The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.


from Camerou's TeiIs-The Biunders In Penn
sylvania Missouri and New York-A New
Policy to be Adopted to Harmonize the Party
Governor Curtin Suggested for the Cabinet
-Hc Would Not Accept.
From Our OtOn Correspondent
WASHINGTON, November 12
The latest returns from the various States
which elected Congressman this week show that
there will be a nominal Republican majority of
from twenty-five to thirty in the popular branch
of the Forty-second Congress. say nominal
because it will be discordant and unreliable
majorhy-certainly unavailable as a support to
the administration, and distempered and belli-
gerent because of the singular bitterness that
the leaders of the House cherish for each other
Butler will have party, Bingham will have a
party, and Farnsworth will have a party, and
each will wage relentless war upon the others.
Butler will assume to be the
administration leader, and he leads
badly and drives mercilessly. In addition to his
semi-repudiation policy, he would seek to
engraft his Observation-Disclosures policy relative to
, the Alabama claims upon the party, and instead
\ of healing and conciiating the now discordant
elements he will widen the breach and steadily
waste Republican power. He is first of all for
Butler; second, for Butler and Grants patron
age; third for Butler and Graut, and he lacks
the general confidence both personally and
u.
From no section will he be more implacably au-
tagonized than from his own New England dele
cations. He is known to be strong with the
President and he will be powerful, but very
large Republican element of the House distrust
the sincerity of his devotion to the President,
and more still dstrust him generally as leader.
Now that General Schenck is out of the way,
Butler cannot be subordnated, and he is not the
I man to yield any possible advantage.
Bingham and Farnsworth are also sadly
wanting in the essential qualities of great
leadership. Bingham Is brilliant, and at times
sublime; but he is deficient in balance. He is
petulant and easily vanquished by his in6rmitles
1 Of temperament. He is personally very bitter
I against Butler, and he strikes at his adversary
within his party more venomously than at the
common enemy, and he strikes in season some
times, but more frequently out of season. He is
also wanting in the confidence of the party, as
are all men who subordinate public interests to
private hatred. Farnsworth has already given
the country his appreciation of Butler, and if
half he has charged Butler with be true, the
hero of Dutch Gap should be doing
penal service instead of assuming to lead the
administration party in Congress. Judge Kelley
\ has never claimed to rival Schenck, Butler, and
] Bingham in attaining the leadership. He has
\ been wise enough to know that the mantle of
Thaddeus Stevens fell upon no one man in the
House, and he has been content to lead when
+ the interests of his great State were at stake;
a and Judge Scofeld, who has more of the quail
i ties of parliamentary leader than any of the
4 Others l have named, will not enter into the
u foolish struggle for the unattainable mastery.
4 Looking over the ground dispassonately, see
j no prospect of that Republican unity in the
\ next Congress that will be necessary to make
II the small Republican supremacy reliable
4 working majority. 1t is clear that the past
h custom of defeated Republican candidates con-
II testing seats successfully on mere political
n grounds is at an end. General Schenck has
given public notice that he will not contest and
u learn that Mr.. Morrell and Mr.. Armstrong, of
Pennsylvania have also decided not to claim the
seats of their competitors, who have been re-
A gularly returned 1t is understood, however,
that Mr. Cessna will contest Mr.. Meyers seat
4 but the complexion of the new House will re-
qure him to make out case that would
4 secure the verdict of a sworn and impartial
jury, to enable him to succeed. 1t is not impro-
4 bable that strong Western Republican element
will Judge Mr.. Cessna's case with severity and
his chance of gaining the seat in contest will
1 depend upon his ability to make q case against
Mr. Meyers that is free from reasonable doubt.
The loss of two-thrds of the Republican ma
jorty in Congress is an admonition against the
admission of contestants on mere political
grounds that will be grayely needed by the
better men of the House. / am not advised at
all of the merits of Mr. Cessnas case In the
present Congress he would be admitted, because
Mr.. Meyers is Democrat; but in the next Con-
gress the man who shows the best right to the
seat will get it.
President Grant has gone to Philadelphia to
spend day or two with his old friend ex-Secre-
tary Bore. 1t is given out that he goes on
\ private business; but such is not the fact He
: is much disturbed about the result of the late
elections. He appreciates the fact that the
Republican party is rapidly disintegrating, and
that the excuse given for the indifference OIL
open opposition of very many who supported
his election is his want of just recognition OF
the active, faithful elements of the party. He
J would now correct this grave errol
if he knew how to do it; but at every
step he is confronted by the Camerons and
the Chambers, the Conklings and the brakes
who forced him into a needless and suicidal wal
upon the party in the respective States. HI
has been singularly reticent for few days
Cameron has tried to explain and strengthen
him in the mad political policy forced upoI
him for Pennsylvania, and Forney has sneezeC
at the throne as Cameron snuffed. Kelley wa
with him also, but he had to protest agains
fresh acts of arrogance on the part of Cameron
and the President was but confused and con
founded at the rival struggles for his patronage
He now for the fret time appreciate
that without Pennsylvania the Republican
cannot succeed in 1872, and he wants to save it
but how is it to be done? His whole patronage