Year: 1879

The Threatened Deadlock Bettceen Con-


gress and the President-Se1lsattOnm


Stories About the Organization Of


Congress.


WASHINGTON, March 6.-In view of
the threatened contingency OF deas-
lock between Congress and the President
it is now thought by some that the new
session iIay be prolonged for several
months. This is good news to the saloon
keepers and the tradespeOple OF WASH
ington, but it will probably not be a
source of pleasure or benefit to anyone
else. The session is likely to be stormy
and exciting, and some of the Senators
say it may last till December, when the
regular session commences, and Zach.
Chandler says he will not be surprised il
Congress runs right on till March, 1881.
The meeting of Congress will be the
signal for the opening of the battle for
the next presidency, and the struggle
will 90 on from that time continuously.
The republican minority in the Senate
are already mapping out their programme
which will be of the most thoroughly
aggressive character. They have deter
mined to begin the attack and not wait
L
ranks of both parties many men Of great
ability, and the campaigning there will
be much more interesting than in the
House.


The caucussing over the Speakership of
the House continues with great anima-
ton. 1t is talked around very freely that
number of Democratic members who
are said to be bitterly hostile to Speaker
Randall will bolt if he should be made
the caucus nominee, and among the
names mentioned in this connection are
Represent atives Morrison of Illinois and
Henkle of Maryland. The most bitter
personal antagonism has prevailed be-
tween Mr.. Randall and Mr.. Morrison for
some time, growing out of their mutual
ambitions, but it is scarcely probable
that he would carry his feelings to that
extent, and as to DR.. Henkle, so good a
party man as he is not likely to break
away from party forms and organization.
1t will unquestionaby be bitter pill to
a number of Democratic members to
swallow Mr.. Randall, but if he receives
the nomination, of which he and his
friends have no doubt, they will all do it,
no matter how wry face they make
over it.


Considerable speculation is also in
| dulged in as to the chances of making
| up combination of the opposition ele-
ments of sufficient strength to defeat the
| democrats and seize the organization of
the House, and the assertion is made in
some quarters that the President was
influenced to some extent in calling the
session so early on account of assurances
that some such thing could be done
Gen Garfield is pointed to as the mosi
available man to be selected for Speaker
by such combination, but the green
back element certainly would not go fol
him. The President must be a very
sanguine man where his particular
friends are concerned. 1t will be re.
membered that two years ago he per-
suaded Gen. Garfield TO withdraw from
the contest with Stanley Matthews fol-
the United States senatorship, with the
promise that the presidential influence
would be exerted to make him Speaker
of the House then to assemble, and ex-
pressing entire confidence in his success.
| Well, Gen. Garfield was not elected
Speaker of that House any more than he
or any one else except a democrat will
be elected Speaker Of the next House.


An absurd story was put into circula-
ton tc-mght to the effect that certain
hard-money democratic members Of the


House had made proposals to Gen. Gar
field 10 give him enough votes to elect him
Speaker on certain conditions, as the COM
mittee appointments, &c, but that he
declined to entertain the proposition.


When Gen. Garfield'secures democratic
votes for the Speakership the sky will be
very apt to fall and catch larks. 1t may


be expected that from now till the assem-
bling of Congress quantities ofsensational
stories will be daily started on thelr


rounds, and there will always be plenty
of people credulous enough to put fatt
in them. Baron Munchausen would have


been a mere babe to many of the hab-
itues of public places in Washington


though some Of them have actually at


tanned to that condition that they believe
the fgments of their own imaginatiops.