The New York herald., 1878-03-26
Senator EOwc's Assault on the ADJ
min istratiOn.

1t seems ridiculous enough that such
speech as was delivered in the Senate yester-
day by Mr.. Howe, OF Wisconsin, should
have been so extensively advertised. 1t
was preposterous to herald any speech
which this Senator might be thought capa-
BILE of making as political event OF any
importance. Mr.. Timothy Howe is near
| the end of his third term in that great
theatre for the display of abilities, the
Senate of the United States. Inasmuch
as in the whole seventeen years Of
| his service-a seventeen years marked
| by great and stupendous events and
questions of the first magnitude-Mr.
Howe has never proposed measure nor
made speech which any one remembers
it seems odd that any sane human creature
should have expected that what he would
say yesterday could be worth general atten-
tion.
Who is responsible for all the preliminary
flourish Of trumpets for exciting interest in
the prolix speech of man who never in his
life had an original thought? We doubt
whether the shrewd men in Congress, and
out Of Congress, who are bitterly opposed to
President Hayes policy and methods were
foolish enough to invite the attention OF the
country to the speech of so tedious
champion. If we could credit the friends
of the administration with shrewdness
enough to be up to such trick we should
suspect that they inspired all the beating
of gongs to announce Mr.. Timothy Howe, in
order to exhibit him as specimen Of the
intellectual calibre of the republican oppo-
sition to the President. 1t has been indus
triously given out, we know not by whose
instigation, that Mr.. Howe was to open q
grand concerted attack on the administra-
ton, and that other and more distinguished
Senators would assist in hauling the
President over the Goals We cannot see for
whose interest it could be, unless that Of
Mr.. Hayes supporters, to make this repre-
sentation. If they could practise upon the
country the imposition that the mountain
was in the throes of parturition to bring
forth such ridiculous mouse they might
hope to make it believe that the republican
opposition to the President is of little ac-
count 1t has been advertised, without any
Mr.. Howe would be followed up by one
from Mr.. Conkling. This suggestion is
more likely to have been inspired by Mr..
Conkling's enemies than by his friends. It
is credible enough that the administration
may have feared an attack from him but
we cannot recollect when he ever fought
''as one that beateth the air" by delivering
a set speech when there was no question
pending to which it would be relevant
Mr.. Howe, to use slang phrase, dragged
in his speech by the ears He invented
fictitious question as peg to hang it on.
His resolution calling for information re-
specting obsolete charges against Judge
Whitaker, of Louisiana, shows how hard
pushed he was to find coorable occasion
for delivering his prolix invective against
the President. The reason of Senator
Howes assault is we'll understood. His
term draws near to close and he desires
reelection. He has made a speech for his
constituents. Had he been stronger man
such an effort would have been needless, be-
cause he could have relied for reelection
upon the pride of his State in great abilities
long aud usetully exerted in the public
service. But feeble man has no resource
but to float with the popular tide, and this
explains why Mr. Howe has found it neces-
sary to prepare this elaborate speech and
invent an occasion for delivering it. II it
were evidence of nothing but Mr.. Howes
political position the administration could
afford to disregard and scorn it.
But there are states of the public mind
which make the attitude of commonplace
office-seekers important. 1t is not states
men of strong faculties, statesmen
who aspire to guide public opin-
ion, but the subaitern men who
SEEK to float on it, that afford the best index
of the drift of current political sentiment.
1t is not 'the pillar of State, "'but ''the vane
which surmounts the edifice, that points
out the direction of the wind which may
happen to be blowing Mr.. Timothy
Howe, who has served seventeen years in
the Senate without making a mark is GER
tainly not great man; but, like most men
of his calibre who contrive to keep them
selves so long in Office, he understands the
public sentiment of his own State. Like the
servile politicians who act after their kind
he has waited to see whether the republi-
cans of Wisconsin would indorse or re-
pudiate the administration. Having at
last satisfied himself on this point, so
vital to him, he comes out in flaming, or
rather a profusely smoking, speech against
President Hayes. Mr.. Timothy Howe may
understand little else, but he at least under
stands the feeling Of the republicans Of his
own State toward the administration. The
dent the strongest bid he can make for re-
election to the Senate may be safely ac-
cepted as proof that the administration is
not popular in Wisconsin.