The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1889-05-02

Mr. Convers of Ohio, should move to
strike the enacting clause from the
bill. Mr.. Converse made his motion
and it was sustained by a majority OF
four, Al Democrats voting with the
Republicans under their agreement.
In the Forty-ninth congress Mr.
Morrison was again CHAIRMAN Of the
ways and means, and that committee
reported another tariff reduction bill,
which was defeated by IL votes, but
Ioniy 35 Democrats voted against it,
while in the Fitch Congress Mr..
Mills was chairman OF the commit
tee. and the House passed his bill by
a majority of l3, only four Demo
Gratis voting against it, Mr.. Randall
being to i'll to attend and Mr.. Foran
ofOhio not voting.
These votes Indicate very clearly
which was the increasing and which
the decreasing sentiment in the coun-
try and in the party. Mr.. Randall
was always at the head of the high
tariff Democrats and with the Re
pubhcans.
But to what is the "working pre-.
ponderance" of the Republicans in
the Fifty first congress attributable?
Every one at all conversant with the
conduct of the last campaign knows
that 1t was due to neglect so gross
as to be almost criminal. The con
lgressional campaign committee here
tofore an efficient agent in congress
lional elections, was disbanded early
| in the campaign, before it had per
formed the slightest service, and the
management of the congressional
Icampaign was referred to the local
managers ia the several districts
without general auxiliary In any
lquarter to assist in any manner
whatever, while all the efforts of the
party were concentrated on the pres
identlal election; and the result of
this is party seen IN the fact that Mr..
cleveland carried enough congress
ion districts to give the Democratic
party very considerable majority
in the next House. With anything
like proper attention nearly all these
and some others could have been Sc
cured to the Democracy.
But 1t can hardly be contended that
the result IN each district is reterable
to political management of Messrs.
Carlisle, Mills and the other friends
to tariff reform in the house. There
are many local and personal canses.
The people forget the shortcomings
of party long out of power, and re
member only the events of more re
cent occurrence; new men and new
measures are brought forward and
new interests are affected, and after
six years of Power in a House to
which there is an election every two
years, and in which there is strong
and vigilant minority supported by
fraction of the majority party, it is
not little remarkable in the light
of the history of the succession of
parties in this country that the Dem
ocratic party should be able to make
a showing so favorable as it will be
able to make in the House in the
Fifty first Congress, aud that it
should be supported by such an enor-
nous majority of the congressional
popular vote.
However, if these gentlemen are
going to compare the party's manage
ment in recent years with that of
previous years to the disparagement
of recent managers, their historical
research should be extended to take
in the results that followed the ser
vices of those Intended to be bene-
fitted by the comparison. In the For
ty-Fourth Congress for the first time
after the war the Democrats got con
troll of the House, and had majority
of 70. Michael G. Keer of Indiana,
a revenue reformer, was elected
Speaker He was in poor health and
was unable to preside even through
out the first session of his term, and
Mr.. Cox of New York, and after
wards Mr.. Sayler of Ohio, was elect
ed Speaker pro TEN. The latter pre-
sided from the time of his election
until the close of the first session,
and when. Congress reassembled Mr..
Randall was elected speaker, Mr..
Keer having died during the recess.
The next house held Democratic
majority of 10, and Mr.. Randall was
reelected Speaker. The parties
stood: Democrats, 1856; Republicans,
1871. In the Forty sixth Congress,
in which Mr.. Randall was again
made Speaker, the same majority
was retained, but the parties stood:
Democrats. 149; Republicans, 100,
and the Green back party had "A,
that being the election at which the
Greenback party swept through Re
publican States of the West, the
Democrats fusing with it and carry
ing districts that otherwise would
have gone Republican. But for the
Greenback movement, the Republi-
cans would have either have carried
the House, or left the Democrats
about such working preponder
ance" in it as the Republicans will
have in the Fifty first Congress.
Mr.. Randall had presided
through the Forty fifth and Forty
sixth congresses, and the short ses
sion of the Forty fourth; then the
Forty seventh came in, and it had
Republican working preponderance'
of % not only completely reversing
the majority, but adding three to the
Republican side.
Thus the low tariff managers,
starting six years ago with a MAORI
ty, of II in a membership of 325 are
followed by Republican House con
tanning a majority of three, while SIX