The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-03-27

Senator Howe lately introduced into the
United States senate a resolution calling
upon the president for information in re-
gard to the alleged defalcation of Judge
Whitaker, of Louisiana. The occasion for
the resolution is to be sought for in the
fact that Whitaker presided as Judge in
the late trial of Anderson member of the
Louisiana returning board. The animus
of the speech is hostility TO democratic rule
in louisiana and feeling of anger towards
the president for recognizing Nichols
instead of Packard as governor. The sen
ator, as bright light in the councils of the
republican party, doubtless felt that he
had a duty to discharge in behalf of his
party. He has accordingly performed it.
His arraignment of the president is suf
ficiently explicit and bitter to satisfy, one
would suppose, the most ardent and vim
dictive spirits of the whole party. FeigEing
to have been placed in an equivocal
position in regard to his relations with the
president by common report, he seeks
opportunity to place himself right as a
party man, and to show that the president
whom he helped to elect, and of whose
legal election he declares he has no doubt,
mas deserted the party and not the party
the president.
lie takes special pains to declare his
settled belief that Louisiana declared for
Hayes at the presidential election, He is
therefore equally positive and sure that
Packard was elected governor; if, he says,
Packard was not elected, Hayes was not.
His point is that in recognizing Nichols,
and in not forcing Packard upon the people
of Louisiana as their governor, Hayes in
validates his own election, and has COM
mltted an offense against the republican
party for which the party cannot forgive
him, and are thereby released from their
party allegiance to president of their owl
making.
In regard to the Presidents civil service
policy he is still more indicative and out
spoken. Hitherto, he claims, it has only
consisted in orders which were atrocious
and tyrannical and have never been en-
forced. Probably the feelings of the Sen.
ator have been more truly narrowed up,
and his gentle spirit more severly dis
turbed, by the Presidents civil service
orders than by his southern policy Of
Cancellation. The distribution of spoils il
problem that has caused ill-feelings
heart-burnings, and jealousies many times
In the Ihistory of the government before
the advent of the Hayes administration
and has often been the cause, or the oc-
caslon, of deep seated hatred and alienation
OF party friends. The republican party O
THIS country are in sore straits, and un
doubtedly Senator Howe realizes the
TACT. 1t was only by bold and brazen
faced eftrontery that the party succeeded
IN securing the prize of the presidency a
the last presidential contest. The chance
OF party success and perpetuation of part
power grow more slender with each sue
ceeding year, and chieftains like the Wis
consin senator realize the urgency G
having and employing all the strength an
influence which patronage and office cal
lend to support their failing cause. Henc
the perversity of the President in no
yielding to senators and representatives il
Congress the full and direct manipuIa
ton OF this powerful agency for part
success constitutes grievance over whicl
they manifest extreme indignation, an,
are fast becoming extremely resentful.
Has the president any friends? II SO
let them step forward and give him tn
benefit OF their counsels and their support
Tor 1t Is evident that the scaIpers are o.
the war path and are thirsting for the
spoils with a vengeance which ere lon,
will be unappeasable.