Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-12-22
From the Chicago Tribune
KING LAMAR.

The democratic majority in the House Of
Representatives has abdicated. Humbly
conscious Of the fact that it was in immi.
nent danger of making collective fool OF
itself, ii has hastily thrown away the pow
er it was afraid to use, has elected the ex-
Confederate Lamar as its King, and has
empowered him to appoint. purely in ac-
cordance with his own royal will, Star
Chamber of thirteen persons, who are to
inform the democratic sheep in Congress
assembled what measures may be intro.
duced and what course shall be taken on
each. The "ihirteen" are to be ringmas-
tiers and the rest the trained mules in the
circus. The democrats were actually
afraid to even trust themselves with the
choice of their bakers dozen Of despots
They supinely placed everything in the
hands of King Lamar.
This action. though unprecedented in
some respects, still reviyes memories of
the past. The Northern democracy has
always bowed submissively to the South
ern section The slave-barons used to ell
bow their way to seats at the head of the
table and thence crack the party whip
over their shrinking colleagues from the
North. Now the old "doughface" senti-
ment shows itself again. The party
throws itself at the feet OF man who
served in the Confederate army, sat in the
Confederate Congress, and represented
the Confederacy at foreign Capital. lie
is able to sit in our Congress only because
3 republican House and Senate relieved
him. by special vote, from the consequent
ces of his treason to his country, and SO
allowed him to hold high place under the
government he tried to destroy. Now the
democrats have given him absolute pow
er over that Government as far as they
can. He can constitute the STAR Chamber
precisely as he wishes. and can so shape
the whole legislative policy Of the coun-
try. In thus placing practically supreme
power in utterly irresponsible hands, the
democrats, again, have simply followed
their favorite party policy of creating a
Boss Lamar is their Boss. He is the
Simon who says Thumbs up and
Thumbs down. p and is obediently fol-
lowed by the cringing Northerners whom
he rules and the naughty Southerners
whom he represents. The United States
is not yet ready to be ruled by Boss, not
even when he is an ex-Confederate
What were the Northern democrats sent
to Washington forP The country put
them there to discuss measures and pass
such laws as might seem TO the best inter-
ests OF the country in their sober judg-
ment We have already pointed out va
rious reasons to distrust that Judgment,
bit We never expected the very men who
were sent to publicly confess that they
could not be trusted, even by themselves
and that the rule OF an irresponsible San.
hedrim and an ex-Coniederate Boss was
safer and better than that of the chosen
representatives OF the democratic party.
The masses OF Bourbon Congressman
have voluntarily changed the descriptive
term to ''them asses" and have besoughl
King Lamar to rule them as he will. They
have thus been grossly discourteous to
their own Speaker. After choosing Mr..
Kerr to select their Committees, they have
deliberately snubbed him, and have sub.
jected him, the Committees and them
selves to Confederate chieftain, who is
10 appoint Board of Guardians, the little
finger OF which will be thicker than the
Speakers loins. Having chosen North
ern man as their sham superior, they now
make Southerner their real ruler eau.
Gus government is bad enough; Star
Chamber government will be worse yet
Even II his Imperial Majesty appoints the
thirteen viceroys of the party with periec
fairness and does not pack the Committed