The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-03-30
Senator HOwe's Speech.

His Attack upon the Administrations timent
Among Dissatisfied Republicans-The Party Exis-
tenee Depends ON Separation from the Executive.
special from Washington, to the Balti-
more Sun, dated March %, says.-The gal
ieries of the Senate were comfortably filed
to-day with an audience anxious to hear the
manner of attack on the President and his
administration which Senator Howe advertised
several days ago that he intended to deliver
On the toor were also quite a sprinkling of
republican members of the House and others
Mr.. Howe's speech, which was evidently
prepared with great care, covered over 100
pages of manuscript. He read It very slowly.
sheet by sheet, which did not improve the
very uninteresting delivery for which he is
noted. He found fault with almost every act
OF the administration of Mr.. Hayes, hiscabinet
appointments, particularly Secretary Schurz,
who was held up to ridicule, his Southern
policy and the abandonment of Chamberlain
and Packard, the civil service reform theories
of the administration, and the appointments
of democrats to Office. He intimated that the
course of the President was destroying the
republican party, and he appealed in mock
serious style to the democratic side to be
merciful and tolerant when they came into
power.
He devoted considerable space to Louisiana
affairs, and vented his rage upon the Louisi-
ana authorities for the prosecution of the
returning board. There was no mistake from
the tone of Mr.. Howe's remarks that he in
tended his speech as a formal notice of his
purpose to cut entirely loose from the Presi.
dent. The friends of the administration be.
little Mr.. Howe's effort, and style it weak
and as calculated to exert no influence. On
the other hand the radical republicans are
quite delighted with it, and say It was most
powerful arraignment of the President and Of
his action, and cannot fail to produce a de.
cided impression throughout the country. 1t
does not appear that the Democratic Senators
consider that Mr. Howe's remarks call for
any comment from that side, although it was
apparent that in several parts of his speech
language was purposely used in the hone
of provoking a retort from some of them.
Certain personal illusions were made TO
Mr.. Hoar, who is put down as one Of the few
administration Senator's, TO which that gen.
tleman may or may not reply. Mr.. Howe is
candidate for reelection to the Senate, his
term expiring on the 4th of next March. His
friends think that his work to day will make
capital for him in Wisconsin, where, il is said.
the large body of the republicans are dissat-
is6ed with the administration. It's probable
that none of the other dissatisfied republicans
IN the Senate will for the present follow Mr..
Howe IN the open denunciation of the admin
istration. They will rather wait to see the
effect on the country. But it is believed that
a number of them have determined to do so,
when, in their Judgment, the proper time
arrives.
The majority of the INSTRUMENTATION re.
publicans in the Senate make no hesitation
in private conversation in declaring their
opinion that the future success of the repub.
lican party, it not its very existence as
national organization, lies in an open and
complete separation from the executive
They say further that this must not be de-
layed, but must be effected in advance of the
next fall elections. 1t is urged by them that
the republican State conventions shall come
out in their platforms and formally repudiate
the President and his policy. A Massachu-
sets republican of large prominence, but not
holding any official position, stated to. day,
after the conclusion OF Mr.. Howe's speech,
that it represented exactly the sentiments of
the republicans of that State; that it would
not be possible to carry Massachusetts, next
fall il the administration was Endorsed. He
said had it not been for Collector Simmons,
whom the President had just repndiated,
Massachusetts would have gone democratic
last fall