The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-12-23
The Third Term Before the House.
A TRAP FOR THE REPUBLICANS. AND LOTS
OF Fun.


sirn of the battle that was impending
The skirmishing was begun by the repub
Icans themselves, Eugene Hale, of Maine,
opening fire with u resolution declaring
it the sense of the House that the Secre-
tary OF the Treasury should be invested
with the requisite power to enable him to
carry out the law providing for the re-
sumption of specie payments, on which
he moved the previous question. This
was a shrewd device to set the hard and
soft money democrats to quarrelling and
to put them upon the record tor and
against the resolution. The hard money
democrats refused to secede from party
lines. and the motion to order the previous
question was lost, with a good deal OF
giggling on the republican side of the
House at the wriggling Of some of the
democrats who did not want to vote on
the question and had argued that the
resolution was one which should be re-
terred forthwith to the appropriate COM
mittee. The democrats took the result
il good humor They had got so used
to this sort of thing that they did not
mind the additional instalment of ill-for-
tune. The next shot was fired at them
10y Starkweather, OF Connecticut, who
proposed to amend Garlield's bill of last
winter. popularity, or rather unpopularly,
known for its feature increasing the post
age on newspapers, but his proposition
was looked upon as so petty piece of
partsanship that its rejection by the dem
ocrats produced reaction in the favor of
the latter, particularly as Randall OF
PENNSYLVANIA, explained that his party
wouid. at the proper time, correct this
and all other evil legislation of the lately
dominant party of the lIouse AT this
point Hewitt, of New York, followed up
The advantage gained by Randall by in
PRODUCING a a resolution inquirlng into the
claims in the Quartermaster Generals De
partment, the forwarding Of which has
been so freely and scandalously gosslped
about as the reason for getting the obstl-
nate Meigs out of the way with mission
to inspect the battle fields OF Europe. Kan
dali came on again with proposition to
oNtend q general amnesty to all persons
now living under disabilities on account Of
their connection with the rebellion. The
ironical Blaine got in a sheer at the dem
ocratic longing tor pardon. There was
little sparrin@ between the two captains,
and the question went over under an
agreement between them to meet at
particular time and fight it out. The man
utacture OF political capital did not end
quite here 1t went little further. An
ant-subsidy resolution was offered, and
again the tainted democrats had to under
go the process of putting themselves on
The record.
But the hour Of democratic triumph and
republican discontinue was at hand The
majority had grown indignant, and par
ticularly Springer, of Illinois. The tall
form OF the gentleman from Springfield
was seen towering above his desk as he
Moderated, Mr.. Speaker Mr.. Speaker -
and every head was turned toward the
Clerk. when the words washington, y
Presidential Office second term, and
The like. struck the car. AT once there
was rush tor seats by the democrats,
who crowded in from the cloak rooms
and Hobbies, while the republicans We're
too surprised to think OF what policy to
pursue. The corps of newspaper report
prS. seeming a rich scene and a first class
sensation, jumped down from the gallery
to their desks and planted themselves
with pencils and division lists to score the
killed and wounded. Expectation lit up
every eye. Heretofore the majority had
been the victims of the division list, but
now the republicans were to put them
selves down YES OF mo- for Grant and
the third term, and live OF die, sink or
swim, survive OF perish by the monosyl-
liable they should now pronounce III an
swer to the Clerks call OF the roll.
Springer, in offering the resolution,
moved the previous question, and SO shut
Oft all debate. Still standing in his place,
looking like an ogre to the at1righted re-
publicans he demanded the yeas ana nays.
which were offered by the sufficient num-
Der of applicants The confusion having
prevented general hearing OF the resolu-
ton, its reading was repeated and the
words ''Resolyed, That in the opinion OF
this House the precedent established by
Washington and other Presidents OF the
nited States, in retiring from the Pres
dential Office after their second term, has
become by universal concurrence part
oi our republican system of government,
and that any departure from tins time
honored custom would be unWise, unpa-
triotic and traught with peril to our lnstl-
tutions" sounded like 4 death warrant,
which if doubtless will be for the political
future Of some Of them. During this Sc
cond reading the republicans got chance
10 draw breath One OF their number
sprang to his feet and moved to adjourn,
but the motion was lost by q loud and
terocious No that must have been heard
bv the people down on Pennsylvania
avenue The democrats were not quite
through with the business they had in
hand Revenge was sweet. They had
their opponents in chancery, and Were
going to make all things even. Adjourn
ment Was out Of the question for a few
minutes. Strangely enough the democrat
lied minority, ever so compact and cool
in previous contests with the other side,
missed their chance at this moment to
lilibuster With the motion to adjourn
lost, they could have moved to adjourn
TO a particular time. and so have STAYED
oft vote for the day, if not indefinitely
But the fact is they lost their head, liter
ally and politically, for their leader, eX-
Speaker Blaine, thought more OF flight
than of strategy and left the rank and file
to their own resources. The scene in the
group Of republican members had now
become painful to witness. Environed by
the democrats and watched by the gal
leries the devoted band was the picture of
despair and desperation. They evinced
their anxiety in shifting uneasily from seat
to seat, i'll rising and going about from one
place to another in pursuit of advice; in
twisting their boards, and in nervous
clutching of the hands The roll call be-
gan; a dozen or more broke and ran to
the cloak rooms. AS the Clerk reached
the name of James G.. Blaine there was a
hush and deep momentary stiffness. The
name was repeated, but no answer COM
ing, and the burly form of the gentleman
from Maine being invisible to the thou
sands of eyes directed toward his vacant
chair, litter, laugh, and then broad
gutlaw greeted the inglorious absence of
the republican captain. Taking time by
the forelock he had waited not for the an
nouncement Of his distinguished cogno-
men, but as soon as the Clerk had reach
ed General Banks among the BIS the ex-
Speaker beat a rapid retreat to the cloak
room and was seen no more in the House
until the LITTLE unnleasantneSs was over