Year: 1876




thing may be said with truth of every
session Of Congress within the last forty
years which Immediately preceded Presi-
Dental election. 1t is chronic infirmity
of Congress to pervert such session into
mere electioneering canvass. 1t has hap
pened in this session that one Of the great
rival parties has controlled the Senate and
the other party the House, and justice con-
strains us to say that the democratic House,
in spite of its shortcomings, has made q
better record than the republican Senate.


The democratic party has labored under a
disadvantage not shared by it's opponents
in consequence of its long exclusion from
power. For the last sixteen years the demo-
Gratis have been deprived of opportunities to
bring forward their budding or rising states
men and give them the training and expert
ence indispensable for conspicuous useful
ness in public life. The large democratic
majority in the present House consisted, in
the main, Of raw members, to whom Con-
gress was a new theatre of action. In the
composition of the committees most or the
members had to be assigned to unaccus-
toned duties-an element of weakness ior
which due allowance has not been made.
| And yet, in summing up the'work OF the ses-
sion, this raw House of Legislative neophytes
appears to advantage in comparison with
the Senate, where the republicans have not
only had a majority, but majority OF
trained members. The work Of the raw and
inexperienced democratic majority in the
House may safely challenge comparison with
that of the republican majority in the Senate
consisting of old stagers who have had every
opportunity to acquire legislative skill and
are precuded from pleading the baby act in
extenuation of their shortcomings. The
republican majority in the Senate has done
nothing to establish n claim to public conf
dence, whereas the raw and unframed demo-
cratic majority of the House, in spite of the
blunders of inexperience. has done much
which sound public sentiment will ap-
prove.


The House has reduced the public ex-
penses thirty millions below the expenses OF
last year, and would have made much larger
reductions if 1t had not been thwarted by





curtailments for the relief of the taxpayers
were crude and inconsiderate these errors
of inexperienced do not cancel the merit Of
steady and persistent efforts in behalf of
economy. The government has grown into
habits Of extravaganza, and public senti-
ment will indorse the strenuous attempt Of
the House to re-establish simplicity and
economy We do not believe that any public
interest will suffer by the measures of re-
trenchment which have been carried through
Congress by the unyielding attitude of the
House The country will easily pardon
some mistakes Of detail when the sincerity
has been so apparent to reduce the expenses
of the government and alleviate the burden
of the taxpayers. That any public interest
will suffer by these strides toward economy
We do not believe.


When we turn from the House to the
Senate we seek in vain for any measure
which deserves strong approval. What has
the Senate done or proposed during this
long session which reflects credit on itself or
its political party? 1t is idle to mark the
shortcomings of the House, whose majority
has consisted of new and inexperienced
members, when n Senate Of trained men
has done so little. We are not insen-
sible to the blunders of the House, but
when we compare its action with that of the
Senate we are unable to point to any meas
ure of the latter which presents favorable
contrast. The Senate has resisted the at
tempts Of the House to curtail the public
expenditures. The Senate acquitted Bel
knap, whom the House impeached on con-
elusive evidence of his guilt The Senate
attempted to revive the franking privilege,
and failed by the non-concurrence of the
House. The Senate defeated the House bill
for transferring Indian affairs to the War
| Department. wise and wholesome IN measure
which the enlightened public sentiment Of
the country strongly indorsed. The Senate
has confirmed Clapp as public printer in
spite of his demonstrated unftness. The Sen
ate has passed no bill for giving effect to the
law requiring specie payments in 1879, al
though its majority profess to stand by that
act, and although everybody acknowledges
that new legislation is necessary for giving
it effect. Nobody can lay his finger on any
act Of the present Senate which has any
tendency to alleviate public burdens or to
introduce better system in the admins
tration of the government. 1t would be a
violation of fairness to judge the House by a
rule which cannot be applied to the Senate.
| These two branches of Congress are co-ordi-
nate, and it would be absurd to hold one to
responsibility which does not belong to
the other The inexperienced House, in
spite of its blunders and shortcomings has
done something to put public affairs on n
better footing the experienced Senate has
done nothing.


| We do not ignore the mistakes Of the
i Uo,sa II octat ppwicalx. ~, fur ;cbino Mr.