The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-04-23
Hayes becoming Master of the party

Hayes becoming Master of the party.
As the time draws near when Congress
men will return to their constituents and
begin the active preparations for the fall
elections there IS q perceptible lessening
Of the tone of de6snce towards Hayes
which many of them held at the opening
of the session. Notwithstanding the
bugle blast of Senator Howe was loud and
lusty it awakened no,responses among the
people OF the country at large. Even the
known hostility of Conkling and other
leaders of the republicans in Congress to
Hayes has failed to give his opponents any
decided advantage, and it is now more than
limited that his strength with his party has
not been seriously injured by their hostility.
In makinglwar upon the executive the
republican leaders find themselves deprived
of the patronage and official influence
which is so essential and indeed absolutely
necessary to their political situation. De-
prived of these and the chances to many OF
them of ever again returning to seat il
it would probably become an impossibility
The nearer the time comes of returning t
their homes the more these facts are vividly
realized, and hence the country need no
be at ali surprised to see decided weaken
ing in the ranks of the anti Hayes republi
cans and general submission to the wishe
Of the executive. Symptoms of such
course have already become abundant,
apparent, Several caucuses of the repub
licans in congress have been held of late
and each in turn becomes less outspoke
in opposition to the:president and NOR
and more inclined to seek terms and Civ
in their submission. The latest phase c
the situation indicates a willingness t
allow the president his natural position O
the head of the republican party, if b
will so far give in as to allow his civil ser
vice orders to become nullity. For som
time it was required as part Of the term
between the high-contracting but belligel
ent parties that the president should n
scind his orders to Office holders to abstai
from active manipulation of convention
and party caucuses, but even this they al
now willing to drop if the president..on b
part will not actively enforce the rule
As the order never was fully enforced, an
in fact was expressly suspended in Oh
and Massachusetts last year, there proI
ably will not be any great difficulty
reaching an agreement upon that basi
especially as the necessities of congress
men 10 view Of the chances of their r,
election make their situation urgent an
imperative
The weakening attitude of the member
OF the house gives strong probability to tn
belief that the president is already, or wi
at no distant day, be the real master of til
situation. The probabilities are that b
will not publicly withdraw his civil servic
order, and openly stultify himself in tn
matter OF civil service reform in the eyes
the nation, but that it will be general
understood in private that it is not to b
enforced, and that Office holders will b
perfectly safe in disobeying it. So ia,
there is little doubt the president would
willing to go for the sake of assisting Ii
republicans in the election of members
congress, and in return it is equally certai
the opposition to the president would b.
come greatly diminished if not Who'll
withdrawn. A few of the more resolu
and determined leaders in the senat
whose tenure of Office does not depend +,
directly upon the results of official patrol
age will most likely hold out in oppositio,
but the average member of the hon,
cannot easily array himself against It
force of patronage aud tie lack of ofici
support in his congressional district and
therefore likely to succumb to the pressu
sooner or later. The people may look
see the next republican COMPRESSION
caucus in all probability declare its,
pretty generally in accord with the pre-
dental policy.