The daily gazette., 1874-12-01
The Knife.

Inc knlIe Is Breuo A"o'i
with our Radical friends. They are apt
at catching up phrases and talking of
what may be DONE Just now the knife
is the instrument with which their party
is to be saved from being put in the MI
nority. Lately they hoped for Reform
within the party; but now the corrup-
ton has become so disgusting that 1t
must be cut right out. We are led to
the above remarks by reading In the
Commercial Of last evening, under the
head of "The Meeting Of Congress"
the following:
I'VE look with confidence for some
broader and more comprehensive legis-
lation from Congress ut this session. We
expect to see it, like skillful physician
who has discerned the seat OF disease,
apply the needed remedies to speedy
cure' even il that cure much be reached
by heroic treatment or, if need be, by
the application of the knife. There
never has been such demand for the
exercise of craftsmanship as at present,
but we believe all the essenIial qualties
are combined in the two Houses OF Con
gress and require but the opportunity to
be developed"
Now we understand from the returns
Of the late election that the people have
s;onified in a voice more terrible than
thunder, that this Congress was the
seat Of the disease?" Who then will make
"the application of the knifeP 1t was
tried in the Credit Mobilier frauds; but
almost every Radical that undertook to
nse the knife" found one thrust at his
own throat and the result was all the
Radical leading lights went down under
the process. It worked well for the peo-
pie then, and we hope it will not fail to
do good now. But the Commercial breads
the use Of the knife. 1t fears it although
it seemingly recommends it. In fact
"the seat of the disease" is so near the
heart Of the Republican party that the
use Of the knife would be fatal in the
hands of any physician, no matter how
skillful. The only remedy is in the po-
litical death of the corruptionists that
now "rule" and ruin" in Washington
The other medicine that the Commercial
would apply to the body polite, is sin
gular compound and one that sounds
strange in this country. That paper
says;
There i'd no probability of disn.
greement be-between the President and
Congress. Present indications point tc
harmonious action between the two
greatly as the Democrats desire a divis
ion. Wise counsels and moderate efforts
will likely prevail and characterize the
whole session. 1t is understood that one
of the principal subjects which the
President will treat upon in his message
will be that Of Labor, in the considera.
ton Of which he will urge the prosecu.
ton Of work upon all the public works
of the country, present and prospective
1t is also not improbable that he will
suggest comprehensive system of water
and rail communication between the At.
lantic sea board and the West and South
and the employment Of our idle popula.
ton. If some means can be devised by
which the unemployed can find work, il
will tend greatly to the pacification Of
an element in our politics which is natu.
rally dissatisfied with the present order
of things, and which contributed largely
to the reverses in the late elections
There is specimen of what the Com
msrcial would term statesmanship. Al
least we are bound to believe that it Of
fers its advice to the President, or il
oommends the policy recommended. II
is only another attempt to bribe The
people-or rather to deceive and delud,
them. How long would the government,
be able to furnish labor for the people
At what rate would the paper promise,
sell when it was known the government
had embarked in such a speculative ca
reerp Or, would it be like our reservoir
on large scale-the negroes getting al
the work and "bossing" the white men
II that is the way the "knife" is to b,
used We hope it will not be taken il
hand. Should Grant follow the lin,
prescribed he will very soon reach tn,
end Of his policy in disgraceful failur,
and be derided by the masses every
where.