Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-10-14
Te|egTaphic Tidinggs 6
THE COMING CONGRESS.
Mr.. Breckinridge, of Arkansas, Gives HIS
Views on the Action OF the
Democrats.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14.-Representatiye
Clifton r. Breckinridge. of Arkansas, {
leading member of the ways and means
committee of the last three congresses
says that the Democrats will not throw &
single obstacle in the way OF rational, un-
sectional legislation by the Repub blican
majority. He could not predict, in ad-
vance of the formation OF committees,
what the 51st congress would probably be
able to accomplish. "If the Republicans, "
said he, "will attempt to pass such laws
regulating elections as shall not be sec
tional in operation, violative OF personal
right, outrageous in scope and bearing !;
if, in q word. they will do no more than
to corr ect existing abuses, which are not
confined to particular states or sections, l
feel warranted in saying that the minority
will not interpose objection certainly they
will not offer the slightest obstruction
after full and fair debate.
1.-THE statute books are full of laws on
the subject, but doubtless there are no
further changes necessary. To those no
Democrat is opposed. But any effort Of
the Republicans to enact legislation
which shall provide for armed men at the
polls for the control of the election ma
chinery by one party, in manner not
contemplated by our fathers when they
formed our constitution, and thoroughly
incompatible with Republican liberty
and independence, will be met by the
solid opposition in the minority party,
and the opposition to such unjust and
wicked legislation will not be confined to
the Democrats. I do not think that any
very harsh restrictive partisan and tech
nical laws affecting federal elections Will
be passed. Think the Democratic party
is disposed to be reasonable and fair
respecting all measures introduced by
the majority, and that they will not be
factious in opposing bills introduced in
or reported to the two houses in good
faith.
"Do / think anything will be accom-
plished before 1892 toward the settlement
of the great tariff question? The action
of congress by enacting sensible busi-
ness like measure of reduction, on the
line of popular ideas OF reform, would
take the tariff matter out of politics for
a while. / am impressed with the belief
that we shall have to make the same
fight that we made in 1888, but it is GER
tain that the Democratic members of the
next congress will be at least as firm as
the Republican members OF the last in
seeing that o measure gets before both
houses. l will go further, and declare
my confidence to be so strong in their
fairness and magnanimity that 1 predict
they will excel the Republicans in the
last congress in the disposition to have
the question tested and definite result
obtained, SO far as the, will OF congress
can determine it. We will agree to bring
the bill to o vote some time in both
houses and let the majority take the
for legislation--that is to
say, ii the measure is not one obviously
and conspiciously unfair. By inheri'
tance, tradition, usage and everything
commonly governing such cases, would
say that so far as the Democrats should
want leader on the floor and in council,
they would find him in Nj. Carlisle. His
position as recent speaker of tho house,
his great abilities and experience, the
confidence reposed in his sagacity and his
answering othodoxy, all seem to declare
that he will lead the minority in the 5lst
congress"