New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-06-19
UUFRps M GOING TO sTRIKEi

We commend 10 our DtluOtldtlC illtuAH Ali'
example Of Mr.. Ozias Stebbins, of Snipsic,
who once undertook to hold a bull for a
cross-eyed butcher. "Wait a minute" said
Stcbbins, as the butcher got ready 60
swing his axe" are you going to strike
"where you're looling77 "Of course l am"
said the butcher. "Thcn," said Stcbbins, let
ting go his hold and stepping back, you'd
"bctter hold your own bull. ] can't afford
"to take no such chances Mr.. Stcbbins
showed, as ii seems to us, degree
of forethouglt and prudence which any
person or party who is invited to hold
bull for that kind Of butcher would do well
70 initiate. But our Democratic friends are
abparently not so wise in their generation
as Mr.. Ozias Stebbins was in his. II was
n cunning device on the part Of Speaker
Randall to give the Republicans Mr. Butler
as their representative on the Potter Commit
tee. It seemed clever trick on the part Of
the Democratic members Of the committee to
allow Mr. Butler to thrust himself forward rs
the leading rcprcs cntatiyc of The minority to
cross-cxamine and browbcat witnesses, so that
whenever he should extract anything prcjudi-
cial to the Republicans, which he was plainly
bent on doing, it might 90 to the country with
the added effect Of having been drawn out rs
part of the Republican case. Speaker Randall
and Mr. Potter and the Democrats on the
committee are quite clear on two points one
is that Mr.. Butler means mischief to some
body, and the other that he would much
rather hurt than help the Administration. As
vet he has accomplished nothing. They are
unable to make out precisely what he is driv-
ing at or where he is going to strike, but
they don't yet see any danger in holding his
bull for him.
1t may be rcckoned among the many favoTs
done the Republican party by the Democratic
majority in Congress, and not by any means
the least, that they have relieved it of Mr..
Butler. For this we take to be the practical
result Of the whole business. There is,
TO be sure, some uncertainty as yet as
to where the Massachusetts, statesman
will finally bring up. lie may strike on his
feet in the camp of the WorkiDgmon's party,
with which he has always expressed great
sympathy; or Of the Greenbackers, with whom
he is in perfect accord or the Nationals"
whose platform does not differ from his
own; or the Prohibitonsts, whom he has
heretofore cOquctted with and offered him
self to; or the Communists, whom he would
Just suit or the old Democracy, where he
would be again at home. But wherever he
lands, into whichever Of the old or new
parties he drops, it is certain that the Repub
lican party is nd Of him. We say certain
we mean as certain az anything can be with
regard to such man. We grant that it is
by no means impossible that he may turn up
in q Republican Congressional caucus next
Winter; nor at all improbable that ne will seek
a denomination from the Republicans Of his
district. He does not lack the assurance to do
Just that, in the face of the records of
the session just closed, which show him
as voting consistently and constantly
against every Republican measure, and in
favor of every mschicyous measure proposed
by Democrats He voted with the Democrats
at each step of the proceedings by which they
tnaugurated the movement against the Presi-
dents title, and all the time attended the
Republican caucuses called to consider
measures to defeat them. He sits in
the Potter Committee in the guise of a
Republican, and leaves no stone unturned to
help along the plot against Republican Adj
ministratiOn. There is not single issue in
our politics upon which he is at one with the
Republican party. And yet, as we have said,
it would not be strange If he should, under
certain circumstances, claim to be still mem
Der of the party. 1t is for the party, Of course,
to say how long it will tolerate him.
We are encouraged to hope that he goes
squarely over to the Democracy without 80
much as O lingering look behind. 1t seems
almost incredible, but we are quite disposed
to think that, instead of closing their doors
against him, they would give him hearty
welcome We arc aware how hard
thing that Is to say of a political