Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1875-03-25
WHAT DON PIATT THINKS OF
RLATNEs

Don Piatt is caustic, bitter, and malignant
in attacks aimed at the President, Cabinet
Ministers, and often Senators and Represen-
tatives, when they happen to be Republicans.
The Don styles himself an Independent,
which he is, with development of strong
Democratic lcanings, of which he takes spe-
cial pride and pains to publicly manifest in
his Capital from week to week. Only at in
tervals long between can he screw his courage
up to record fairly expressed criticism of q
public man however prominent or deserving,
if pcrchance he marches with or helps to
lead the Republican column. An exception
to the general rule is an article which we
clip from q recent number of his journal,
wherein he treats of the Speaker of the late
House of Representatives, James q. Blaine,
in connection with events in the House of the
28th of February, with which our readers are
already familiar. We append the article to
which we allude:
The spectators in the galleries and men,
bers upon the floor OF the House who were
cool enough amid the excitement to make
February, enjoyed rare intellectual treat IN
the control Mr.. Speaker Blaine maintained
over that turbulent body. 1t is no exaggera-
ton to say that the event was without parallel
in the annals of parliamentary rulings. And
well as the House seemed to know the Speaker
in his many years as presiding officer, he
appeared as another and different man on
this trying occasion. Called in from dinner
party. he was in full dress, and his handsome
| figure in it's wcll-fitting costume added to the
dramatic effect of the scene. The majority
advocating bill on this occasion that trans
| forms our republic at once from republic to
| despotisn, were fercely determined to drive
! it through regardless Of form, while the min
ority, equally in earnest, were bent upon de-
! feating the conspirators, let the means used
be what they might.
This was the body Mr.. Speaker Blaine was
called upon to control, and his 6rmness, dig.
nifty. fairness, quickness of apprehension and
action were something marvellous, and won
admiration from even those he subdued and
reduced to order. He seemed to pass from
the rapier to the whip with lightnineg,-hkt
rapidity-always right and always successful
that made the contest hopeless on the par
of the more turbulent. And yet all this wa
done with such grace, patience and gentle
! manly courtesy that after the affair was ended
and peace came on the heels of the fierce
struggle, the admiration was open, hearty
and general.
We will be but poorly understood if w
leave the impression upon our readers that II
this there was merely display of parlia
mentary tactics The Speaker found himsel
facing House hot with evil passions anc
partizan zeal, in the midst of revolution, an<
from high patriotic impulse he alone lifted II
from chaos into order. At times his clear
voice could be heard above the tumult
not in an appeal to reason, but in the com
manding tone of one commissioned to control
And although assailed from all sides by &
confusion that originated in the ugliest pas
sions, and set upon by vexed questions, b.
never for second lost that control. whil
some of his rulings reached the level of tn
highest oratory.
! We have regarded Mr.. Blaine for man.
years as one of the most brilliant of our NOR
eminent men, but on this occasion he taugh
friend and foe alike that he is animated b,
the loftiest impulses. He sunk the parti
SAN in the patriot, and it is to be regretted
that through the mean greed and corruption
of the creatures about him, he is forced to re
tire from the front to subordinate position