The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-01-04
Democratic Support of the President.

Democcat1c support OF the Eres1uenE'
A recent leading article in the demo-
cratic organ at Washington, stating that
the democratic senators intended hereafter
to support the presidents nominations,
against the. opposition of the an ti-Hayes
senators, has attracted a good deal of
attention, because it is generally believed
that the president intends to send in short
ly after the reassembling of congress n ew
names for the New York Custom House
officers. In such contingency the attitude
of democratic senators is, of course, Of
importance, but so is that of those few
republican senators who have hitherto
voted with the administration, and of them
nobody appears to haYe much to say.
Will they stand by the president? Some
of those who were at first confidently
counted on as administration supporters -
Senators Dorsey end Booth, for instance
voted to reject the New York nominations.
Will the small remainder stick hereafter?
There have been a good many attempts to
belittle Mr. Conkling's victory and to cipher
it down to mot much of shower after
all, and there is disposition to believe
that if the democrats stick the next nom.
| nations will be safe. But if the demo-
Gratis should be unanimous it would still
require several republican votes to confirm,
and it is an interesting question just now
whether they will be on hand when the
time comes.
The president has so far carried out to
its extreme his theory thatl the executive
ought not to attempt to influence either
I house of congress. One word from him
to senator or two would have suficed to
J seat Spoford rather than Kellogg, and q
very slight exercise Of influence would
have easily secured enough republican
votes to confirm the New York nomina.
tons in spite of the democratic absentees
He held his hand in 10th cases, and it is
even commonly believed that severa
nominations to places in the western
states, sent 10 only day or two before
, the New York nominations came up, were
so displeasing to senators that severa
9 votes were lost as consequence. If ht
has no party in the senate it must be sale
for him that he has sought to make none
/ The result, however, is that his supporter
! lack spirit. They act without concert
They have no segressiveness. The!
+ appear to be doing a very disagreeabl
9 thing, which they do not more than hal
I. believe in. And if the fighting should b
heavy, as it now promises to be, it woul
4 not be surprising if the Hayes senator
a should some day turn up missing.
u 1t is probable that the democratic sen
ators will, with perhaps one or two excer
ID tons, support the president. They ar
J. compelled to do this by the course of tn
ct republicans on the southern question
Ie The democrats have been very carefu
Is about entangling themselves with tn
=. president, or him with them, in the maj
,e ter Of offices. They see many reason
% why they should not do this, and the fs
he nous case of Fitzsimmons, Marshal {
y Georgia, is not an exception for the pres
10 ldent selected a democrat in that case b
Is caase the chief duty Of the marshal
Georgia is to pursue illicit distiliers. Tn
at disagreeable duty has brought the repul
lican party into odium. He determine