National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-16
BY WHOM ARE THEY FRIGHTENED
RCONGREsS AND THE BANDTTTI OF THE
INDEPENDENT PRESS.

garding the character of the men who as
sumo to direct, through the columns of the
Independent Press, the policy of Congress,
the conclusion is positive that Congress
owes it to itself and to the country to re-
ject and punish that assumption in a most
unmistakable manner. 1t is a mistake to
suppose that the majority party is without
material for leadership although, as we
have frequently said, the absence Of con-
spicuous active ability in that direction
gives rise to such a suggestion. 1t is a
mistake, too, to suppose that the party is
without policy or the material Of which
to erect one that would weld the masses of
the people to its earnest and successful sup
port. But the truth is that the material for
leadership has been cowed, and has been
SO completely overaW ed by the successful
attempt to accomplish the political demon
alization of men who are able to lead by
the Independent Press that they have
abandoned all continuity of purpose in ex-
plotting the material which should 60 to
make up the policy of the party. At pres
eHt, when measures of public importance,
such, for example. as the comprehensive
system of internal improvements recon-
mended by the President, sustained by re-
ports of military and civil engineers of IN
Improbable integrity, and supported by the
result of the investigations of special CON-
mittees of Congress, are preached for dis
cussion, the Independent Pres, raises the
ever-convenient and deceptive cry of ex-
travagance, to be followed by the Demo-
cratic yell of corruption. What is the re-
suit? Simply that Congress becomes as
dumb and helpless as an asylum of mutes.
All that is necessary, in short to cripple
the ambition of the average Republican
Congressman to outstrip his competitors in
caring for the true interests of his constitu-
ents, or to prevent him from responding to
their demands for Cheap Transportation,
is that some irresponsible guerilla in journal
ism, some wandering free lance among
newspapers, or some corrupt scoundrel who
fills the columns of a Journal with sour
rility, shall print a paragraph character
izing measures of that kind as jobs of The
Lobby. And the same may be said
of every class of legislation. When
these same black -mailers, like Dana
of the Sun; bribe-takers, like White
law Reid of the Tribune, and the adven-
turers who write for the New York Herald
assert that the people of the South" have
Just cause for opposing their existing State
governments, these doughty gentlemen
take the back track, and ignore the fact that
''the people" to whom the Independent
Press refer comprises only the Democratic
and anti-Republican portion Of the South
ern communities. Further, the same result
follows when honest private claims are pre-
scented 10 Congress for adjudication, and
tie effect is not only to deprive meritorious
citizens of the justice they are entitled to
at the hands of the Government, but to
drive them away from the ranks of the
Republican party. In fact, the want of
bold and independent manhood and
that kind Of self confidence which is only
born Of courageous devotion to principle
makes itself apparent every day in the pro-
ceedings of the Republican majority.
They know that thousands of skilled work
men are out of employment, that an equal
number Of laborers are in the same condi-
ton, and that other thousands Of people in
every walk Of life are starving, and they
know the remedy for these things as
well as they know that they exist. Why,
then, do they shirk the great responsibility
which resides with them to provide that
remedy? If it is not because they are
frightened from the path of duty, as we
have said, by the mouthings Of the indie
pendent Press, there must be some other
reason. As we have failed to find any
other cause, we may reasonably presume
that this is the true one.
Now let US see who these bugbears are
who have almost driven a great party to
the verge of defeat, and have browbeaten
victorious leaders until, like comb-cut dung
hill fowls they are ready, at the slightest
indication of threatening crow from the
enemy, to run away with outspread wings
and hide themselves from imaginary dan
ger. First, perhaps, owing to his unworthy
and accidental connection with the New
York Tribune, is Whitelaw Reid. He was
always a man of Democratic tendencies,
who wore the disguise of Free Soiler,
while serving the fortunes of the lsmented
Chase, simply for selfish purposes. At
tacbing himself to the skirts of that emf
nent statesman, as closely and as creepingly
Odious as body parasite, he did him no
service except to poison his mind against
friends with whom he should naturally
have been on better terms, and finally,
aided by men no less INSCRIPTIONS or am
bilious than himself, succeeded in dragging
him into a conspiracy against the Chief
Magistrate of the Government, who was
then entitled not only by force of charac-
ter, but by the majority choice, to recogni-
tion as the greatest of all Republican lead
ers. From this time forth Reds fortunes
were those of literary pirate, sailing in
the sea of politics, robbing the State of
Ohio by compiling an almost interminable
and very confused amount of trash as the
war history of that State, claiming it as the
product of his own brains, and at the same
time giving the use of his venal pen to the
congenial occupation of defaming the char
acter and fair fame of the martyr Lincoln.
Subsequently, at the New York oonven-
ton, he was active in his endeavors to de-
moralize the Republican party by securing
the Democratic nomination for Judge
Chase. Failing in this, and having fastened
1i,,saIf leech.lilVp to the nerson