The Portland daily press., 1890-10-21

Stormy as was the last session of Congress
all signs indicate that the second session,
which begins next December, will be not
less memorable and exciting. The Demo-
cratic party is already paving the way for
desperate struggle for the perpetuation of
its grip upon the government by preparing
public sentiment for what its leaders will
undoubtedly attempt to carry out next win
ter. The character of two measures that
will be passed upon then explains the pur-
poses of the Democratic party. These
measures are the federal election bill and the
apportionment bill. With the nature of the
federal election bill, which is intended TO
break up the Democratic party's rotten bor-
ough system in the South, the public are al
ready familiar. 1t is bill full of terrors
for "ahe legions of gerrymander and the CO.
horts of fraud" The apportionment bill,
which is to assign to the different States
their representation in the House of Repre-
sentatives for the next ten years, is a meas
ure of nearly as great practical Importance.
1t is to be based upon the new census, and it
must necessarily make important changes in
the balance of political power for decade.
This is matter Of grave Importance for the
Democratic party and for the cause of free
trade. And both parties realize it. AS in
the old days before the war, so in this last
decade the States of the North and West,
where labor is honored, and political liberty
is the privilege of all, have far outstripped
in population the States of the South. The
grip upon the popular branch of the govern
ment which the Democratic oligarchy of the
South has secured by its balotbox suffers
at home and its subservient allies in the
North, is menaced by this unusual growth
OF the States where local self-government
and political equality hold out the sweetest
inducements to the immigrant. The stone
which the Democratic party has again rolled
almost to the top of the mountain is about to
slip away again and roll to the foot The
experience of this country with the master
minds Of the Democratic olgarchy of the
South has been such as to preclude the idea
that they will allow their grip to be loos-
ened before they have tried every expedlent
short of utter desperation. Already they
are preparing the way for bitter contest
against the apportionment bill by charging
that the new census is incorrect. The
Democratic officials of New York city have
lUImdlIg tdhtu pUllCt Ccusue, WHICH tney
are using to discredit the much more care
fully made national census. The Democratic
organs are charging that in the South the new
census is fraudulent because the Southern
States do not show the growth of some of
the Northern States. Without any proof of
fraud whatever the bold assertions are made
that the new census is fraudulent. that popu-
lations have been purposely moderated in
Democratic cities and States while the full
numbers have been counted in Republican
cities and States. The purpose of this is
plain. 1t is to prepare public sentiment for
whatever means the Democrats may take to
defeat the appointment bill next session; to
secure ground of justification for lengthy and
successful flibustering in the Senate against
not only the election bill but the appoint
ment bill also. There is one way and only
one way by which this Democratic plan can
be frustrated. The Senate must change is
rules by adopting the "previous question:"
and then it must do business.