Year: 1879




WASHINGTON. Feb. 13.-There Is every in
dication that the remainder OF the session
will be exciting and stormy. To-day's action
shows conclusively that the Democrats are
united and will adhere to caucus discussions
In all political matters.


Mr.. Southland has made an exhaustive In
quiry as to the support he will have when he
offers his amendment repeating the Federal
election law and was assured tonight that
the party In the House would stand by him
as one man.


The Democratic Senators held a caucus
this morning. at which Bayard Is said to have
gone even further than In the joint caucus OF
Monday night In his advocacy of the interest
OF the Radical party regarding the proposed
repeal OF these Infamous laws. He was
sharply antagonized by Thurman, who from
the first has favored bold, aggressive policy.
Beck, Voorhees,, White and Eaton also strong
ly advocate the repeal Of the odious election
laws at all hazards. Bayard has no earnest
supporters In his strange and unfortunate
attitude but the realistic Democratic Sen
ators who would sacrifice anything, unless
perhaps it might be their own seats, rather
than get up row with the Radicals.


You can form some idea how high the feel
ing runs from the fact that to-day l heard
one OF the most eminent Democrats In the
House say that Bayards action stamped him
as one Of three things either as a coward,
traitor or fool. 'If," said he, "Bayard resists
the repeal Of the election laws because he Is
afraid of raising q row with the Radicals, then
he is coward; II he really knows what he Is
about and what will be the result OF failure
to repeal these laws, then he Is a traitor to his
party and to the cause of free government
and II he is acting without due knowledge OF
the situation, then. OF course, he is fool"


Southern people, however, need not fear
that they will be left In the lurch, to suffer
the reign OF terror and persecution which
Hayes and Devens, through their miserable
tools on the Federal bench, like Billings,
Woods, Bond and Settle. have inaugurated
Bayard will be overwhelmed and forced
either to act with the Democratic party OF
find more congeniai company elsewhere
Senator Thurman, always straightforward In
Democracy and foremost In the champion
ship Of local self-government is master Of
the situation, and the influence OF his little
finger In the councils of the party here is
thicker than Bayard's loins.


The universal expression among Southern
men is that Bayard's action In this matter
has utterly destroyed aAy chance, or shadow
Of chance, he may ever have had for the
presidential nomination In 1880, while Thur
man has doubled his own strength.


1t Is well known here among Democrats
that unless the election law is repealed the
Radicals viii employ its provisions to carry
all four districts in California indict, convict
and .imprison Democratic members, elect
enough to break the slender majority In the
new House, and then seize the organization ot
that body themselves. The members elect
whom they have selected for indictment and
conviction, in addition to King and Hull al
ready indicted, are Gen. Chalmers, Conner OF
South Carolina, Shelly OF Alabama, and one
or two others. Under these circumstances II
Is easy to understand the torrent OF denun-
citation which Bayard's stand has evoked
from all sides. A. G. b.