Year: 1877

By the death of Senator Morton and the
certainty that the Governor of Indiana will
appoint democratic successor this slender
republican majority of six is reduced to
four, and to three as often as Judge Davis
votes on the democratic side. If Patterson,
Of South Carolina, should be expelled the
republicans will have only majority Of
after Patterson's democratic successor is
seated. With Sharon, Of Nevada, absent, as
he feels at liberty to be great part of the
time, the republican majority would be
annihilated as soon MS Patterson is re-
plnced by democrat, and the Senate
col questions But tie would not
destroy republican control, since the Vice
President, who is republican. has cast
ing vote Whenever the Senate is equally
divided. But 1t must be remembered that
there are three vacant seats, and that the
filling Of these may reduce the republicans
to an absolute minority, when the casting
vote Of the Vice Presidents cannot help
them. Louisiana is not represented in the
Senate at oil, and South Carolina has but
one Senator. These three seats belong, of
right, to the democrats, and If the demo-
cratic claimants are admitted the repub-
lican majority in the Senate is hopelessly
gone for the whole of Mr.. Hayes term.


If the republican Senators are unscrupu-
lous enough they may perhaps maintain
their ascendancy during the Forty-fifth Con-
gress by admitting Kellogg from Louisiana
andikeeping the other untitled seats vacant.
But this would be o hazardous experiment..
Judge Davis would certainly vote against
them in any attempt to perpetrate mani
fest injustice, and perhaps also two or three
republican Senators who strongly approve
of President Hayes Southern policy. Ifthe
President was right in recognizing the
democratic State governments in Louisiana
and South Carolina the democratic Senators
from those States ought to be admitted 1t
is only necessary that two republican Sena-
tors-say Mr.. Christiancy and Stanley
Matthcws-should vote with Judge Da-
Wis and the democrats in filling
the contested seats to establish q
clear democratic asccndancy in the Senate.
The foregone certainty that the democrats
are to control the Senate during the last
half of Mr.. Hayes term tends to discourage
unscrupulous party zeal, and it is quite
possible that tho filling Of tho vacant seats
may reduce the republicans to minority
in tho present Senate. When their very
slender majority can be maintained only by
reckless partisanship which overrides
justice, and may be lost in any event by the
refusal of barely two republican Senators
to go all lengths, the party is practically
bankrupt in the Senate Of the United States
If merchant were reduced to such an ex-
tremity his credit would be ruined.


This narrow and vanishing republican
majority in tho Senate is q great political
fact which President Hayes cannot pru-
IDENTIFY ignore. The usefulness Of his ad-
ministration depends upon q reasonable
support by Congress. He is in very diff
fercnt position from that in which General
Grant stood during tho first six years of his
administration when he had strong ropub-
lican majorities in both houses beyond


the mere routine Of executive duties


President Hayes can do little for tho


advantage Of. tho country without tho


permission Of his political oppo-


nents. During the last half of his term


certainly, and for the first half possibly, he


will have to depend on democratic votes to


get his appointments confirmed, and no


public measures which ho may recommend
to Congress can possibly pass without DEM
ocratic approval IT. therefore. ho desires
| to promote the public wcal hc must aban.
don every thought of being party prosi-
dent He pust attempt nothing which is