National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-01-02
BOWLES-WATTERSON.

Whenever Samuel Bowles, of the Spring
field Republican, or Henry Watterson, of
the Louisville Courier Journal, leave the
precincts of their cosy sanctums it is for
the purpose of raising a political breeze.
They were recently in Washington, as our
readers already know, and the usual result
has followed; but it is merely breeze, and
very gentle one at that. The truth is
they might as well have remained at home
this time and issued instructions to their
regular correspondents here to furnish the
information which they carried away with
them. 1t required no yicarIous journal
istic power 10 do the job they did, nor did
it require any more brains than the ordi-
nary Washington correspondent possesses
to do it, because it was simply to make
statements regarding matters of which
they knew nothing, and of which they
could gain no information. For example,
they have both assumed to instruct their
readers in an authoritative way in every
thing pertaining to the "policy of the Ad-
ministration," and to tell them all about
General Grants intentions" Further,
they have assumed to do the same regard
ing individual members Of the Cabinet and
Congress. In short, they swooped down
from the exaltation of their self-compla-
cent knowledge of affairs in general,
and with single cursory glance pretended
TO have obtained knowledge of affairs in
particular, and now, that they have re-
turned to their perches, have assumed, as
we have said, to expose numerous state
secrets, party secrets and personal secrets.
But, like the animal from which Darwin
claims we are all descended, they have
made another kind of exposure in climbing
back. They forgot that the people Of the
country, including some of their own
readers, are sufficiently intelligent to under
stand that under no circumstance, consid-
ering their political affiliations. could they
have been recognized in such way as to
permit them TO obtain any information rela-
tive to the subjects they now so graveiy and
eoDsequentially discuss. In truth they
have furnished sufficient basis for charge
that they have been guilty of deliberate
falsehoOd.
When they arrived here there was some
loose and some very earnest talk about the
absence of competent leaders in the Repub-
lican party, and there was further talk of
the most nonsensical kind about differences
of opinion between the President and prom.
inent Republican Congressman. All this
gossip, magnifed an hundredfold as it
came to their ears, filtered, or rather mud
died, through Liberal Republican and
Democratic sources, they have retailed as
truth. Bowles, for example, asserts that
the President has been guilty of alluding to
Congress as the "fellows at the other end
of the Avenue" and says that there is
clearly panic here among Republicans, "
except with the President, and that the
question of the hour is, What shall we
do to be savedr" Thej idea he intends to
convey by this is that the President enjoys
q selfsuficient stolidity, and is utterly re-
gardless Of the party future, while the ma
jori;y in Congress has been stampeded.
They both agree that something is required
to be done for the Republican party with
"profane quickness, - and then stultify
themselves by praising Secretary Bristow
and Postmaster General Jewell for having
gained credit for themselves and the
party in the management of their
respective Departments. In this mer-
tied compliment to deserving officials
may be- found the essence of the
conspiracy of which Bowles and Watterson
are active leaders, and of which Whitelaw
Reid and Murat Halstead, with others of
less calibre but no less msIignity OF spirit
are devout followers They have conspired