New-York tribune., 1879-05-09

Our DemOcldtlc ITltIHS III OOHEIcsS are
finding ont better way, if possible, than
cOrking up the caucus. Oppressed with what
is called realizing sense " of the perils OF
publicity, and the damaging effect upon the
party of the publication of their remarkable
doings in the Senate and House, and their still
more remarkable proceedings i'll caucus,
they have been endeavoring for some time
past TO devise measures to cOunteract
or cure the difficulty. How they struggled
to cork up the caucus by oaths Of secrecy
and diligent door keeping by the statiOning
of pickets with muskets, policemen with
clubs, and tylers with drawn swords, and the
strict elimination from the Capitol of every
body who could not say "This yere shib-
"boleth us well known. That they had
dIscovered-somewha late, to be sure, but at
last discOvered-that the party was suf-
fering damage from the public knowledge
of the utterances of its leaders, was mani
fest. And they evidently thought they could
arrest it by cOrking up the caucus. Hence the
earnest efforts to which allusiOn has been
made. THE TRIBUNE had the happiness to sug-
gest much more effective way to treat the
difiiculty-based upon the theory that the most
effective way to cut off a dogs tail is to do it
inst back Of his ears-and that was to stop
holding caucuses or, still better, adjourn Con-
gress; but the suggestion seemed not to meet
with favor. Possibly it was too radical.
But they are slowly working up to it.
Having perfected their arrangements for Sc
curing such absolute secrecy for their caucus
proceedings that no one now dreams of pene-
trating them until the arrival by due course
of mail of Mr.. Alexander Stephens's home
organ brings that statesman's authentic re-
port, they have taken still further steps to
prevent the party from receiving any damage
by loose talk in the House. 1t is impossible
Of course, in the present state of af-
fairs to hinder the Congressional proceedings
from being made public. The caucus can
be corked up Congress cannot. The only
thing to do, then, is to have 10 proceedings
This would be best effected. of course, as The
TRIBUNE suggested, by adjOurning over till
December. But that-wel you might as well
expect crows to adjourn from the unpicked
backbone of just dumped horse they might
stop cawing for brief space in order to
avoid publicity; but adjourn P-not much.
And our Democratic friends, though they
haven't thought of adjourning, have done
what they consider tne next best
thing to avoid the dangers of publicity.
They get everything ready in caucus, propose
it in the House, and before any Democrat can
unbosom himself they pull the previous ques-
ton, and shut off all debate. This prevents
accidents. 1t is painful fact that thus far in
the session no Democrat has opened his mouth
without putting his foot in it. The only way to
stop it is to clap the previous question soon
as measure is proposed. Then, with a eau
Gus brass-bound and aIr-tight and locked with
a combination, to perfect measures in, and the
previous question to muzzlc the independent
debater in the House, it would seem that the
party might worry through the rest Of the ses-
sion without suicide, or at least without hack
ING its own remains after suicide has been
done.
Mr.. Atkins, of Tennessee, we observe, en-
ployed another method of suppression the
other day when Mr.. Chalmers, of Mississippi,
proposed to have this Congress investigate
the Fort Pillow massacre for his own personal
yindication. Mr.. Chalmers no doubt thought