that it will have no other effect than
to check the reaction in favor of change
which has been proceeding for a long time.
The Democratic leaders are always digging
pitfalls for their own feet, and they do this
so regularly that it might almost be thought
they were attended by some evil genius,
who directs their policy carefully in the way
which is calculated to infict the greatest
possible injury upon them.
THE EGYPTIAN DIFFICULTY.
The Egyptian difficulty becomes more
complex continually. The latest rumor
is that the Khedive, who had previously
shown bold front to his revolving Minis
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