The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-04-25
Our Washington Letter.

-, z. ~. WASHINGTON, April ed, 1s7s
There mas been hardly courage enough-political
men. II has been the wise hope Of Republicans
since the 18th Of March, when this Congress met,
jet Of free eecons and fair res as sn would
amount to back-down on the part OF the Demo-
Gratis. Happily, that hope will almost certainly
1all. senator Bayard yesterday made a carefully
prepared and convincing speech on the army bill
taking the ground held by the Democratic caucus
that the soldier should not control the voter, and
that Congress should use efficient means to prevent
it.. The Senate will vote on the bill this week
Speeches in the House for week past, while in
tertstng have been of the same high character as
In earlier days Of debate on the legislative bin =
Mr.. Frye and other leading Republicans have spent
their time In attempting to provoke from mpuisive
Democrats some expressions which might be used
With effect in coming campaigns. Mr.. Frye, on
Saturday, placed himself In an unenviable posi-
ton, and one do him the justice to say. don't
tllink was at all agreeable to him, by endeayorinR
to create an impression that Mr. Blackburn and
other representative southerners were nsincere
IN the political language of their speeches. know
MIR: Blackburn Very WELL and believe he could say
in Maine or Minnesota what he believes in and
hopes for In this Government without offence to
any intelligent voter So could nearly every south
erner now In the House. The effort to convince
northern people that these men ask for anything
which is not for the interest of all to have is un-
fair and unpatriotic, and will fail.
The National Republican of this morning recogni-
zng the fact that the army bill will pass lectures
Mr. Hayes upon the necessity Of vetoing it. and
the consequences, to him, of approving it. There
has been any amount of bull-dozing and suppliea-
llon, alternately, OF Mr. Hayes, IN relation to his
course on this and the legislative bll-so much in
fact that one can hardly help believing that Re-
publican leaders have no hope for the future mn
less the Administration Is to be allowed to carry
the next election by use of the army and Federal
officials.
Yesterday being the first Monday of the session
In which there was obstruction to the introduce
ton of bills in the House. there was an avalanche
of them. Those which failed at the last session
were re-i1troduced, and new ones by the hundred.
All this does not prove that general legislation
will be entered on, though, as at first, think it
will be.
Representative McLane, of Maryland, intro
duced the following bill
THAT no officer of or contractor with the United
States shall contribute or solicit others to contri-
butte any money other valuable thing to any
fund for political or party purposes, nor shall any
such officer permit any solicitation demand OF
subordinates in his department. bureau or Office
| and any person wifully offending against this
provision shall be removed from Office, and upon
conviction, shall be punished by Imprisonment
not more than one year, and by fine not less than
one hundres nor more than five thousand dollars. "
What relief such a law as that would have been
to government officials in 1876 and 1878!
The late effort of the N Y. Times to promote the
Grant movement has caused great agitation among
Republicans, who very generally desire not to trot
out their horses until the tracks, clear of rubbish
Many newspapers in the west have taken offence
and exposed the thing us q pat up job" 1t does
have that appearance, and we outsiders enjoy the
fun of the thing 1t seems that the Times so-call-
ed canvass was issued simultaneously in several
large cities, with the studied purpose of boosting
the Grant movement. But 1t fell Hat in many sec
tons. The western papers that make the most
fuss about it. decline Grantism anyhow, and place
Senator Window at the head of the Presidential
| list. No doubt there is strong sentiment, even
in the Republican party, for clean man. and even
Democrats admit that Window is honest and able
| in his radicasm. Hutton.