Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-01-06
TERMS OF THE DISPATCH.
PlTTsBURG. TUESDAY, JAN. 6, 1881.
TIE ELECTIONS BILL sHELvED.

The elections bill, which is the measure to
which The Republican party leaders have
nailed the flag of party supremacy, went
down Yesterday on motion to lay 1t aside
to consider the financial measure. This
makes it certain that the bill will not come
up again at this session; and it may be taken
as q ioregone conclusion that it will not re-
appear in the next Congress.
II there was a desire to pass an unsec-
tional and non-parriSan measure, it might
Le proved Dv framing such bill next year
as would command the support of Demo-
cratic House and Republican Senate. But
that Is not what this bill was urged for; and
the purposes for which it was urged may
now be considered permanently defunct.
Although the defeat involves loss of pres
tige to the Republican leaders, it is by no
means clear that getting rid of the loan will
not he Tor the beneft OF the party. 1t Will
enable il discard its policy OF trying to re-
rive an old and definitely abandoned line of
action, and to give its attention to new issues
by passing measures on currency, bank
ruptev, copyright and corporation questions
which Will command the public support.
Two phases of this result are So promi-
nent as to command especial notice, and
partaze so largely of the nature of hosting
the Republican leaders with their own
petard, as to give the demise Of that long
fought measure a decidedly humorous
tingg. The Republicans have, during this
Congress, given themselves industriously to
the labor of admitting new States to
strengthen their party majority. The last
State so admitted with less population than
a Congressional district in Pennsylvania
was obviously brought in for the sole pur-
pose of making Republican votes. 1t is
singular illustration of the way in which
one partisan vice revenges another that is
given bv the fact that this State furnished
two of the Republican votes needed to rele-.
gate the elections bill to back seat The
newly admitted States are also likely to
furnish some other votes on financial qIes-
tons which NAV convince the Republican
leaders that the policy of giving the West
ten times the power in the Senate. in pro-
portion to population, that is given to the
East can become scourge in a very short
time.
Another phase of the subject which has
that semi-pathetic strain that is alleged by
philosophers to attach to humOr, is its
blighting effecs on Mr.. Harrison's rumored
second term boom. The President is re-
ported to have declared that he would not
accept a denomination unless this bill were
passed; and it remains to be seen whether
the party will plead with him so earnestly
as to induce him to change that determina-
ton. We fear that the President will be
compelled by the logic of the situation to
renounce that laudable but remote ambition.
But it remains to be seen whether the rest of
the rumored arrangement about transferring
the wrecks OF his boom to Secretary Blaine
will be carried out. That Bar Harbor veto,
as we'll as the comments of the Presidents
family organs, hardly indicate the frame of
mind for making Mr.. Blaine his residuary
legatee.
The prospects of Mr.. Blaine will not be
materially affected by the question, whether
he does or not. Mr.. Blaine's strength lies
in the fact that he is entirely clear of all the
partisan foolery which came to wreck yes
terday with the shelving of the elections bill.