Year: 1879

WASHINGTON. March 49, 1879.
THE DEMOCRATIC PLAN OF LEGIsIATIoN--HE-


PuBIIcANs PLAYING INTO THE HANDS OF


JECrING


The joint caucus OF democrats this afternoon
adopted the report on which the committee yester-
day agreed, and the prominent details of which
sent you day before yesterday and full particulars
to-day. Congress will therefore go to work at once.
the Army bill may be reported tomorrow in the
House. and notable debate may begin without
further skirmishing. The republicans are reticent
this evening about their course, they have not
had opportunity to examine the democratic plan.
They say however. that the President ought to veto
any appropriation bill which comes to him with po-
ltical legislation annexed But the President who
ia known to be opposed to such lacking of meas
ures on appropriation bills. will hardly
object to the democrats doing in this
case If the republicans in the House carry
out their openly announced programme
of fibustering to prevent the introduction OF other
business than tho appropriation bills. and it is plain
that the republican leaders must back down from
that foolish position. which they in such haste
to announce. put themselves clearly In the wrong
before tho country To continue to say as they are
now practically saying. that the proposed
by the democrats shall not come before the House
in the regular and orderly way. because
they will. by filibuserng. prevent It, and yet that
the President shall veto the appropriation bills IL
these measures are added to them is absurd. 1t is
for the minority to use the rules Of the House to
deny the commonest rights to the majority


That tho republican minority the rulos
II they choose is true. A smaller number of men,
bers than they have for four months kept the
Bland Silver bill from coming before the House.
wa Mt nrtr itv hy ifo
friends 1t was kept out simply because. under the
rules. a two-thirds vote is needed to got OH
any unless it is reported in regular order OF
business from committee.


It Is possible that the republicans may SEQ their
blunder and hasten to back down from it to-
morrow. II they should summarily choke OF Mr.
Conger their great objector, and make it known
that they willing to vote for tho introduction Of
separate bills, they might oven yet embarrass the
democrats. But even In that they would only
be prolongtng the session for good end. for the
democratic plan has now been based upon the pre-
announced republican programme.


Tho democratic plan. which has been sent to you
in full allows the special right challenge to superv
sors. makes them official witnesses of the election and
tho counting OF tho votes and enables them to report
20 the court the whole proceeding It takes away
their right to canvass the votes, and this cer-
tainly worry extraordinary privilege under the law.
The democrats assert they will make plain in debate
that the changes proposed by them do not in the
least lesson tho security OF voters, but that the
laws. they will remain after their changes. give
the fullest security for honest elections and for the
punishment of frauds and other wrong doing. They
say also that with the exception of prohibiting the
use of troops at the polls. not single change they
propose affects any part of the country except cities
Of twenty thousand Inhabitants; that the Eiec-
ton laws. far they affect the great body OF the
country. South and Norsh will remain precisely ~
they now stand on the statutes.


THE GREESBACKERs ABOUT TO BEGIN.


Tho greenbackers are. 1t seems. to begin to play
their part tomorrow by objecting to the introduc-
ton Of legislation OF any kind. even appropriation
bills until after the Speaker has announced the
mittees. In this movement they have the support
OF the republicans who favor this means Of indi-
rectly prolonging the session of Congress. The
grecnbackers desire is to begin legislation at once.
and they are ready with numerous propositions for
more money. Their notion is that as there are fifty
millions Of people IN the country IL Congress will
only issue hfty millions OF barrels of money every
body will get barrel a matter Of course.