New-York tribune., 1878-02-15
POLITICAL NOTES.

The senote votes for National honesty or dis
honesty to-day
The Silver plague would vanish like burst
bubble if the Senate would vote right
The Democratic brethren are Overworking the
word :" liar but there is no synonym which hts
their case so well.
Every time the "fraudD cry is cornered. it Is
found to rest upon nothing but wind, and very weak
wind at that
The Southern Democratic Congressman seems to
he tri,le too "impassioned." IL he would talk less
like bulldozer. and vote oftener like patriot, the
country would have more faith In nlm.
The calmest man in the Democratic bear garden.
to-day, is undoubtedly the whispering statesman of
Gramercy Park. If a powerful telephone were
placed at his lips q mnrmur something ike TINS
might be heard: "PoOr fellows! They are accu-
muating an awful dish of crow this time"
The Silver men IN Congress are disposed to try
whether the National honor can't endure just little
soiling; whether it may not turn out well in the
end if the Great Republic should swiDde its credit
ors and break its pledges just little; whether its
credit resting on its pghted faith, may not. after
ALL be good enough for all practical purposes II 1t Is
only little rotten.
Whatever the sentiment of the Democratic party
in Louisiana may be about the Returning Board
prosecutions there canbe nodoubt that the party in
the rest of the country is entirely unanimous map
proving the outrageous proceedings. Not single
Democratic newspaper condems them. and not one
has word to say against Judge Whitaker. On the
contrary they all defend him. far rs they speak OF
him at all. Truly, this Is verltabie fraud party.
Senator Bainum was wise man when he post
DO ned for three months the meeting OF the National
Democratic Committee. The row in the House on
Wednesday shows how inhammabe the brethren
are lust at present and is sufficient justification for
MFR. Barnum's caution. Western brother praises
Mr.. Bamums sagacity, and remarks that "wily
Republicans are intriguing to create dlssenslons
in The Democratic happy family. There doesn't
seem TO be any pressing need for " creating dis
sensions in IA place that is crowded to bursting
with them now.
The feeble minority of the Silver party who are
in favor of silver a means for resumption are
having a hard time of it, holding back the rest of
the agitators The majority see plainly enough that
silver imitation must be followed by paper imitation,
and that to talk about resumption after that Is sim
ply stupid Besides. they don't want resumption.
The bulk of the silver leaders tho old rag-money
shoutcrs. and they are simply using tho silver
as means to sccnre their long-sought end They
know exactly what they are about, and are, there
FORE good deal clearer headed than the misguided
persons who think they can have unlimited silver
and resumption at the same time.
There never was utterly false assertion clung
to with more pertnaclty than that about the
"surrcptitious demonezation of silver" 1t has been
shown to be absurdy erroneous dozens of times, but
its authors go repeating it without modification
and without bushing. Voorhees, had the GOODNESS
to repeat it in the Senate on Wednesday, and was
silenced with Senator Bayards remark that the
"steathy act" had been printed no less than eleven
times 1t was before the country for three years.
being before both branches of Congress twice dur
ing that time The silver advocates say they can
find any number of Congrcssmen who did not know
when the bill passed. They can find just as many
who are ignorant of the passage OF hundred other
measures.
The most astonishing defence made of Judge
Whitaker comes from The Nation. That jour-
nal remarks that Whitaker may be de-
fauter it is really unable to say whether he is or
not and ait is shocking, 10 doubt, to have a
defaulter on the bench" but there is nothing in
Andersons case or Wclls's to entitle them to be
tried by an exceptionally pure man." This is new
view of the judicial office 1t seems to be based on
the old maxim "set thief to catch thief" but it
is the first time that maxim has been applied tn the
service of the bench. When the Returning Board
was IN session The Nation sure that fair result
could be attained by it, because Its members were
bad. But now it is equally sure that bad Judge
can administer justice with much fairness as
good ONE The logic of this deyerance seems to
be AS crooked as its morals.