National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-04
THE FoRTY.THIRD CONGRESS - SOME
THING OF ITS INSIDE HISTORY.

THING OF ITS INSIDE HISTORY
More than one half of the members OF
the present Congress will deserVedly retire
to the seclusion of private life at noon to-
day, and the record Of their stewardship
for the past two years will be made up.
When the verdict upon this stewardship is
rendered we are inclined to believe it will
be composed of the two words, "white-
feathered." 1t is true that the appropria-
ton bills for the support of the Govern
ment have been passed after having been
prepared with commendable economy; but
their passage was a matter of imperative
public requirement. The finances have
been tinkered at, and a piece of sentimen-
talism known as the Civil Rights bill has
been enacted into law. Aside from these
measures, however, what has the Forty
third Congress done to merit the approval
of the people? Have any of the pledges
and promises in the platform Of the domi-
nant party been kept or realized? Has the
Cheap Transportation question been set
tled2 Have Internal Improvements been
developed2 Have the oppressed people of
the South been relieved from the terrorism
of White League rule? Has anything been
accomplished to provide for the enforce
ment of the letter and spirit of the recon
struction acts? Has the party discipline
been preserved? Has anything been
done worthy of the proud boast of
the party that it is entitled to consid-
Grafton as the exponent Of progressive
thought and the earnest advocate OF
advanced governmental theories? The
truthful answer to all these ques.
tions is disgraceful negative. Instead of
attending to these matters, and winning
from the people the verdict Of "Well
done, good and faithful servants, many
Of the outgoing members will return to
their homes 10 find themselves justly de-
nounced for having wasted valuable time
in frivolous debates or worse than useless
investigations. Fearful of their own per-
sonal interests, frightened by the below
ings of their political opponents, and gen.
orally demoralized by an abject and cow
ardly spirit of selfdistrust, they have
yielded themselves to be the willing tools
of the Independent Press. As Republican
Representatives they have proved them
selves to be despicable failures, with rare
exceptions. The ng-minded, bold, de-
termined craftsmanship which illustrated
the earlier period of the party's history
stands forth in marked contrast with their
chicken-hearted and pusillanImous dilly-
daily, make-shift lack Of policy, Utterly
ignoring general interests, the majority of
them seem to have devoted themselves to
the service of special interests, and the re-
suit has been disintegration, faltering and
disgraceful struggling whenever questions
vital to the country have been presented.
BaTtering votes here and there to secure
appropriations for river and harbor i'm
provements. or the erection of public
buildings, they persistently refused to en-
brace pertinent topics of public policy with
anything like a spirited effort to give peace
and quiet to the country. Trading vote
which might have settled knotty questions
relating to internal troubles in the dis
turbed States, for the contemplate priv
lege of securing the location of a light
house on the shores of some obscure
lagoon, or the banks of an unnavigable
creek, has been a practice of prolific
growth with them which has borne disas-
trous fruit.
With the clear and unmistakeable com
mands Of the people as embodied in the
national platform before them, added to
which were the equally plain and forcible
recommendations in the Presidents mes
sages, it was to have been expected that
they would earn bright laurels instead Of
the blasted wreath of shriveled thorns
which now pricks the skin Of their puny
brows. But the mistake was made at
the very outset-at the organization of the
House. Mr.. Speaker Blaine, than whom
there are few, if any, better parliamen-
tarians, was chosen to be presiding officer
Of that body, not because he was known
TO be steadfast Republican, but merely
because he was known to be good parlia.
mentarian. That portion Of the history of
his public career when he, with number
Of other Republican members Of previous
House, deliberately planned q disruption
Of the party when he attempted TO lead
dozens Of his contemporaries out OF the
party ranks and into 0 new organization
10 DO composed Of conservatives OF oil
parties, with tbs senatOr.elect from Ten.
neSsee, thon President, % tho rallyIng
centre, was entirely overlooked Tho
party was flushed with Victory, and felt
strong enough 10 keep ln ranks closed
against similar insIdlouG attempt, even II
Mr.. Blaine should 70 far forget himself ~
10 repeat II, We have said ho was chosen
10 DO Speaker, and his first oct thereafter
In the organization Of committees was 10
prove his inability 10 forget personal likes
and dIslIkes IN the discharge Of that 70.
spoBsIble duty. But his greatest ms,
take was the selection Of com.
mitteemen from among those MON.
boH whose political cutIcles had been
liberated by Credit MobIlIer and back pay
scandals This mistake may have been OK.
cusable, because Mr.. Blaine no doubt hon.
estly believed In thointsgrity, personal and
otherwise, Of his associates; but the result
has proved that these committee men. the
should-be leaders Of the House smarted so
badly under this laceration and were so
sore, so raw, in fact, that whenever some
bugaboo of an Insignificant, unprincipled
newspaper scribbler or blatant ward poIR
tician Faised a FINGER nr ,1ttaro5 , ,,,o-5 J.