Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-12-15

/ Recently heard some shrcwd politicians and
newspaper meu-good barometers adjoining
over the roll of the house to see if there were
any republicans to be counted, who, like Sena.
! tor Schurz, were so embittered against the presi
! dent that they will not vote with their party
! If that party dominates the man they dislike
After full discussion, it was declared that no
man, now in the republican majority, could be
so counted on, Mr., Finkenburg of St, Louis,
Mr.. Amber OF Ohio, and Gen, Farnsworth were
the only ones whom the most crcdulouS in the
group deemed likely to be so far
cmbittered. The democratic managers,
like Randall, Cox, Morgan and Kerr,
really thought that when congress reasScmbled
strong personal hostility to the president would
be developed SO far as the house is concerned,
the total absence of any such feeling is Won
der even to sangume republicans. Gen. Farms
worth is the only one on the right who appears
inclined TO be critical. The democrats are eN-
ceedingly nou-pussCd at this state Of affairs,
ONLY one thing is about assured, and that is,
that they have no intention Of striking their
colors or inviting one of their whilom foes to
lyCOllC iilGlI ltUtiGis ulllOoA HG utot Noho ihNi
uniform aud shouts their shibboleth. Their forte
for the present will be simply to play Mcawber
wal; for something to turn up" Criticism
and that of the petty detail order, is their only
roll. In this they are just as likely as not to
"put their foot in it.
DIVISIONS IN THE SENATE.
Mr.. Trumbuu is regarded here as having
taken the leadership OF the dissatisfied. The
senate evidently holds more disquieted men
than the house-not even making allowance Tor
numbers.
The list of recalciUants among republican
senators is thus made up: Sumner, Trumbull,
Schurz, Fenton, Ferry Ct, Logan, Sprague Tip
ton and West nine in all. These are counted on rs
chick and thin Observation-Disclosures Then
there is second class made up OF those who
are likely to be found voting against the ma
jority on personal issues, local appointments, or
any matters which will show they deem them
selves badly treated. These are thus set down;
Hamilton, Texas; Patterson, N. H.; Sawyer, 5,
c., and Spencer Ala The first and last of
these names are, in my Judgment, the only ones
who may, with any reason, be clasScd as dlscon-
tented
About twenty-threc votes will then be found
Inclusive of the democratS) in the senate in OPP
position to tli' administration, though, Of
course, all who are so counted viii not vote TO.
gether when the issue is Of dividing ines-the
questions on which parties diyergc. The oppo-
sition in the senate is on the whole, likely to do
good, because its role being that OF the virtuouS
informer and relormer some abuses are likely to
be corrected, and Improvements win be made.
Still the fight against the president is personal
one. OF course every dissatisfied man is eX-
ceeding virtuous all at once, He is seriously
anxious for the onC-term principle to prevail.
He wants all abuses corrected, though he is will
fully blind to the very many steps already TAX
en- in this direction. The cry of reform is as
good as that Of economy. 1t seems easier to
believe in human deprayity, so far as politics aud
government are concerned, than inanytbing bet
ter AM disposed TO acCeptthe doctrine without
dinchiDg when find SO many believing evil Of
other men. But when one sees how men are in
huenced by small matters, lack of tact rather
than principle or integrity, ! am not surprised
that the simple, straightforward, practical and
fearfully unimaginatiye, if sagacious, man, who
fills the executive chair, should have made
more bitter foes than he would have done if he
had the conciliatory capacity as well as the in
tegrity and trustworthiness which are salient
features of the presidents character,
A LITTLE INCIDENT,
Recently I have known of an occurrence,
small in ITSELF but Illustrative of what has pro-
duced more in will 10 Grant than anything els,
and which arises wholly from an apparent want
OF tact 1t is quite notable here that nearly all
the journalists employed here as news puryeyors
and commentators, are spiteful critics of
the president I only know of three or four
who may be counted as friendly, and know
but one who, as a correspondent, goes TO the
White house. The reason is that they have all
been vigorously cold-shouldered.
think it has been as wholly unnecessary as
unwise Let me illustrate how it has been done
| by recent incident.
| A new man arrived a short time ago to take
charge of the Washington bureau of a great
! daily. He was quite friendly personally
| so at least-to the administration, especially
so to the tabooed San Domingo question, with
some relations of which he was thoroughly well
! y
who as an editor is the nearest friend the
president has in our profession, happening TO
be in the city, took the correspondent di-
rect TO the White House. The introduction was
much more Of 4 personal than a professional
character yet it left the impression on the cor
respondents mind that he might without Of
fence sometimes reach the president with an iu-
quiry. The opportunity to test this arrived.
His paper telegraphcd him Of certain political
report and asked if he could obtain from the
White House a veri6cation or contradiction of
it. There was nothing improper in the inquiry,
so, after the mail brought the paper, the cores
pondent sent a marked copy with polite note
asking if he might call to ask the question tee-
graphed him. He sent this to the White
house and the messenger brought no reply.
| Late in the evening a messenger called and said
the president desired him TO say that he knew
nothing at all Of the matter. Naturally the
correspondent, who is himself punctilious gen.
tleman, was angered at the apparent slight.
Since that, he has manifested this personal ieel.
Ing in his dispatches, 1t would have exhibited
far more tact and, shall say, courtesy for the
president TO have written few words in re.
Spouse and sent it back by the correspondent
messenger. It will be found, when silted down
that nearly all the personal ill-will TO Grant has
its origin in some slightac of this sort.
OBSERVER.