Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-02-16
nalln StNnlb"t Sc "a
A u O. T. A.
Saturday Morning, February 10, 1878.
Pandemonium in the House.

democratic members, over the settlem "nt
of the electoral coun.. Is the subject ol
general condemnation. II such are lhe
scenes the country is to be treated win
while the democracy should be upon lis
best behavior if il hopes to regain the
confidence of the people, what limit VIII
there be to lawlessness, riot and disregard
of public opinion in Congress when the
democrats WELD the full power of the
government, if that time ever shall Gomez
The ARRAY began from a remark made
by Mr.. Hewitt OF New York, the leuter-
ant of Mr.. Tilden in the Presidential cam
paign. in which he referred to the temper
exhibited bv Mr. Aiken, oil South Carroll
ma, against West Point, aud which, he
claimed, Mr.. House of Tennessee, and
Mi. Aiken had misinterpreted IN assuming
that il impugned their loyalty. Nj House
replied very bitterly to what he considered
had been II reflection OF that kind, and
served notice that neilhe he nor bis col
leagues intended to Submit to such while
they were discharging their duty As they
understood it. Mr. Hewitt. replied. Then
Mr.. Aiken came to the trout and assailed
Mr.. Hewitt personally, charging that
he skulked through the war, that he was
an Esau, a Benedict Arnold, and that he
put up the Presidency aud sold ii. Mr..
Hewitt met this assault with counter
al a, IA,
him to sell the Presidency but he refused
it. And so the battle ragged, while the
suggestion was made that the conlbatants
had better settle it with pistols AT BIadens-
burg, and the word "liar" was heard re-
peatedly in the hall. The following edi-
torials will show how this disgracelui fl ght
is regarded.
From the New York Tlibunel
If the democrats of the House are not
ashamed to look one another in the face
this morning, they ought to be. Certain
1y there has been no more unnecessary
and unseemlv quarrel in Congress ior
wears than that which ragged all day YES.
terday over the last Presidential election.
1t was more than a quarrel; it WAS free
fight, beginning as tree fights do, nobody
knows Just how, and ending In nothin @
but broken noses aud damaged ewes. i
was not "a contest, but a row, in which all
the fierce hatreds and mean resentment
of the great Presidential failure found Il
vent: there was no principle or question
of any kind involved; it was simply an
eruption of bad temper and bad language.
Democrats called other democrats lars bv
implication. and sometimes did not take
the trouble TO imply; democrats accused
other democrats OF selling out the Prrsi-
dental election, and one was compared
to the greatest OF American traitors, while
one OF these polite orators hoped the gen
tleman he was abusing had the intellect
to understand what he was SAYING In
all this there was not even the satisfac-
ton OF hearing one good democratic
speech. What could be expected OF IA
man like Mr.. Aiken. for instance, who
evidently supposes Esau and Benedict Ar
mold to be the same sort OF historical char
actersp There was not even the reward
of q OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Mr. Hewitt
promised, but did not perform. There
are few participants in this debate who
need feel no abatement OF their self-re-
spect, Mr.. Hewitt, who may mott ALWAYS
be discreet, but never ceases to be a GER
tleman, and Gen. Garfield, Mr. Foster.
Mr.. Hale and others. vino answered so
Indignantly aud so effectively the Old, old
charges of bargain with President
Hayes. AS for the Southern fire-eaters.
who called the Dad names and threw mud
around the House, to them Speaker Ran
dali should have read the Riot Act
From the New York World (democratc1l
Few of our readers, we suspect. will
dissent from the emphatic opinion of Mr..
Finlay that the time of the House OF Rep
reseHtaiives was spent more foolisly yes
terday than il has been on any other dav
OF the current session. II was a bold as
sertion nevertheless, for the House has de-
veloped a wonderful capacity for folly of
late; and If IL keeps on its present pace
there are some reasons to anticipate that
1t may divide the country on an entirely
new issue in politics and call into exist
ence a great party pledged to the sup
preston of the Congressional RIGHT of d =
bate. What with members whose blood
boiled. and members who rose to explain.
and members who owed it to themseIve,
70 observe that somebody else lied in his
foul throat the temper of the House OF
Representatives of the American peopl.
yesterday presented singular contrast
with that Of the country outside. The
country outside is suffering in all its in
dustries, weary of contention and eager
to be at work and prosperous again. 1t
cares less than nothing tor the political
record of any of the men who vester-
day interrupted The public business and
converted the national Legislature into II
cockpit for no other purpose whatever than
TO make personal points Tor ihemsev4s
and against somebody else. Mr.. Hewitt,
was anxious to have the country under
stand that he might nave bought the Prrsi
dency, but declined to do so. Mr.. Aiken
intimated that Mr.. Hewitt did in fact sci
the PresldencS-not handsome inima
ton ii, As We understand Mr. Aiken. IN,
price given for 1t was the deverapce @
the South. Mr.. Foster did not remembe,
that Mr.. Hewitt was great factor il
problem" oil settling the Presidency at all
bis Impression being that Mr. Wood wa
the real leader OF the democratic part,
at that time. Meanwhile who will settl
Congress and teach il to mind the bu>l
ness for which its members are chose
and sent to Washington aud paid?"
Washington News