New-York tribune., 1874-11-07
THE NEXT CONGRESS.

THE NEAI CONGhESS.
The changes in the next Congress have an
interest not altogether connected with the
struggle for party supremacy; and when we
survey the list of killed, wounded, and missing,
we may perhaps be justified in the hope that
the craftsmanship of the next two years will
be something different from the statesman
ship of the past. A surprisingly great number
of the smaller sort of politicians, tricky men
and foolish men, noisy demagogues and cor
Iupt adventurers, patriots who cling to the Ad-
ministrat1on for the sake of the plunder and
value seat in Congress only for its pecuniary
advantages, have been swept away on the tide,
or are just dropping out of political life. 1t
will make tremendous difference in
the aspect of the Capitol when
a score or so of these conspicuous figures
are removed. The House of Representatives
will barely know itself when the brazen voice
of the Essex statesman resounds within 1t
no longer, and the very respectable blue coat
of the Hon. Luke P. Poland ceases to impart
tone to its deliberations. Gen. Garfield will
go back to his old place, but after strug-
gle which leaves him somewhat manned
and debilitated. Mr.. Dawes apprOpri-
ately retires in company with tho blatant
person to whom he rashly linked his
fortunes, and he will hardly win the seat
in the Senate for the sake of which he sacri-
feed his reputation. Mr.. Hooper will no longer
represent the financial interests Of Massachu-
setts, nor will the eloquent WoodfOrd adorn
the delegation from New-YOrk. The Custom
house faction will lose steady friend IN
Ellis II. Roberts. The inflatiOnists hereafter
must get along without Sessions and Merriam.
The campaign committees which transact bus
mess in the document and fOlding-rOoms will
suffer from the defeat of the great American
franker, Platt of Virginia, and next time may
even be obliged to pay their own postage. IN
the Senate great many places will fall vacant
on the 4th of March, and it is by no means
clear by what sort of men most OF them Will
be filed. The placid and faithful Gilbert OF
Florida will cease to run about the Senate
Chamber for advice whenever he is called
upon to vote Mr.. Chandler, the Boanerges OF
Michigan, will 60 home without any imme-
date prospect of returning. Ames of
Mississippi, Stewart of Nevada, Scott
of Pennsylvania, Carpenter of Wiscon-
sin, are among the active Republican Senators
whose terms of service expire; and Mr.. Flan-
agan of Texas will leave vacancy In the
Committee on Education which cannot easily
be filed. 1t may be some consolation to the
Administration, however, to reflect that MIR.
Charles Hays of the Lower House has been re-
elected in Alabama, and Mr.. Darrall i'll
Louisiana, and that Mr.. Dunnell, having fin
isbed "hauling sand," is coming TO spend the
rest of his back pay. The Senators to be
chosen in Delaware, New York, Massachusetts,,
Indiana, Ohio, and Tennessee, are likely to be
good men. Messrs Bayard and Thurman we
presume will be returned to the posts they
have filled with so much honor. Missouri,
however, loses one of the nOblcst statesmen
of the day in Carl Schurz. He was supported
by the Administration, and he has shared in
the general disaster of the party.
OF most of the new members of the House
there is not much to be said. The great ma
jorty are entirely unknown, and when we
have recorded the fact that so many are Ia
beled democrat" and so many Republican"
we have told the whole story. There are
others, however, who either have a national
reputation already or are pretty certain to
make one. Prof. Seelye, who has been chosen
in Massachusetts,, belongs to class of men
whose entrance into politics would mark q
new and better era in our national life.
Mr.. Payne, who has replaced the special
friend of the President in the Cleveland
(Obio) district is an able advocate of hard
money. Gen. Gibson, who defeats Sypher In
Louisiana, is a Southern gentleman of the
very best type, and he will find fit associate
in Gen. Kershaw of South Carolina. In New
YorI, we have done well in eectipp Mr.
Hewitt and Mr.. Chittenden, and also in re-
tanning Mr.. s. S. Cox. Ohio is to be con-
graduated upon the victory of Mr.. Foster,
and New-Jersey it is to be hoped has saved
Mr. Phelps.
1t does not appear as yet that the new
Congress will be of much greater average
ability than the old, though it may be much
more useful to the country. But its character
will be fixed in great degree by the obscure
statesmen whose career is all before thou