Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-12-18

nne opening of Congress.


N the day that William NJ. Tweed
~ tate master of the Democratic
.rtv in New York, was sent TO the
paa;tentiary, Fernando Wood, OF
horn Tweed might we'll have taken
lions in political morality, was
'.ao,;rated by the Democratic Con-
n'.assionaI caucus as the Democratic
candidate for Speaker in the House
~ representatives, and received,
v,her the House organized, seventy
sayen Of the eighty-one Democratic
rates cast. Mr.. Wood was nomina-
.ad in the caucus by Mr.. Randall, of
Pennsylvania, a Democratic protec-
zionist. and .'salary-grabber;" and
mben Mr.. Holman, CT Indiana, pro-
,'n,ad that the Democratic party
thould not justify the ''grab in any
hammer. Mr.. Randall and other
namocratic leaders SO fell upon him
md rent him, sustained by the action
# the caucus, that Mr.. Holman and
Mr. Cox withdrew. The Republican
caucus, on the contrary, representing
majority of one hundred and seven
in the House, on the first evening of
the session declared for the uncondi-
t;onal repeal of the increased salary
law. and appointed committee to
nrepare new bill upon the subject.
Mr.. Fernando Woods political
character and career are as notorious
as those of Tweed. 1t is asserted
that he was not "grabber." The
trnth is that he was absent from the
Uouse when the final vote upon the
aprabu was taken, but upon Buffers
motion to reconsider the vote by
which, on the 18th of February, the
.prabn amendment was lost, Mr..
Wood voted with Butler, and when
the bill was passed he took the mon
ey.and has kept it. His nomination
and the contemptous refusal of the
caucus to condemn the ''grab" mere
" confirm what we, in common
with others, have constantly said,
that the Democracy represents no
principle, no policy, except plumber
and is a sheer impertinence in our
politics. Its success at various points
in the autumn elections was wholly
negative; and if there was any ex-
pectation in any mind that the Dem
ocratic party could possibly become
an organization to which honest men
might look for reform and progress,
the opening scenes in Congress have
utterly dispelled it.
And this is the party action. The
immediate and highest party author
ity in our politics is the National
Convention. But next to that, and
permanent, is the body of party Rep.
resentatives in Congress, which was
the predecessor of the Convention.
This body has done precisely what
the shrewdest Republicans anticipa-
ted. Give thief rope enough, says
the proverb, and he will hang him
self. "The court of Rome," says
William Goodwin, "reposed with
generous confidence upon the folly
and blindness of mankind" 1t was
clear to sagacious observers that the
Democratic party, which has no root
whatever in principles or policy, or
even in sentiment, nor even cum
ming leadership, nor the sense, or
wish, or power to procure it, but
which stupidity pursues the phan-
toms Of twenty years ago, would be
solheady and pulled with its seeming
success in the elections that it would
sieze the first opportunity to prove
that the apparent light in its eyes
was mere phosphOrescence. But the
most audacious Of those observers
did not dare to hope that its Repre-
sentatives in Congress would sneer
at the repeal of the "grab," and
nominate Fernando Wood for Speak
er. The only wonder left is that
they did not pass a resolution of con-
d0lence with Tweed.
This ridiculous and natural action
Of the Democratic party will not, we
hope, blind the Republican leaders to
their immense responsibility. They
have an enormous majority, and the
situation of the country is grave, if
not critical. The national revenues
are falling below the expenses, and
there are formidable designs upon
the Treasury. Events have led ma
ny thoughtful men to distrust OF
the tendency of affairs, which was
shown by the reduced Republican
vote at the elections. There is,
THEREFORE, great political army of OBJ
servation, whose action will depend
upon that of Congress. If the bright
beginning of the caucus and the Sen
ate upon the salary bill shall be the
harbingar of the economy, honesty,
and intelligence of the general policy
to be pursued, more than Monroe's
era of good feeling will return to the
country under Republican auspices.