The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-03-30
.HOWE,s ATTACK on HAYES.
It's Bearing ON the Republican
Nomination IN lSS0-lt Means
That Grant IL the Coming Man.
WAsH1noToa, March

Howe's speech Is still ringing in every.
body's ears, and Il will continue TO ring
| for q long time TO come. Everywhere, at
the Capitol, in the hotel Hobbies, IN the
committee rooms and at theWhite House,
It Is tho subject Of conversation. The
more Il Ia thought over and looked into
the more 1t Is talked about. This Is mot
surprising. Those who heard II and noted
well the attending circumstances, who
were oonyerlant with the provoking
cause, aud who take some trouble to trace
its results, will not soon forget 1t.
There have been greater speeches de-
llysred in the Senate, but certainly one
moro remarkable or noteworthy. Here
wa a Senator Of the United States repre-.
senting State which has not.faltered in
It's allegiance to the Republican party
a man who has been foremost in the ad-
yocacy Of the principles Of the party, and
who has been the stout champion Of the
men who were elected as opponents OF
those principles, and yet within one year
after he had done all that lay in his pow
er to put in the Presidential chair the
candidates OF his own party, he felt call.
ed upon 10 rise in his place in the Senate,
and before the whole country TO arraign
the man who, by right Of his position,
should be the foremost man in the Re
publican ranks.
II the .proyocation were not sufficient,
surely the assault was wanton, brutal
and altogether extraordinary. II Ia
needless, perhaps, to recount the provo
cations, real and fancied, which have
caused the breach between President
Hayes and the active, working leaders Of
his party. The fact remains that there is
a breach, and that the men who stand OPP.
posed to Hayes represent the vigor and
The brains and most conspicuous and
brilliant service Of the party. OF these
Howe is one. Though not man Of the
best judgment, he Is yet man Of ability,
force, and, above all, Of unsurpassed conr.
Fage. This almost goes without saying
for no mediocre man could have pro-
duced such a speech as his, and no timid
man would have delivered It.
The speech is being literally and va
riously commented upon. The first truth
worth knowing and remembering Is that
1t was not production bred Of the ex.
citement OF the moment, that the matter
and the manner Of It's delivery were both
carefully planned and maturely oonsid-
Grad; more than that, It was not the
utterance Of one man, 1t was an assault
from the entire anti-administration party
In the Senate. The line OF attack had
been carefully marked out and all the
details had been discussed and resolved
upon in caucus held few nights pre-
yious at Senator Cameron's house, at
which |. 10 known that Conkling. Blaine,
Don Cameron, Howe and Chaffee were
present, The speech therefore goes to
the country with the commendation seal
oil acknow leaders placed upon 1t
and this Is The light in which it must be
taken, with whatever weight and author.
ity that seal may carry with 1t.
It was remarked during the delivery
Of the speech that the anti-Administra-
tion Republicans made no effort to con-
ceal the supreme satisfaction which II
afforded them. Conkling smiled as he
rarely permits himself 10 smile In the
Senate Chamber. Blaine chuckled over
Howe's most salient points. Nobody Of
the Standardization Senators fell
hurt that the President whom they had
helped to elect was being pilloried in the
most public OF places.
The Republicans generally are disposed
to endorse the speech; they aeem to re-
gard II as great speech. This II was
not. II was remarkable, forcible and full
Of yitriol, but there was in 1t the declara
ton Of no new and vital principle, which
alone can entitle any mans utterance to
be called great. II was clothed in kind
OF sarcasul, and yet It was OF the dull
kind which macerates and bruises and
leaves ugly wounds, not the sarcasm
which with single stroke lays the
lesh bare 10 the bone. In so far as Mr..
Howe INDUCED himself In structures on
the Presidents Southern policy, and his
Civil Service policy, he uttered truth
much that he said 1t was we'll should be
said, and much Of II might have been
much more discreetly said.
The impression is growing, even among
men whose warm sympathy he had, that
Mr.. Howe's bitter antagonism to the uu.
republican policy Of the administration
led him into indiscretions Of malignant
vituperstion and personal yillifcation
which are more likely to recoil upon the
workers In the party than to do the Pres.
idsn. damage. He said nothing about
the two policies but what everybody
knew To be true and which the Presidents
best friends could not gainsay, and yet he
was pleased to clothe bis opinions 10 Ian.
guage OF hatred rather than in the garb
Of a righteous and yirluous indignation.
1t is this which will rob the speech Of
much Of the power and force Il might
have had as soon as the country shall
take time 10 read carefully and consider
It's bearings.
Howes portraiture Of Schurz will
probably stand alone in the annals Of
Senatorial discussion as a caustic, bitter
and singing sketch, 90 true TO the origi.
nal withal that nobody will ever mistake
| 1t. It did not need this full length por.
trait as drawn by Howe to make Schurz
the best hated man In Washington, and
this in spite OF the fact that nobody de-
MES his ability, and nobody questions his
individual honesty. Ithas however un-
happily been his misfortune to place him.
self in position which without any adj
ditional effort Of his own has covered
him with an unpopularity very near akin
to contempt.
There were few sentences in Howe's
speech which seem to have been very
generally overlooked, and which perhaps
more clearly than anything else throw. a
light on the end which Il was intended to
accomplish. From severe and bitter de-
nunciation Of Hayes he launched himself
out into 4 glowing eulogism Of Grant as
the great Captain OF the Republic, and
the great standard bearer Of the Repub.
lican party. This Is point 10 bear in
mind. Couple this with one or two other
thoughts suggested by the speech and It
may be possible to read the future which
the Republican leaders are striving 10
make.
Howe recounted the disloyal history Of
the Democracy, showed how Hayes had
played into the hands Of that party, and
at this point, in striking contrast, upheld