The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-01-09
Current Notes.

A member of the ways and means commit
tee was recently suggesting to Gen. Bristov
the adyisability of setting government de
tectlves to work up the facts in the illicit dis
tribution of the Pacific Mail lobby fund
"Why not put the secret service on thu
track?" quered the congressman. "Secre
service, HI" answered the stalwart secre
tary. ''If you want the corrupt member;
ferreted out, go over to Newspaper row and
give your leading facts and suspicious to the
correspondents. They will have all your
scalawags hunted down inside of week."
''When we read, as boys, of Cromwell dis
solving the Parliament and driving he men,
bers out of the hall, we did not dream of see
ing something very like it done in our own
country" was remark made by jealous
Republican in Washington on wednesday,
and the answer was, IF you ale not careful,
Sheridan will go cunning after you Congress-
men, some day."-Boston Globe.
The whole controversy in Louisiana turns
upon the question whether the colored peo-
pie of the state are TO be sustained and pro-
tected in the political rights which the con-
oUlJublOh VI IuC OultCu kudIdubeeS W
them. The white leagues say they shall not,
but that white men shall rule, and the candi-
dates for whom majority of white men vote
shall take possession of - r. ''' --""-
IT, * sse case of General Sheridan the sword
:,~mightier than the pen. His dispatch of
last night for instance will not add to his re-
nown. 1t would have been better for him to
have been twenty miles away from the tele-
graph office.-Hartord C0,rant.
Perhaps the hundreds of City employees,
who don't know whether to expect decapita-
ton or reappointment at Mayor Wickham's
hands may find comfort in the new play,
'sTwixt Axe and. Crown" ."-C0nanaercid Ad-
uertiser
In spite of the assurances which the Cen
eral makes, his expedient is very objections
BILE; 50 much so, indeed, that it will not be
entertained for moment, and a serious dis
cussion of it is not worth the while. 1t is
contrary to tue whole spirit of our institu-
tions that martial law should be declared in
several states of the Union in time of peace,
and yet that is what the General really pro-
poses.-Chicdgo Tribune.
The fashion just now is to sneer at the vir-
tue of Congressman, but I believe it is un-
just. l have been here looker-on for near.
ly twenty years, and l believe that at no
time has there been a Congress, on the
whole, as honest as this one is; that is, in the
matter of legislation. 1t may be very bad po-
litically but there are not dozen men in it.,
l verify believe, whom a lobbyist would dare
approach with a bribe.-"VAN," in the
Springfield Republican.
The Herald declares than Gen. Sheridan's
course will arouse an alarm in the country
like fire bell in the night. 1t is impossible
to conceive such an action on the part of the
lieutenant general of the armies, unless he
should be in possession of information not
yet given to the country.
The Times thinks Gen. Sheridan's despatch
to the secretary of war is remarkable con-
tribution to the discussion of the Louisiana
matter. His suggestion that Congress might
declare the leaders of the White Leagues ban
ditti and turn them over for trial to militia
ry commission is denounced. There is no
power in the President to proclaim certain
men banditti, and there is none in Congress
to outlaw class who, whatever their offenc-
es, have thus far shown profound respect for
the authorities of the United States. 1t is
surprising that very able graduate of West
Point Id soldier who has so calamity and
faithfully fought for the supremacy of the
constitution should know so little of its re-
quirements.