The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-04-03
Washington Letter.

Washington Letter.
| WASHINGTON, d. c., March %, 1879.
The Republicans certainly die hard.
Such leaders as Edmunds and Conk-
ling in the Senate, who have for years
controlled the action of that body al
most by wave of the hand, as it were
now accept, with distress of mind and
unpleasant temper, the fate that re.
tires them to the ranks of hopeless
minority. But time is great leveler
and the men who have so long cracked
the whip of party over their followers
in the Senate, recognizing no authority
but their own sweet wills and the die
tates of king caucus. now snap and
snarl like baffled wolves, because their
power is gone. They object to Demo
cratic caucuses, and paw the earth in
anger because their henchmen are
turned out of the fat places they held
until they imagined them theirs by di-
vine right. Even poor old grandma
Hoar frets and whines in the most RI
diculous fashion. But, notwithstand-
ing all this, the present majority pro-
pose to run things according to their
own notions of right, and to look out a
little for the interests of the country at
large. 1t is their idea that the Senate
has been run in the interest of the Re-
publican party about long enough.
The joint caucus has now perfected a
programme of action upon which the
Democrats in both houses are almost
unanimously agreed, and the session
will be fought out on that line. The
two appropriation bills will be brought
forward at once, the army bill precisely
as it went through the House last ses-
sion, and the legislative bill in pretty
much the same shape. All the repeal
ing amendments are to stand, except
that the one repeating the supervisors
law has been so modified as to provide
simply for the appointment of two SUI
pervisors, one from each party, who
have no authority except to watch the
election board and the count of votes.
They are to have no power of arrest,
and no duties except to make them
selves witnesses of the proceedings.
Their appointment comes from the
United States Court, and only for cities
of over 10000 population. If fair cleo
tions are all the Radicals want, this
plan is not only just as any that can be
desired, but it is not costly. There can
be, under it, no scores of deputy mar
shals, etc., drawing five dollars per day
for ten days. But if corruption of
votes out of the public treasury, and
the intimidation of Democrats by
threats of arrest, are what have been
aiming at, the old law was suited to the
end, and they will doubtless fight to
retain it. There is some doubt wheth-
er Mr.. Hayes, fraud as he is, will feel
like vetoing. the appropriation bills
with SO fair a proposition attached
Unquestionably public sentiment is
with the Democrats, and the Nationals
in Congress will vote for the modified
election law. Let Rutherford, when
he gets ready to veto, set down and
read Senator Eaton's remarks in the
Senate the other day, and then judge
in what estimation he will be held by
the people, a majority of over SOC, 900 OF
whom voted against his occupancy OF
the position into which he was finally
juggled.
Whether any general legislation will
be undertaken depends very much
upon the action of Mr.. Hayes. Should
he undertake to defeat the will of Con-
gress there will be dead lock, and the
time will be filed up with other busi-
ness but if the appropriation bills as
passed, are signed, the session will end
before May. The Greenback members
are clamorous for some financial legis-
lation, and several influential Demo.
Gratis support them in it, Alexander
Stevens among the number. The ma
jority, however, seem to feel that moth
ing beneficial can be accomplished,
that the public good can best be served
by letting things alone until the regu-
view, and he is not making much
haste in appointing the committees.
The Commissioner of Pensions was
guilty recently of a gross outrage in
suspending number of Washington
attorneys. He charged them with at
attempting fraud upon pensioners, and
yet the only ground he had for his
charge was that one Dimmich got
these attorneys to sign a statement of
fact that he had r. ndered service in
securing the passage of the Arrears of
Pension bill. This statement DIM
mick attached to begging circular,
asking contributions, and sent it to
some pensioners The attorneys knew
nothing of the use made of their sig.
natures. Yet Mr.. Bentley suspended
them with an immense blow about his
efficiency, etc. The peculiar part of
the matter was that just at this juno
ture Mr.. Bentley was moving heaven
and earth to secure the passage of his
"6O Commission bill," by which sixty
surgeons of his own appointing would
have the entiredeterminingo of pensions,
a fraud so palpable and unmitigated
that these attorneys Joined in denounc-
ing it. Their suspension was undoubt-
edly due to this officials desire to in
fiuence Congress, or their reinstate-
ment would not have so promptly
followed, as it did, the defeat of the
fraud at the hands of Senators Voor-
hees, Shields, and others. Shields said
the originator of the bill should have a
leather medal voted him by the pen
sioners of the country. It is a pity,
indeed, that such a malicious, falsify-
ing, unworthy official cannot be reach
ed by the men whom he injured. He
is blot upon the pension system, and
Ia os nroat a fraud os anx, oxxor n offor,o nj