The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-18

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cnlly of Philadelphia. do not generally fur
nish very pleasant themes. We find much
to condemn and little to respect IN the recent
history or present attitude of either Of the
great parties The CAMERoNs and the lIar-
risburg Treasury Ring make the Republican
nominations. conduct the campaigns. and
appropriate the spoils according to their
pleasure. The same powers import thcm-
selves into Democratic Conventions, and,
with the aid of Ton SCorT and the Pcnnsyl-
vania Railroad set up their nominees. EX-
ccpt for the name Of the thing, and the bare
chance that an overwhelming Democratic
victory might produce a Legislature that
would send some old-f6 shiOned, honest DEM
ocrat, like RICHARD NAUX. or GEORGE NJ.
DALLAS. to the Senate, it would be small
matter which party should win.
In Philadelphia the case Is even worse.
There the Republican Rings have been
most rapacious and tyrannical. and on
the Democratic side we have now. with
the first show Of substantial power the
Sherin's Ring. the CASSIDY Arbitration
Committee, and other evidences Of cor
rupt party management. which leave little
room for choice between the Republicans
and the Democrats. In homely but ex-
pressive phrase, they are all tarrcd more or
less with the same stick. Sometimes Mr..
CAMERoN holds the stick and applies the
tar. and sometimes Mr. WALLACE does it :
but the tar Is all primarily from the same
old pot. For years the name Of Phila-
drlphia has been infamous through the
land tor election frauds, which were
paid for out Of the plumber Of the State
Treasury. and which would have been inn
possible but for the connivance and often the
active assistance Of Ring Democrats. It
will never grow better in Philadelphia until
the chief offenders of both parties are dealt
with as the same class OF offenders were
dealt with In New York.
But there is contest now going on in
Philadelphia in which the country at large
will take some interest. Mr.. RANDALL,
Speaker Of the House Of Representatives.
and one of the conspicuous men Of the Demo-
| cratic party, Is, as a matter Of course, a
| candidate for reelection to Congress from
| the district which he has represented for
| about fourteen years. Under ordinary cir
| cumstances his return would be practically
unre-sted, his party being largely in the
| majority. But the circumstances are not
ordinary. The opposition TO him Is avowed-
ly an opposition to his virtues, and not TO
his vices as a public man. 1t is true he
took the back pay, but no other breath
OF scandal has rested on his name. His
management of the contest against the
Force bill at the close of the Forty-third
Congress marked him as possessing
skill, pluck, and endurance such as few
men. either English or American have ever
| shown in similar situations. As Chairman
| 81 the Committee ON Appropriations during
| the first session Of the Forty-fourth Con-
gress, and Speaker during the second ses-
| sion, he exhibited still higher and better
| qualities. His record as Speaker of the
present Congress is too fresh to require
| comment. That he has been generally clear
| in his great Office Is very manifest, since his
bitterest enemy has accused him OF nothing
| worse than refusal to pervert the power
| Of the place TO the special service Of the
| Philadelphia Republican Rings and the sub
sidy jobbers of various degrees
We repeat that under ordinary circum-
stances the natural pride of locality would
secure tho return OF such representative
without question But Pennsylvania and
| Philadelphia are exceptions to all rules,
They have one man of real distinction in
| Congrcss-a distinction earned by in
! dependence Of Rings and ringmasters
and the breasts of host Of small
| fry politicians who live by the favor OF
| SCOTT and CAMERON are bursting with envy.
They have the Office of Speaker, and the
agents of the Rings and corporations which
have governed the State for twenty years
4, 20, i'm, q.
They are seemingly intensely anxious that
the second State in the Union shall never be
heard of except through the Winncbago
war-whoop, or in its numerous appeals for
"protection and subsidies"
1t was announced in a special despatch to
the Philadelphia Times shortly before the
adjournment of Congress that Senator
WALLACE had made up his mind to organ
ize a raid on the Third District, and teach
| Mr.. RANDALL a lesson IA lesson Of obo-
dicnce we suppose, to the men who have
appointed Mr.. WALLACE their lieutenant
for the management OF the Democratic
party This was subsequently denied on
the authority OF the Senator himself aud il
seemed for Il while that tho enterprise was
regarded as too impudent and too hazard
Gus to be undertaken. But the signs that
it has been resumed are many and sure
The newspapers of Philadelphia have been
instructed to open in full cry, and the
SCOTT organs are particularly fierce And
strange 10 relate tho burden OF theil
charge 10 only that the Speaker has beer
o1ensivcly honest; that he declined t
pledge the House conleroes in favor OF OK
travagant appropriations for Philadelphia
that he stood in the way Of Ton Scorr,
foray upon the Treasury; that he refused
TO make a false ruling whereby JoHN RoACI
might have pockctcd several millions o
public money; and that, in brief, so long a
he remains in the chair, or even ON the llool
the opportunities OF plumber will he incun
veniently limited II is to be hoped that tn
people Of Mr.. RANDALL's district will hay
manhood enough to resist this effort q
Rings and corporations to crush thci
representative, for such n defeat Of hin
would he public calamity. Unless tn
attempt is again abandoned AS in
practicable large sums Of money wi
1 dnuht lnGa In snpnt IN oorlnnt this alpot ar