Year: 1879

A Washington special dispatch communi-
Gates the information that overtures for q
reconciliation between the Democratic party
in Congress and Mr.. Hayes have been made
by a prominent Democrat to member of
the cabinet. This leading Democrat, it is
said, has assured the cabinet officer afore-
said that it is the present policy of the Dem
failed at the last session without waiting for
regular committee to be appointed, SO that
they can be considered by the House sitting
in committee of the whole. The army re-
organization scheme will be dropped from
the army bill, and the only extra feature re-


tanned will be that forbidding the use of the
army at the polls. The legislative bill will


have included in it the repeal of the test
oath for jurors and modified repeal of the
election law. The Democrats will not ask
for the adjustment of supervisors, but


merely for the repeal of the sections of the
law authorizing deputy marshals to interfere


with elections. If Mr.. Hayes could approve
the appropriation bills in such shape, this
leading Democrat thought Congress could be
speedily adjourned. If this course is pur-
sued it is thought Mr.. Hayes will withdraw
his opposition to the measures, and thus har-
mony would be restored.


We see no objection to the plan proposed.
The Democrats will surrender practically
nothing. The supervisors of elections are
an expensive, annoying and illegal
luxury, but they will possess little power
after their associate deputy marshals ale re-


moved. It is understood that there is no
Inference in the cabinet as to the propriety
of repeating the test oath or of forbidding
oditary interference with elections, while
several of the ministers are decidedly in
favor of refusing to authorize marshals to
make arrests at the polls. Mr.. Evarts es-
pecially regards the law as unconstitutional,
and is warmly in favor of its repeal. It is,
therefore, probable that some such arrange


ment as that alluded to above will be made


and that the session of Congress need not be
prolonged more than thirty days at the out
side.
There is considerable curiosity to learn
who the Democrat is who made such g
proposition, and whence he derived his au-
thority. A few facts seem to point to


Aoram S. Hewitt, who has been in Washing


ton for several days looking after Tilden's
interests. He has been in close
conference with leading members
of both houses, and has made
some such propositions to them. His views
seem to have met with general concur


renee, owing to universal desire to avoid
fruitless conflicts with the other end of the
! avenue. While the Democrats might very
properly insist upon full repeal of these
obnoxious laws, and would be sustained by


the country in so doing, they can afford to


% content with depriving them of thei1
power to work mischief To antagonize


M. Hayes in this respect might provoke hif
supporters to retaliatory measures which
would disturb the harmony of the country
and awaken partisan feeling at a time when
the people require rest. The compromise
suggested is good one, even though it does


not grant to the Democratic party all thai
it has right to demand. It is, however


expedient to adopt it and to live up to it in
good faith