The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-03-02
WASHINGTON.

mixed POlltlcB-The Veto oil the
silver Bill-Pension LaW-The
Erring Brother - Singleton'a
Speech - Discharge Of Patent
Office Clerks.
WASHINGTON, March l, 1878.
Special CbrTfIpondenes ef he LaieiiiSmetr.
Everybody will admit that Just now we
are taking our politics very much mixed
There is not in either party that calm
restful sense Of peace and assuranceof the
future which binds men with strong fet,
ters to party organizations. There
never was time when both the great
parties seemed so ready to go to pieces a,
a moments notice and reform on new
lines. Behold the Democratic party,
threatening 10 split on the sectional
issue, once slavery was the issue
Of section, now it is money. II
Is not, however, so much The
principle at. stake as the harsh terms
which have been used to hammer thai
principle into living actual form. The
West and South have served notice on
the Eastern Democracy that in the next
campaign It may be yassal, but not q
peer. The East has been the dictator
And now, when 1t thinks on what It has
been, and compares this with the humble
position which is to be assigned to It 10
the Democratic household, the Eastern
Democracy may be pardoned il 1t iudulge
itself in thoughts Of deep disgust. But it
does not stop here. When it reflects how
it has captured the Presidential conven-
tions time after time and led the party on
to series OF memorable and brilliant
defeats, the Eastern Democracy becomes
defiant and dares the West and South TO
try TO get along without it. As far as it
has gone this has been a hard winter
for the Democratic party. 1tmight have
been different II the Democracy could
have stood of in some secluded place
where II could note the trouble in the
Republican family and guard from the
public scrutiny its own internal compli.
cations and disorders. In possession OF
the House, the Senate almost within
reach, the Democrats took unwarranted
liberties with the situation. Their
first step was to call 10 the front
their weakest men and send the strongest
to the rear. This was the beginning OF
the outbreak, for 1t was like the punish.
ment which master visits on his unruly
hounds. Revolt followed; no power
could suppressit it. Jealousies were bred,
the experience and brains OF the party
consulted, and combinations, factions and
intrigues followed naturally. The" "outs''
may trade on capital Of promises; the
"ins" must market real wares or they in.
vite bankruptcy. The majority is judged
by what 1t does-by its actual accom-
plishment Of legitimate work. The first,
chief work OF the House Is to raise
money for the conduct Of the government
and TO order its wise disbursement. This
House has unsettled the revenues and
caused falling of Of internal collections
which, as compared with the correspond.
Ing term of last year, alone show fall
ing off Of FIVE millions, Last year we
collected one hundred and eighteen mil.
lions from this source; this year We shall
do we'll to get one hundred and ten mil.
lions. II the present effort at tariff re-
vision be successful, our collections from
internal taxes and foreign imports will
show sickly decline.
In the matter OF appropriations the
House has done next TO nothing; 1t has
passed but one oi these bills. Democrats
are forced to admit their shortcomings in
this respect, and they lay all the blame
on their committees. Bnt the party is
resr onsible for the committees.
Is the Republican party in much bet.
ter plight? Hardly. 1t has not come
under the ban of public criticism for
what II has done or for what |. has left
undone, for II has not been in position
10 do much. Ita troubles are not with
the coun,ry-they are purely family al.
fairs. The Republican party elected a
Republican President.
TODAY THE rARrY HAS NO rREsIDEsT
and the President has no party. The
President deiies the leaders OF the party,
and the frat men in the party attack the
administration in open Senate. One day
Conkling hurlS a bombshell at the Presl.
dent: the next day Blaine makes an as-
sault on The Secretary Of the Interior. In
these attacks the sympathy OF the party is
not with the President. What can be the
Presidents motives In estranging himself
from his psrty Is beyond discovery; but
that he has done this effectively ia beyond
question. Ii Is complained by many Re.
pubIicans, some OF whom have not favored
The Silver bill, that the President did an
unnecessary injury to the party by his
veto OF the Silver bill in the face OF q
large majority, which he knew would lay
his veto aside. 1t is doubtful whether
the President and the party will ever
come together; but this much may be re:
lied on, there will be no doubtful material
chosen for the Republican nomination
mex. time. Grant can have the nomina.
tion II he wants il, and 1t would not be
safe TO say that he will decline it. The
present indications are that he ia in
training for it now.
PENSION LAW.
The late "erring brother" is rapidly
Cling his claims for what he claims to be
his rights. He has tons Of claims Of all
sorts ready to hurl on Congress as coon
IA he shall have made the frat breach
There is now before the House a bill
which Ia intended to perform the Office
OF an entering wedge. This Is nothing
less than the attempt TO restore to the
pension rolls the men who served in the
Mexican war and the several Indian wars
from 1889 TO lS42, and who took part In
the rebellion. The bill Is general and
part OF II would be we'll enough as q
measure Of justice; bnt II contains pro.
vision repeating the statute which shuts
out rebel soldiers and their heirs. This
Is the poisoned barb 10 the arrow, aud II
Is this that will stir up some more bad
blood before the bill gels through. There
are some men in CoDgres', as there are
many out Of Congress, who think the
time has not yet come TO pension
men. for any service whatever, who