The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-04-17
schurx and Trumbull.

8churZ and Tfumbull. ,H.r
The five Republican Senators who acted
with the Democrats on the Ku-Klux bill, Fri
day, assumed a very serious responsibility
Hill Of Georgia, though classed as kepuD"
can, is not properly SO denominated i.
ence is had to his political opinions ra'ne'
than to those of the men VINO e'eo'eu
Upton of Nebraska and hoDeftson y. 0'
Carolina are not men OF ability OF ihh"ehce
enoneb to make it matter OF serious Con-
corn 70 ANYBODY but themselves how they
vote But Trunlbull and Schurz are men of |
national reputation and more than average |
ability. II is to be regretted, therefore, that |
these two have chosen to separate themselves
from their party on a measure which, owing
to Its importance and its incidental political
bearings, has happily reunited all the ele
ments of the Republican organization that
were scattered by contests over other matters
during the last session of the Forty-first and
the first session of the Forty-second Con-
gress. The vote on this bill, both in the
House and and Senate, is most gratifying
proof that the morale of the party IS stiii
perfect, and that nearly all its members are
to be relied upon to support measures that
are distinctly Republican. This being the
case. and Senators Schurz and TrumbuIl we'll
understanding the significance of their action,
we are forced to the conclusion that they
have deliberately decided to sever their con.
nection with the party Of progress. Whatev-
er their own purposes may be, they will GER
tainly find it hard to excuse their course to
their Republican associates. The former
might be forgiven for throwing Missouri into
the hands Of the Democrats last November,
and for his factious opposition to the Presi-
dent; the latter might in the lapse of time be
forgotten a. an influential opponent of the
impeachment of Andrew johnson; but when
theyhave both put themselves on record as
allies of the Southern masqueraders who are
numbering every week as many loyal men as
were killed in many of the engagements that
during the war were dignifed as "battles,"
they are surely in position where they can
hardly expect 10 retain the respect and sym
pathy of their former supporters. ssol7 we
The recent course Of Schurz and Trumbull
can have but one explanation. 1t runs coun-
ter to their former political life and must
have some powerful motive to account for it.
Schurz has hitherto got credit for sincerity on
the ground that he had attained the summit
of his ambition in becoming Senator, the
constitution rendering him Ineligible for the
Presidency on account of his foreign bilth.-
But so ambitious man as he is does not
stick at trides and is capable Of entertaining
nxrriId oy,dn of
the. constitution made In his behalf. As for
Trumbu,l, there is no question that he has
joined himself to the Already formidable
number, of Conservative Republicans who,
though they are too shrewd politicians to 60
over nominally to the enemy, are neverthe-
less anxious to secure the favorable consider
alton of the opposition party, hoping that the
Democracy may perceive that membe, of
their own organization cannot be elected and
may takerfo-a candidate Republican who
can draw a portion Of his own party into the
Conservative ranks. O. - "
.goiis- -----a--------- ----.-----slio5. l1a -'
II v.laa sag Foiitical. Z sY5usl I Ell
In the House Thursday the Senate amend
ment to the deficiency bill repeating the law
requiring every new Congress to meet on the
4thof March was concurred in after consider
able debate. ssl1igo.sa baa sbGsi s' ia g
The people OF Massachusetts are to vote
again on the 6rst Tuesday in May, whether
malt liquor shall be sold in their Sc ;eral towns
o.. not. Only by majority vote at special
election held on that day can any town forbid
the sale OF ale, porter, and lager beer. r... :,
The Republican Executive Committee OF
Mississippi fayors the holding of an election in
November for county officers nd members Of
the Legislature. r.F .s.ee 5r
And now, totally oblvious of The fact that.
Gail Schurz is ineligible, a writer in the Ma.
tional Standard is urging him for the Vice
Presidency s1a Z'-74,7g H1A l' @
Louisville cries for the next National Dem
ocratic Convention, and says, through the
Coarier-Journal, that what the Democratic
Party needs is light, (which is true enough,)
and if the North and West will come there
they can look directly into the South and get
a perfect notion of the Southern situation,
which il again TO be the bone of contention.
The death of Samuel P. Thrasher, State
Senator elect Of New Hampshire, curiously
complexities matters which were by no means
clear before. He was elected by very small
majority, and if he had lived the election
would have been contested. His death makes
the Senate stand five Republicans and five
Democrats, with two vacancies. These two
vacancies must be filed by the two Houses in
JOINT convention. When there is no choice
or member elect dies, the constitutions can
didates Tor the Legislature are the two caDdi-
dates who received the highest number of
votes. Between these two the Legislature
must choose. Now. in Mr.. Thrasher's dis
trict the next highest two candidates were
Albna Hill of Croydon, the Republican nom.
NEE, and Alvah Smith of Lempster, also
thorough-going Republican who got four
votes. 1t is not probable that the Democrats
VIII get control OF the Legislature on Joint
ballot, but should they by any chance sue
coed, even then they will be compelled to
choose Republican Senator to fill this va
cancy. In the First District, where the other
vacancy exists through the failure of the peo-
pie to elect, they will of course elect a Demo-
crat. In that case there will be a tie in the
Senate. oa
According to our Washington correspond
ents letter only 1900 persons are LETT subject
to the disabilities imposed by the fourteenth
amendment by the amnesty bill which has
just passed the House. .--'.-.'-.. 49,
James 81. Baker of Minnesota has been an
pointed Commissioner Of Pensions. ..Y. ~. .
"Tbe results of local and municipal elections
in all pats of the country" says the New
York Evening Post, Still continue unfayora
BILE to the Democrats. In Albany the Repub-
licans have made gains. They have carried
Jersey City, which was decidedly Democratic
last year. They have elected tteir mayor in
Paterson. They bave gained supervisors in
several count les in New Jersey. and, for the
nrst time in many years, have majority in
somerset county. In the Western States, ex-
cepting in Missouri, where the Republicans
are divided, the reports of Republican gains
are also general" The Post adds that ",he
democrats promised to reduce the expenses
OF thegovenment should the people give them
power, but their record at Albany has been
used all over the country against them. They
are, indeed, judged by their works.
The Democrats of the New York Lecisla.
ture have succeeded in finding cheap Re-
publican in that body. On Saturday morn
ing Mr.. Winaus, member from Chatauoua an.
nounced in the House that he would vote
with the Democracy. 1t was received with
great applause. The Democrats have Sc.
cured clear majority and are about to act in