The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-06-29
Departing Statesmen.
UNDINE.


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Departing Statesmen.
They have gone. After eight long,
weary months they have reached the
opinion that their work is done and
that it is time to disperse. The Con
gressional halls and corridors and
boarding-houses that have known
them since October will know them
no more until December. Their
manner of celebrating their depar
ture was amusing and characteristic.
The pens of the Washington cores
pondents revel in descriptions Of the
life and joviality that ruled in the
Senate and House as the night of
Wednesday Waned into the morning
Of Thursday, and the rising sunfound
Senators and Representative still at
their Dosts-found, at least, such of
them at their posts as were rot out
looking for cold tea And the charm
ing fashion in which they lnbent
their dignity and condescende to
while away the waiting hours is al
most beyond admiration. There was
Gen. Butler, for instance, pIayfully
skipping about and lodging into the
clOak-room in simulated fear of the
Sergeant-at- Arms. The spirit Ofthe
occasion that converted him into the
comedy man of the moment
must have been hilarious indeed.
Another member, we are told, crea-
ted great laughter" by taking a
seat in the front row and imploring
the exhausted clerks to read louder.
The members who were awake roared
eXpIosively, and unanimously con-
sidered it to be mighty good joke.
Nothing was wanting except the
presence of Mr.. David Dudley Field
to watch the flag. Everybody was
comfortable except the lobbyists who
had failed to get their little jobs
through, and they held coincidence
meetings just outside the green doors.
And about early breakfast time yes
terday morning the Speaker of the
House and the President of the
Senate delivered the customary grace
full farewell, and members bolted off
to pack their trunks and seek by first
train the applause of grateful consti
tuences and the denominations that,
alas in many cases, will not be real
lied.
q The late session was little
better than a polongcd political
squabble. 1t devoted much Of its
time to reviving old issues and max
ING capital for coming campaigns.
The renewal of the electoral con-
troYersy has not been Of the slightest
benefit except for intriguing aspirants
for office. Nothing would have been
lost to the country if not a word had
been said concerning the Presidential
election of 1876 and the Potter COM
mittee had never been created. After
all the agitation and tumult, the net
result is that the House has affirmed
the title OF Mr.. Hayes and left behind
it a committee to hunt for scandal in
events Of the past. The game was
decidedly not worth the candle. The
Potter inquisition is a boon that the
nation could easily have dispensed
with. 1t started out to be imposing
and has dWindled down into being
ridiculous. 1t has determined moth
ing that was not already known, and
bids fair to stand side by side with
the Glover investigations that were
to reveal astounding corruption in
the Government and have caught no.
body except Il Congressional Door
keeper and one or two minor officials.
There is not even any political capt.
tai to be made out of all that they
have discovered, and they will play
very unimp0rtant part in the com
ing campaign, for use in which they
were especially designed. Alto
gethel, as members are on their way
home, they may profitably reflect
that all they have done in eight
months could just as well have been
accomplished in three, and this is one
leading reason why the people view
their departure from Washington
with SO much complacency.-BrltO.
AH1ericdR.
Glover did not get in his report at