The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-11-29
THE MONARCH OF THE HOUSE.
The Clerk Makes up the Boil SIS he Sees
Fit.

New YORK. Nov. 23.-The Evening
Posts Washington special says officials
of the House of Representatives have
renewed their confidence in the belief
that the Democrats will organize the
next House. The somewhat sensational
suggestions which are made as to what
may happen if the clerk of the present
House should place upon the roll OF the
next House the names OF members who,
in the opinion ofsome Republican, were
not elected, may serve to call the atten-
ton of the public to another weak spot
in our governmental system. The au-
! thority for the organization of the
! House is not found in the Constitution
Of the. United States, save in the gene
j raj provision that each House shall be
; the Judge of elections, returns, and the
qualifications of its own members.
! J-nder this general power the usage has
grown UP which is embodied, in part
at least, in statute, that the organiza-
ton of the House is placed absolutely
within the power and discretion OF the
clerk of the House of the preceding
CONGRESS. The clerk Of the House, in
short, seems to be the only officer of the
United States who is absolute, from
whose decision there is no appeal, who
owes no allegiance to any one, the body
which created him having passed out
of existence at the time OF the organlza-
| ton of the succeeding House.
And there is no means OF correcting
the results of the roll which he may
present, except by the subsequent ae-
ton of the House AS to the membership
of which he is himself the sole judge.
In other words, under the present sys-
tenn, supported only by the simple
provision of law quoted, the person who
happens to be clerk of Que House is to
! be sole Judge as to the membership OF
the House in the succeeding Congress,
so far as the organization goes; and If
| he shall choose to enter into O conspl-
racv with the Governor of a single
State to wholly reserve the results Of
4 Congressional election, the people
have no apparent legal remedy.
Only one way has been suggested
herein the event that contingency should
arise, as the result ofwhich the Repub-
licans should be convinced that the
Democrats We're given a majority of
certificates of Representatives-elect
improperly. That suggestion is that
the Senate and President of the United
States can refuse to recognize House
so constituted.
There is nothing in the present out
look, however, which warrants the
statement that such contingency is
anticipated by any considerable num-
Der Of men. But it undeniably is the
| lnl a
Democratic representatives-elect shall
constitute the majority of the neXt
House, the Republicans will believe
that the majority was secured by fraud.
What will they do about II?
THE ALL-ABsORBING TOPIC.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 23.-The conf
nlexion of the next House is topic of alb
sorbing interest here. Col. Hill, deputy
sergeant-at-arms, claims it will be 1852
Republicans, 1852 Democrats and IN
dependent-Mr Coleman, OF Louisiana
who was elected by Republicans.
Tonight Senator Quay says the maJo-
| rity for the Republicans will be from 5
to I. 1t will require the official count
! to determine the matter.
THE REPUBLICANS ADMIT THAT THEY
| MAY BE MISTAKEN ABOUT THE NEXT
| HOUSE. .-.,
New YORK, Nov. 2l.-The Evening
Posts Washington special says the
Republicans are very much disappoin-
ted at tie possibility, which some of
them now admit is probable, that it
will be found that the Democrats will
have majority of one or three on the
roll of the next House of Represent
atives. They had fully expected to have
an undisputed majority in the next
House. t.- -. .- ...=