The Portland daily press., 1890-07-05
rhe Senate and the election sill,

Conflicting rumors concerning the chances
OF the federal election bill In the Senate are
in circulation. OF course there is no doubt
of the attitude of the Democratic members.
They will fight the measure with every wea-
pom they can lay their hands on. The I'M
certainty Is confined to the Republican men,
bers. While one story is that there are
enough Republicans in favor Of the bill to
pass 1t, another alleges that there are enough
opposed to it to directly or indirectly kill it
with the aid of the Democratic vote. But
one thing is certain. The bill cannot be
passed at this session, even if all the Repub-
lcans favor 1t, if the Democrats are to be al
= wed to carry out their announced puzs,oce
WHICH is to consume weeks and->months in
debating It, The Senate is<now q nrattv
large bod >end the Democrats have more
than thirty meM6c@5f it. 1t will not be a
very difficult feat for these thirty members
to talk thirty days on the subject, and as
thirty days talk from them will be likely to
call forth from the Republicans at least an
equal amount, sixty days can without much
difficulty be consumed before vote can be
reached. Sixty days will extend the session
into September, and it is pretty certain that
before that enough Senators will be tired out
to make the postponement of the bill until
the next session easy. The Democratic
threat to talk the bill to death is by no meaps
an empty one. They can surely do it, unless
the majority Of the Senate sets some limit
beyond which they cannot go. Years ago.
when the Senate was comparatively small
body, the need of rules to limit debate was
not felt Rut with inarao co in puroho~e A.
ability to defeat legislation by debate has in
creased, and the disposition also, SO that the
Senate is brought face to face with the prob
lem which the House grappled with at the
beginning Of the session and solved Sooner
or later the Senate must grapple with 1t too
and solve 1t, unless it is to become impotent
to pass any legislation that is opposed by a
strong minority. 1t may not do 1t at this
session, but 1t has got to do 1t In the near
future. Popular opinion will force 1t to.
Such legislation as the majority of the people
want they are bound to have The House is
now in position to give it to them. The
Senate will have to follow suit
And 1t would seem that 1t must follow
soon for 1t is now confronted with duty
which 1t ought not to shirk. After nearly
fifteen years Of protest against the crimes
practlsed against the right of suffrage in the
South the Republican party finds itself in a
position to rectify those wrongs. This op-
portunity may not come again for another
fifteen years. The present House was organ
lzed Tor the Republicans by very narrow
majority Of Southern Republican members
whose elections were allowed to be declared
by carelessness on the part Of the ballot box
thieves of few southern pretincts. The
Democratic oligarchy Of the South will not
let that mistake happen again. They will see
TO II that enough Democratic congressman
are counted In to capture the organ
lzatlons oil future Houses for an
Indefinite period, unless the present oppor-
tunity to,put an end to frauds shall he saizod
The House. for fifteen years the bulwark 90
those frauds by reason of its large Damn-
cratic membership has at last taken the stem
and Sc nds to the Senate the measure long
demandel by the Republican party. If the
Republican leaders of the Senate allow this
golden opportunity, won for them through
many difficulties by the Republican leader
ship OF the House, to slip away they win in
evitably forfeit the confidence of their party.
Moreover, for the Senate to refuse to ac-
quiesce in this measure would be an offence
against the people of the United States. The
representatives of the people have declared
that in their own elections there must be
justice and fair play. 1t does not rigntfillv
rest with the representatives Of the states to
deny this.