Year: 1879

FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.


WASHINGTON, March 16, 1879.
DEMOCRATS IN CONTROL OF THE NATIONAL


OF Ir--IND1cATIoNs FROM THE CONSTITUTION


OF THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE.


political doctor Of long experience. but Of san
guine temperament. remarked to-day after the in
stallation Of the Speaker:-"well. the democratic
party has safely passed crisis and seems to
to have reasonable chance Of recovery. But the
patient needs careful nursing and very good luck to
get through after all.''


Undoubtedly the reelection Of Mr. Randall saved
his party from immediate ruin. This pieco Of good
fortune gives it breathing time. It might even be
said that the fact that Mr.. Randall could get ma
jority in the democratic is evidence that the
better elements predominant in the party in the new
House, for he had to struggle against the vigorous
opposition of all to whom his unfinchng policy Of
economy and opposition to subsidies and jobs has
made him hateful. The election of Mr.. Blackburn.
especially after the publication by his friends Of his
letter declaring for legal tender and unlimited silver,
would have flung the party headlong into
the arms OF the grcenbackers. and
the election of Mr.. Randall has at





to be seen where the new Congress going to land
and whether the democrats. who now control both
houses are going to impose definite policy their
party or repeat the blunder Of making 1t resemble
Mr.. Facing Both Ways in the "Pilgrim's Progress"


The constitution of the democratic part Of
the Senate Finance Committee, it is re-
ported this evening. certainly looks like the
continuation of the contradictory and forcbly
feeble policy on the currency. which has din,in-
ished the democratic majority in the House from
over sixty in 1875 to less than dozen in 1879. and
has left the party at large prey to con-
stantly increasing disscnsions. The democrats
tn the Senate Finance Committee ought to
represent some definite opinion on the currency
question. but their names are Bayard and Herman.
hard money; Wallace the fence. but leaning to
soft money. and voorhees, and Beck. extreme inHa-
tion. whichever you please. my little dears"
said the Snowman when he was asked which
which was the elephant and which the hyena; 'you
pays your money and you takes your choice" And
that is the best that be said of the democratic
end of the Senate Finance Committee. Messrs.
Bayard and Herman will have to depend on the help
Of the republican members to best their own party
friends any important 1t is true that in
the lSstCongress the republican hard money men on
Shecommittee had in like manner to get essrs Bayard
and Kernsn to help them to seat the republican in
uo0O0lSGB,
pcrstc position. which is embarrassing and humii-
iting to men just coming into the control of both
branches Of Congress. and it shows that the demo-
Gratis. even in the Senate have not the wit to see
that it is blunder to allow their opponents to take
the side of accomplished facts on this question


The truth is, the manner in which the democratic
Senator'S have framed the committees shows that
thcy do not expect to retain control Of the Senate for
than two years. they conscious of the
and importantduties and responsibilities this control
imposed upon them democrats. they would have
cast aside the stupid old seniority rule by which
Senators ris. committees regardless of fitness
opinions by length Of service, do officers of
IN army, on peace footing and would
have gathered their ablest the
most important committees and taken care
that such committee as that on finance should


mean something As they have arranged it either the
republican members will control it for sound money
and Mr. Bsyard will be merely their mouthpiecc or
he will have tho still greater humiliation Of being
controlled by democratic and republican innation-
lists.


As to the House committees fortunately the
Speaker will not appoint them for the present II s
understood that Mr.. Randall favors short session
and quick dispatch of only the absolutely neccs.
sary business. It is not necessary even to appoint
committees on appropriations and judiciary. All
the bills which must be passed perfected by the
last Congress. and the House can make needfu
changes in Committee Of tho Whole II such should
be required. There is to hope. therefore.
that the session will not last than two three
weeks. though nothing is certain in this matter.


Concerning the political legislation no definite
plan has been agreed on far. There is much talk
Of absurd scheme to pass the Army bill with tho
provision about troops at the polls. the repeal Of
tho test oaths and the change In the Juror laws
nrst, all Of which tho President is expected
90 sign, and then to pass the Legisla-
tive bill. with the repeal Of tho supervisor
and deputy marshais laws hitched on send IL TO tho
President and IL he vetocs adjourn without further
action. 1t is amazing that this crazy scheme has tho
apparent consent of few who usually possess
common sense. But IL is not likely TO be adopted,
because most sensible democrats here SEQ and
acknowledge that the supervisor law is of
little importance. and gives just cause Of
complaint. because two supervisors in all cases
appointed. one from each party. Some Southern
Journals aud many Southern also say openly
that they prefer to keep the supervisors being not
merely harmless but in many cases useful. Tho
only real and substantial cause of differ
ence that remains, therefore. is tho law
permitting the appointment Of deputy mar
shsls for elections. because these are. selected
by the marshals, who are. OF course. in strong
sympathy with tho party in power. II is charged
that this Deputy Marshals' law simply gives the
party in power an important campaign fund from tho
public treasury. and this is substantially true Some
democrats assert that IL IL even morca corruption
fund-snd relate that In New England
city at tho last election tho republican
managers were shrowd and unscrunrous
enough to appoint thirty bribosblc democrats
deputy msrshals. and thus secured their votes
and serviccs for tho repubiicap t;rkct Tbcso
ofncers may receive $50 each from the public
treasury. handsome bribe in thcsc hard times
II tho democrats were good tempered and thoroughly
informed. snd II they had wit enough to let the
Supervisors law stand and in . well conducted de-
bato show up tho evils and abuses of the Deputy
Marshals law. IL would be possible for thcm to
make tho republicans ashamed Of IL and ready
st lcast to modify and guard IL to mako Il fair
Dut they are likely to put themselves in tho wropp