New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-06-11
THE HFLOT IN THE SENATE.

There is only one way in which the Senate
of the United States can regain its lost
position. This is by becoming so insuferable
that a movement for reform will be forced to
make its appearance among the Senators
themselves, or the public will be brought to
feel the necessity of taking the business of
the Senate's renewal out Of the hands of legis-
lative rings. This is the only consolation
which can be found in the present state of
things in that body. 1t cannot get much
worse, and the longer it remains as it is the
more opportunity will there be for the better
sort of people to recognize clearly what is the
result of letting the worse sort manage their
legislatures. There was never more in
geniOus lesson than that devised by the Spar
tan moralsts to teach their children the dignity
and value of sObriety, by bringing into the
house a drunken HelOt. The sight of his
squalid degradation was better than a thou
sand lectures to warn the LacOnian youth
against the first stages of cOrruptng vice.
The public career of some half-dozen Of the
men who direct the policy Of the Senate
might be made to serve the same admirable
purpose of example and warning. AS the
session draws near its end, it seems as if
these persons were guided by an invisible
hand which was leading them in the way
which should be fullest of instruction for
spectators. Howe trying to glOrify Leet and
to gag his colleagues on the Investigating
Committee; Conkling asserting that the ma
iOrity alone had any claim to responsibility
Morton and the two preceding uniting to
muzzle and fetter the South with uncalled-for
and tyrannical laws; Carpenter admitting
and justifying nepotsm, gift-tabing, and
contempt of law all these pictures have
within the last week or two illustrated the
decline of the Senate with peculiar force. Mr..
Chandler evidently feared yesterday that the
session might close without his doing any
thing conspicuously disreputable. He had but
an hour or two to repair his fault, but he did
it fully. Dir. Thurman had moved to extend
the session six hours from noon yesterday. 1t
would be hard TO imagine more innocent or
less provocative proposition. But it was
enough for the purpose of the Honorable
Zacharah. He opposed il, on the ground
that the Senate had been wasting time, and
he proceeded to tell them why the time had
been wasted. 1t was in pursuance of con-
spiracy plotted in q New-YOrk hotel last
November, between a prominent Senators
" formerly a Republican, prominent Demo-
" cratic Senator and Mr.. Tilden.n This emil
nent trio arranged fine things, by virtue of
which good Grant men have been investi-
gated, and the Liberals and Democrats have
made speeches to kill time from November
last up to the present hour.
This maudlin story was checked and inter-
rupted on its weaving way by questions and
contradictions that left it sadly tattered and
bedraggled at the close. Mr.. Fenton asked for
the names of the Senators referred to. Mr.
Chandler refused to give them. Mr.. Fenton
then said he did not believe the story. Mr.
Chandler calmly replied that Fenton knew
nothing about it. Mr.. Casserly was still more
categorical. He told Mr.. Chandler squarely
"that there was not word of truth in the
statement" Mr.. Chandler cheerily accepted
this fiat contradiction and was repeating his
story, when Mr.. Casserly again brought him
lid with two or three sharp inteTogatories,
such as q master addresses to skulking APP
prentice. but which could neither drive
Mr.. Chandler into telling the truth or
resenting the repeated contradictions. Finally
Mr. Thurman grew tired of the noise, and con-
tradicted Mr.. Chandler also, and Mr.. Steven
son closed the list of those who had made q
question of veracity with him. But he babbled
placidly on after all these rebukes, refusing to
make any specifications, without. shame and
without anger, until Mr.. Morton grew morti-
fed at the scene, and persuaded him to stop.
This would be an incident of little importance,
affecting only DIR. Chandler himself, and at most |