The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-05-17

Political Liquidation In Csngrsss.
The receat passage of tho Homestead bill in
the Senate, and tho Tariff bill In the House Of
Representatives, proves how completely both
of those bodies have relspsed into nero gather
iDgs Of professional politicians and dems-
gogues.
Both of the measures In Question are mere
political claptraps, shaped to catch the breeze
of popular favor, and force political leaders |
into perplexing and contradictory positions.
Neither Of them has anything in 1t con. |
sistent with sound principles of political ecooo
my and of government, and the great majority |
of the politicians occupying representative |
seats are afraid to come forward with an op |
position based ON truth and reason, because, |
forsooth, such a course might be used against |
their personal claims, or that Of the party or.
gsnizadon they work with, 10 some section Of
the country, during the coming political cam
psign.
The Homestead bill is Q radical movement
got up by the black republican demagogues.
Irs ruling idea-that the State Is bound to push
the fortunes Of those whom chance, carelessaess,
extravaganza or incapsoity has prevented
from acquiring weslth-is part Of that series
OF French red republican ideas which black
republicanism has taken up to catch votes with
ty and the prosperity of the individual. 1t be
longs to the same school with free negroism,
woman's rights and socialism, and is part Of
the mania which is being pushed go strongly
for political purposes among the poor laboring
classes in the North. In practical operation
the Homeste ad bill plan will be q cheat and
failure. 1t has been once tried in Florida; and
of those who accepted 1t, the few who had in
dustry enough to remain for the whole term
required to acquire o title soon presented peti.
lions 70 the State to be allowed to purchase the
fee of their farms, and rid themselves of the
| incubus Of the Homestead limitations. The
lazy and the lag no legislation could advance,
and they abandoned their squatter seats after
| short trial.
As for the Tariff bill, 1t Is an ill-digested
scheme, tackled on to the appropriations, for
base purposes The idea of protection is obso.
lete erywhere, except among the mining
interests of Pennsylvania As that State Is
looked upon as one of the positions of
the political battle field, this bill Il got
up merely to affect the present contest
1t is a disturbance of commerce, which will
suffer from the change, only to be subjected to
another disturbance when the evils Of the pre-
sent tariff come TO be really removed Yet
these two bills have passed by votes which
prove that party lines are erased In Congress
The Senate adopted its Homestead bill by .
vote of A to 8, and the House passed the Tariff
bill by one of lO5 against g. No more con-
vinciDg proof of the low political character Of
our present legislation can be required, and the
fact itself shows how completely old party or
CARNATIONS have been broken up, and political
demsgoguism taken possession Of the manage
ment Of our public affairs.
POLITICAL AGITATION IN CUBA.-The letters Of
our Havana and Mstanzss correspondents,
which We publish to day In another column,
show that political agitation has assumed
new phase in Cuba which Is likely to excite
attention both here and In Spain. The point now
aimed at BY some Of the leading minds In Gu
ba is representation In the Spanish Cortes and
local municipal government. A portion OF the
latter has been conceded TO the colony by
Spain, and remarkable discussion on the for
mer occurred between q member Of the Mu-
nicipsl Council Of Matanzss and the Captain
General, during his recent visit to that city.
It is stated that Gen. Serrano replied that he
I" had come TO Cuba to maintain the institutions
of the island-not to change them" The insti-
utions Of Cuba are remnant of the days OF
barbarism In colonial government, and the
island has become too rich and populous to be
maintained In Its present state Of absolute pu-
pilsge. Ten years have worked . great change
in the Cuban government, and that of 1860 has
some remarkable points of difference with that
Of 1850. The flibuster agitation produced
this change, and should the new movement for
representation be conducted prudenty, 1t will
oriog about many ameliorauons.
The Truth or HrsronY.-when the news oI
the result of the recent prize fight between
Heepan and Ssyers arrived here, upwards Of
200 600 copies Of the HERALD were sold Ia q
couple OF days Happening to mention the
fact as proof OF the extraordinary interest
manifested In the event, an Obscure journal
published In another city takes us up and states
hat there was nothing 10 very wonderful in
| dhis sale, seeing that In the year 1921 the Lon
don Times published q letter from Queen Caro-
tine to her husband, written for her by william
Coobett, and cold over 100000 copies contain
log IL.
IL happens, unfortunately for the accuracy o
the penny O. liner, that with the imperfect
press arrangements existing 10 the year 1871
Il would have taken twenty days to prio'
the 2oo,o 900 copies stated TO have been worked
) Oft In single day by the London Tines. Al