National Republican., 1879-03-29
CURRENT SEMI-TONES.
Facts, Arguments, and speculations Regard
ing the situation.

ing the situation.
There is really 10 change in the political
situation, although the House has now been
engaged for two days in the work incident to
the incipient stages of the Bourbon attempt to
bull-doze the Government. The Republican
ranks are solid, notwithstanding all reports to
the contrary, from the President down to the
last file of the party alignment in the House.
Some of these reports affecting the standing Of
certain New England Senators have been
traced to Democratic sources, where the wish
served as father to the thought. In fact it
seems to have been the mistaken assumption
of some of the Democratic managers that the
Liberalism of the Senators in question, as IL
lustratcd by their peculiar theories Of civil SER
vice reform, could be accepted as a safe indica-
ton that they would prove to be Weakened
--"conciliatory' they call it-in the present
emergency.
The Democratic managers knew that the
faintest demonstration of this spirit in the Re.
publican party in Congress, in either House,
would serve as an entering wedge for further
and mo- complete Generalization in the party,
and they did not spare at the beginning of
this contest any effort to encourage its develop
ment and growth. Fortunately for the conntry,
however, they asserted their sectional selfish
ness and undisgused desire for partisan sue
cess so prominently and obtrusively that the
cautious suspicious of the Northern leaders al
luded to were aroused and the result has been
to expel from the minds of the latter all expert
mental theories of governmental science and
thrust upon their attention the serious con-
4 10
tions.
To illustrate this meaning: 1t is known
that one certain Senator believes faithfully
and earnestly in the non-partisan bestowal of
public office lie insists that the policy of
giving offices to one class of partisans only, to
the exclusion Of all other classes, has the effect to
alienate the latter from proper interest in the
Government. He thinks this course cannot fail
to build up partisan aristocracy of Office hold
ers, whose cupidity would naturally be aroused
to the extent of misusing their official power for
the sole purpose of retaining themselves in
office instead of advancing the success of part y
principles. He therefore believes that it is the
patriotic duty of any Administration, no mat
ter of what political faith to leaven the char
acter of its patronage, so to speak, by the recog-
milton Of especial or individual merit in an oiii'
cial way of its opponents In other words, he
would make use of the power to bestow offices
more in the interest of a general attempt to
attract the selfish interest of the entire people
to the support of the Government than MS a
reward for services rendered to the Admins
tration that happens to be in power.
| The Bourbon managers seized upon these
/ peculiar theories as conclusive proof that the
! Senator who eutertains aud does not hesitate
to avow them would logically follow their os-
tentatious lead in the direction of a non.parti'
san-so.calod election. But they have been
disappointed. They found that he eXactcd as
much of them as lie was willing to yield. And
they could not convince him that the abolition
Of the supervisor system would be followed by
a like abandonment of the Rihe.Club system
/ in the South or OF the repeating and false-nat
uralizaton.papers system in the North. IN
short, they very soon abandoned all attempts
to "tampcr" with him, and in the course OF
events he became so involved in the recent de.
bates in the Senate as toproyoke his most earn
est antagonism to the seditious attempts to re
assert the rights of the States to the supervision
Of national elections.
ms lllhaNlublotA ~ pNlhal7 VI lHnpOll
ance in other respects than as an explanation
of how one Republican, following the bent O
patriotic aud partisan inspiration, was in
duced to abandon pet theory and adopt the
more reasonable policy Of fighting the deyi
with fire." ior it shows how all, or nearly all
the Liberals have been gradually, though cer'
tainly, driven back into the Republican ranks
The Democratic argument against the EN-
ploymeut of "great armies Of special deputy
"marshals " by the Republicans has been 0
weight with these Liberals. 1t is, in effect
that Republican deputies Of Republican mar
shals would naturally be more anxious or as
siduous in ferreting out, preventing or secur
ing tho punishment of Democratic than o
Republican frauds, and that the employmen
of these mon for ten or two or three days, a
the case may be, previous to an election I
practically delugng the country with horde
of Republican elcctioneerers, who are pait
at the rate of s. day for work il
behalf of the Republican party. Who, tn
Democrats ask, is so unreasonable as I
suppose that this great array of Republican
officials, appointed in the heat Of a politi
cal campaign and generally selected because 0
their especial lelety to the Republican party
would busy themselves in hunting dow
Republican frauds2 This delicate sophistr.