The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-14
DEMORALIZED DEMOCRATS.
YESTERDAYS DEBlTE IN THE HOUSE
ON THE ELECTOR1L FRAUD.
All the Odds in Favor of the Democrats aud
all the Honors Won by the Republicans
Faisehoods that went Unchaiienged.


Faisehoods that went on UnchniienEed.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-The Democrats in
the House made deplorable failure to-day.
No Northern Democrat dared and no Southern
Democrat cared to charge home the bargain and
the fraud by which the Presidential count was
consummated. In debate upon the electoral
question. in which all the odds favored the
Democrats. all the honors were won by the Re-
publicans. One man only Mr.. Hewitt. gained
even personal credit in the personal fight or
party advantage no Democrat gained anything.
II has been Tor some time doubtful whether the
Democrats would control the next House. That
the leaders OF the present House ought not to
control the next Democratic majority has ceased
to be doubtful. In the first hot debate upon
false count and secret intrigue. the Republican
leaders allowed to 20 to the country with
unchallenged denials OF facts which any fearless
Democrat OF tolerably decent ability could have
torn TO tatters.
The weak. vacillating conduct OF the Appro-
priation bills 10y the Appropriation Committee
has preciptated several personal collisions
upon subjects remotely connected with the bill.
and 1t was n correction o. his utterances In one
ofthese by Mr.. Hewitt that prccpitated to-dny's
debate The explanation brought the aggrieved
member. Mr.. Aiken Of South Carolina. TO an
ill-advised defence Of West Point and an inde-
cent attack upon Mr.. Hewitt. Mr.. Aiken de-
Tended West Point. II appeared. principally be-
cause 1t was the nursery Of Confederate Gen.
erals. and attacked Mr. Hewitt because. as he
alleged. he sold out the Presidency. n charge
which would have applied better IL It had been
lnid nearer home among Aiken's friends. The
House was FAR from lll-temprred when this de-
bate began. and Aiken's eXqusitcly ridiculous
defence OF West Point ms national institution
Tor lis contributions TO the army list OF the Con-
federacy was swamped in shouts o! laughter
from Republicans. who kicked their desks
nearly to pieces over the screaming Joke.
changed. The House did not sober; it went to
pieces in excitement. Other and previous
speeches had broughti 70 this last point House
present Cabinet with Il distinguished Demo-
cratic leader had made an attack on Northern
Chalmers. in which old commonplaces were
banded over the army. had uncovered old fires.
arms raised. his voice at the highest Of his high
key. Members surged around him ten. twenty.
thirty men shouted questions at him; among
those signal ,simpletons who, get sent to
Congress Yelling u little louder than
the Presidency II the gentleman wants the
unwritten history OF that sale, shouted Hewitt
uproar, he shall have it." Ia an instant
page darted from Randolph Tucker. whispered
70 Hewitt, and dragged him down the aisle to
| men OF all shades in the Democratic majority.
fell on Hewitt, Blackburn IN the chair was
SO near WAS the House 10 n mob when this sim
gular conference went on.
Something like quiet having come back.
Hewitt broke away from his whispering. panic
struck party friends. and began. He told no
new story. He gave no line Of unwrtt.n bis
well-thumbed tale He retold Picket's inter-
view, and shouts and Interruption came from
The h:publican side. Sparks supplemented
referred. Hewitt went on 10 demolsh Aiken.
Ia lth NOD nrlpNntlS hlnnA
u alta king Hewitt upon an uuernnce which
Hewlu had denied oyer his own signature. and
hi- attack. nothing but a limp. shrunk
figure. aghast at ms own punishment Ins nsi.
scared party ri-nds. H"wiu's personal denial
drew him on 10 dangerous ground He touched
lightly. II \ true. on the bargain completed on
Tuesday W tdncsday. and Ihursihy u the last
week IN Grants term; Foster lcit his seat:
looked up into II witt ; face As he spokc. Gar
field. whiring his chair. waved his party friends
closure Hewitt stopped. helped by point OF
order from Cox. who summarlly choked OF i'm
pertinent questions. Apparently IT WIS the
Democratic and not the kepubh, an party which
had something TO conceal in the Presidential
count.
Ii was time for the committee to rise. Dur
ham suggested that be had the bill in charge
and much rs the driver Of a runaway team
might crawl ont Of the wreck. e was lnughed
out Of sight. He persisted. The House got
into a great snarl over men anxious To speak
ana ANXIOUS 10 prevent speech. lufrt We're
hot sentences thrown back and forth. No single
man was strong enough To- command attention,
But at last Garfield seeing that this manage-
able Demorratc majority could be driven down
the straight path OF HAT denial. forced half an
hours time from Durham. Conger passing 10
the front to do the work. As a matter OF course
Conger opened the half spent Ave minutes
in making fool OF himself with sue
cess cess and retired. dozen men ,hsht-
Of Ohio walking down the aisle. eot the floor
and showed the first courage OF the day. He
.l.slf .s4f
whose fate the Cabinet debated and TO who's,
cell dispatches Of sympathy and CONFIDENCE
went from Republican lenders. The blow WIS
brave and timely. aud well directed. hut no
other man OF the one hundred and fifty Demo-
Gratis behind +, ,nlcy followed il up. Meanwhile
Gibson and Ellis had been in husty conference,
slip OF paper passing from one 10 the other,
WITH some scattering notes. and Randolph
Tucker conspicuou-ly walked across the
House TO shake hands with Townsend. who had
thrown some tHunt ut Finley or some other
Demo ratio plain speaker.
With Demo rats who had announcement only
tor hepu9i,ean speakers, any extreme was pos.
ssible and Foster Garfield and Hale improved
the occasion. All threc-Foster nlt Il plainly
Garfield most passlvely. Hale most sHiltully-
denied any agreement looking To- the withdrawal
OF the troops from Louisiana aud South Caro-
una. No man interrupted. No man asked Fos-
ter how Key came 10 present the Contrderucy
IN Cabinet which could not admit Logan. No
man asked Garfield how he cam" To speak here
ana now when grateful state would have lit
ed nm to the senat. from which Hayes 5 hus'y
letter lured him. No man demanded OF Haze
That pertinent explanation of the expenditure Of
S2O.uuO which went on while he sawth lair count
To- which he ma Ie allusion. There were shouts
and crirs imputent babhle. and vain byworus,
but no man clut he'd these Hes and illed tAem.
They went unchailengrd. Ellis followed. He
denied what no one had charged and admitted
oNerurcs which no one had affirmed. He de-
med his denial later His admission that nego-
nhtlon and conference accompanied the close
approach Of the final decision remains Even
then. MS he told how n Judge Ito wit Garnrdl
met counsel 10 wit. Malthewsl aud the friends
ana opponents Otthe sultor before him TO traffic
on the decision the commission had yet TO AN
nOunce. no man challenged explanation or
showed the open disgrace
SO the debate closed. There were other incl
dents, various incOherent utterances but this
WAS all o; moment. The deliberate judgment Of
impartial men. who are not part sans of either
party. IL that the Democratic party is fast going
10 pieces. To-davs exhibition Is one Of many
instances that evidence the rapid dcmOrall1il-
tiOn and disntrgratiOn Of that party The
greed OF Southern Democrats, their general
bud behavior. their arrogance toward Northern
Democrats their evident determination to run
the party Tor their particular benefit. is fast
alternating Northern Democrats who have self
respect; A lew more displays like that OF to-
day and the end will DO plainly visible.
Freight and Passenger Trains In Collision.
PITTSBURGH. Feb l3.-At about o'clock this