New-York tribune., 1879-06-04
"AY AUDIBLE TITTER.f

II was stated in the Associated Press report
of the proceedings of the House upon the re-
cepfion of the Presidents veto message last
week that when certain portions OF the doc
ument were read there was "an audi
BILE UTTER OH the Democratic side.
The tittering was Occasioned by the
Presidents references to the stupendous
election frauds in this city in 1865, and the
need of some such measure of prevention as
the laws which the Democratic Congress has
determined to repeal. The idea seemed so
funny that it sent an audible litter through
the party. They are apt to be affected i'll
that way by any practical suggestion
in the direction of preventing fraud or purify
ing politics. They will howl themselves red
in the face for Reform upon the stump and
in the press, when they are out of power and
want to get in; once in, they greet any prac-
teal movement for Reform with an audible
litter. No doubt there was an audible utter
among the crowd of Democrats who pushed
on to Washington with the advent OF Their
party to power, when they were told that
the party was opposed to the use OF official
ronage to reward party service. There
must have been a very audible litter III the
Tweed Ring when, in answer to the protests
AGAINST the rascalties and robberies of DEM
ocratic rule. "the Old Man. said with leer,
"Wel, what are you going to do about it 7"
Titterers they are, indeed, and always have
been. Whenever and wherever men have been
lifted up by conscience or patriotism or sense
of duty or philanthropy or love OF justice to
great and serious and unsetsh work,
then and there just such men as those
VINO are fighting for free fraud at Wash
mgton have audibly Uttered. They Uttered
audibly over Bleeding Kansas" and the ear
nest protests that went up from all the North
at the higl-handed Outrages, the violence, in
timdation and fraud by which it was at
tempted to fasten slavery on free territory
Frightened half out of their wits at the
insane invasion OF Virginia by John
Brown, they recovered their spirits upon the
old mans capture, and Uttered audibly when
he picked up and kissed the little black child
on his way to the scaffold he made immortal.
And when Abraham Lincoln, starting from
his home at Springfield i'll 1861, in address
ing the crowd of neighbOrs and friends
who had gathered to witness his departure,
in view of the tremendous responsibilities be-
fore him, reverently asked to he remembered
in their prayers, the audible litter ran through
tho party press from Maine to Mexico. There
was the same audible litter in the Confederate
Congress at Montgomery when 1t was an-
nounced that President Lincoln had issued
call for 70, 900 men" dersive laughter was
what they called it in the current reports.
And many Of us remember well what sort of
news it was from Southern battle-felds al
through the war, that sent an audible litter
Al. ,I,o Of Ea bar
Ii wasn't news that cheered the hearts of
mothers and wives whose sons and husbands
were down there wearing the blue
And since the war, though making a great
show of Indignation at the oppression and in
Justice of negro rule, whenever the stories of
outragcs practised upon the poor blacks, of
whippmgs and scourgines, shooting and
killing, have come up into the North,
their only comment has been the audible
litter and the stereOtypcd sncer at the " bloody
shirt" Quick to be incenscd at any rcnec
tiOn upon their veracity aud honor, and ready
to wipe out fancied insults in blood,
they have, for the appeal 10 their
Iuthlulness and honor for the pay
ment in full in honest money of
honest obligations, Only the same old audi
bic litter No step has been taken in the
direction of establishing justice and equality
and human rights; of giving the nation
stability, permanence credit, that these
men have not factiously opposed and
sneered at with their audible litter.
Nothing is so amusing to them as devotion to
principle nothing cxcitcs their serious indig-
nation excepting the prospect of losing office
and power. There is something, however, in
their present situation that does not provoke
them 90 much mirtb. They are not tittering
audiby in view Of il. There may be an audi
BILE litter in few days when they turn their