The Portland daily press., 1873-03-18
"The Mob"

A noble Senator, one OF that patrlclan
order who ''are compelled to keep up an es-
Enlistment at home and another in Wash
ington," and, not having sufficient means of
their own, have clear right to take the
money from their fellow citizens, said the
other day in debate on the case of the OBJ
jectionable Caldwell, that he didn't propose to
be influenced in his action by ''the howllngs
of the mob" intending by that collective term
to designate the public at large. He meant
to say that the protests of the people against
the continuance in the position OF law
maker of a shameless violator OF both la"
and decency were to him as the pran,eS'
mutterings ola crowd of violent and dlsoroer-
ly ruffians. In the course OF the ia'e oeo"'
on the Credit Mobilierfrauds ana Tue inoiea'o
of salary. the same word has often been IN tne
mouths of those who, having mad up their
minds TO an act of grand larceny, were natur-
.,lv ro,,ctant to condemn their associates who
bod s;nned in like manner on other occasions.
Tho anolopists of ssthe honest old blacksmith"
etbe Christian Statesman" the Intellectual
editor of the New York Express, the learned
New Hampshire Senator, the $4,000 larceny
and the Credit Mobier whitewash, have all
been infinitely disturbed by the howlings of
this mob. The working men and women of
the country, who do not have seat under
that wonderful dome Of the capitol, with mile
age, stationery, the Thanking rrivi eye, besides
a fine salary, will find it an extraordinary
hardship to suffer from the inroads of AFRO
giant highwaymeD, and to be roundly abused
by their plunderers who sit grinning and
hooking on the high tower of official emin-
ence. But s'the mob, of which Gen. Butler
and the rest of the Congressional banditti
speak, sometimes finds weapon as well as
voice. Such mob once in English history
removed not only from power but from this
life less shameless confscator of public
property. The same thing was done once in
French history. Spain has twice within ten
years sent its rulers packing for like ofenses.
In this country the people never dream of re-
sorting to violence or disregard of law as a
means of obtaining redress for grievances But
the result of the election in New Hampshire,
the resolutions passed by the Republican con-
ventions of Ohio and Illinois, and the almost
universal condemnation OF late Congressional
action by the newspaper press of the entire
country, are facts showing that our Democratic
mob is capable of acting as decisively and effec-
lively in its way as any other In a manner
strictly peaceful and lawful means will certainly
befound to rebuke the unfaithful servants of
the people in way that will be even more I'M
pleasant than 'howling." Unless wonder
full change takes place in public feeling, not
one of the Congressional Claude Duvals will
ever again represent ''the mob9 at Washing
ton or elsewhere. The longer the late trans
actions are dwelt upon and examined, the
more wicked they seem-especially the in
crease of salaries. The laboring people of
Massachus etts, who constitute the great body
of the citizens of that as well as of most other
States, are declared in the late report of the
Aureau of the Statistics of Labor to
be unable to procure homes of their
own, unable to allow their children to be
educated in the public schools, una
BILE even to procure food that is altogether
suitable. II this State, as we have often
taken pains to remind our readers, good school
teachers work five days and half in week
for the sum of from three to eight dollars.
Thus fares ''the mob,' while the portly Con-
gresham takes from the os5pised caste the
sum of $40 for every day in the year, or $24 a
day excluding Sundays. But for more than
half the year the Congressman is at home,
indulging an elegant leisure or engaged in the
labors of his profession; so that he makes ''the
mob" pay him more than $50 for every days
actual work, in return for which courtesy he
is graciously pleased to call his too indulgent
paymasters the hardest names in his vocabu-
larry! We know very well how contemptu-
ously the patricians regard the protests of the
plebeians. 1t was tavoriie mot of all ex-
Congressman from this State, when warned
that the action he was about to take would be
unsatisfactory to his constituents, that he
didn't care for his constituents. ''Why,"
added he, ''they are god deal more afraid
of me than am of them" 1t is time to take
the conceit out of some of these gentlemen.