New-York tribune., 1878-11-09

was great and powerful, ana rcekihg Win
probabilities of being nominated by the
Democrats for the Presidency few months
ago, has subsidized, or been knocked down, or
hauled off for repairs. The mortality among
Democratic statesmen has been unprece-
dented. All who have not brought them
selves under suspicion OF ero0kednesS oi
some sort during the past SIX months can
be counted on the fingers OF one hand'
But we did hope the Chairman OF the Ma
tiOnaI Committee, the Connecticut Senator
would escape. He was always 80 devoted 10
his country. so willing to serve his State by
drawing the pay of a United States Senator
for repeated and prolonged abscnccc ana so
charitable on the eve of elections, that we had
begun to think the tongue of detractlon could
never wag against him.
But they say, if reports are true, that he
has been more anxious for his own success
than that of the grand old party he fugied
for more jealous to carry Connecticut tiIln
to help struggling Democratic candidates IN
other States more lavish with the funds "i
the committee than with his own private Tor
tune in bringing the aged and lntrm VOter
TO the polls III the close towns IN Connect-
cut in short, more sOlicItOus for Number
One than was consistent or secnIly IN the Chalf-
man of the National Committee and the dis
bursting agent of the party. II is painful TO
have this eminent man 50 suspected. W Nlth
the whole field strewn with wrecks oil tue
characters and regulations OF statesmen VINO
had howled themselves red in the face for
Reform, it did seem as though at least one
leader ought to be saved. And Mr.. Barnum
4 l.. = r...,fn IIn
not be trippcd up on his speeches, Tor lac
had never made any. He cOuG not be caught
cOntradictipg himself III the expression of his
views, Tor he never expressed any views. lie
could not be charged with disgracing his seat
in the Senate, for he never sat IN 1t long
enough. Nor could he properly be called
demagoglic, for he fooled nobody with prom
iscs. lie bought what he wanted and PAID
cash for it. More than this, 1t Is generally
believed that when he entered politics twelve
wears ago, he paid the money out OF bis own
pocket.
But now they say-thc poor fellows who
have been running for Congress oil the Demo
cratic ticket in various Northern Statcs-that
he neglected their interests and the general
interests of the party to take care OF his own,
and they intimate that he devoted the funds
To his own election which should bave
been used to secure the return 10 Con-
gress OF such men as the gifted Willis ana
the acrobauc Becbc. 1t looks very much
like an attempt to make him scapegoat for
the whole party. We protest against II. Mr.
Baruum j. suffering already the pangs OF dis
appointment and defeat. Ii ls cruel to add tn
these the charge that he neglected the gen
cral interests of the party and us'd the
funds oil the committee To promote his own
election. After all Ghat he has done for the
party during the past twelve years, such
treatment shows the blsest Ingratltudr We
are so confident that the charges against him
are groundlrss, that we have 10 hesitation IN
calling upon him to rciutc them at once
by the publication of n full statement
of all his receipts for the commit
tee and ms disbursements for election pur-
poses IN Connecticut, and we offer him the
columns of THE TRIBUNE for their publica-
ton. We will not sit quietly by and see such
a good man 90 brulally sIandcrcd. We call upon
Senator Barnum for the items.