The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-03-15
The Model DOmagOgue.
From, the Times.


In the House of Representatives on Wednes-
day, there was some discussion upon the Senate
resolution to appropriate million of dollars
for the relief of starving people in the South.
Fernando Wood, the Pecksnif of Blooming
dale, was opposed to the project-frst, because
the Government ought not to distribute aims
and secondly, because he was satisfied that
there was no destitution that would justify
the expenditure. Benjamin F. Butler was
also opposed to the resolution, not because
there was no suffering, but he believed in let
ting them suffer; if they wanted relief, let
them divide up the lands of the rich, and so
get relief. No one would look for other action
by Mr.. Butler; his views are well known to be
vindictive in the EXTREMIST degree. But Fer
nando Wood has been believed to be the friend
of the South-if such a man can be a friend to
anybody except himself; he has shed many
tears over the suferings inflicted upon
the Rebel States by the radical Con-
gress he took active measures in the begin
ming of the war to forward guns to the Gov
ernOr of Georgia, which were to be used to
fire upon Sumter; he favored the cause of
Rebellion until the aroused loyalty of the
country became too demOnstratiYe to render
such a course safe, and then he Topped over
and came up at the Union square meeting as
a model War Democrat. Indeed, he had the
credit of raising a regiment-the State footing
the bill-and earned the honor of being
soundly abused in the Richmond papers for
treason to the Southern cause. But this
spasm of apparent patriotism was manifestly
the result OF moral coercion; it was no longer
safe to send kilograms to Governor Brown,
| nor was it eminently healthy to be promi-
nently known as q sympathiZer with treason.
The war over, however and personal safety
again assured our model demagOgue resumed
| his lamentations over the sutferings of his
Southern clients, and his infuence-such as it
is-was counted upon to bring them the ear
liest possible relief. But whera is the weep
ing jeremiah now? 1t is proposed to send a
| little food to starving women and chill
! dren to be distributed without question
as to race or standing as to loyalty;
even radicals OF the rankest sort favor
the project; but Fernando Wood says ''No;"
it hurts his conscience % fOrsOoth; he is pain
fully exercised lest such donation should
| be unconstitutional he thinks there IS not
much starvation, but if all the South were
dying for the lack of food, it would not do 10
feed them unless so nominated in that great
bond, the Constitution. This is the extent OF
Mr.. Woods sympathy for suffering children.
Their weakness is that they lack the right OF
suffrage. But what if the victims were Fe-
mans, each one with a vote at his back! The
case would be bravely altered. Already the
shrewd Fernando has set his trap for the Irish
vote by resolutions of sympathy with the in
surgents in the Kerry Mountains, and so press
ing did he deem the need of this sympathy
that he wanted to suspend the rules to put the
Job through the House instanter We can
not predict the fate of the proposition to re-
lieve the South, but thus far it appears to
have life enough to Withstand the insane vim
dictiveness of the hero of Fort Fisher and the
cold blooded vampyrism of the model dema
) gogue.