National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-06-09
STEAM AND nOG DAYS,

1t is time to put stopper upon the steam
whistle. The dog days are upon MS, and we
must act not tIlk.--LouisrHo CONrier-JCuIiaL
So breaches the Courier-JOurndl to the
Democrats in Congress. at is time to put
"a stopper upon the steam whistle" In
other words, Congress has been in session
for nearly three months. 1t has been Shrek
ing in the ears of the country through its
steam pipes threatening the Government
with starvation, declaring that State Rights
are superior to the Federal power, fulminat-
ing the doctrine Of secession, and crying
fraud, in season and out of season, until the
clamor has become insufferable even to
Bourbon ears; and hence Kentucky thinks
it time to put n stopper upon the steam
whistle" Indeed, Congress, up to this
hour, has done nothing for the country but
ears of the people until they begin to be
tired and pain of the fruitess noise and
dumb show. To carry the CTS figure n
little further, those who pay the taxes and
bear the national burdens from their own
pockets would like to see some of that steam
NliNu HIS lllitlt bIt SCCut ltulOuS Will llS
shrieking, turned upon the engine which
propels the Government, that it may move
forward instead of lying listlessly at the
whalf, while its crew are playing with the
steam whistle to amuse. themselves with the
noise it makes. The people want and ex-
pect legislation in aid of the public interest
they expect the needed appropriations for
the support and maintenance Of the Gov
ernment; they demand i'll legislation more
work for the public good and less blowing
of the steam whistle for party purposes;
and the country is joining in the cry, "put
"a stopper upon the steam whistle"
"The dog days are upon us and we must
"act, not talk" What the dog days have
to do with the Democratic majority in Con-
gress we leave those better versed in canine
matters than we are to make answer
There may be pertnence in this simlc
which does not strike the casual observer
but which the COurier-JOurndl can more
fully explain. That Congress should talk
less and act more in the discharge of IFS le
gitimate duty is patent with the publ,
mflu. OF neuTly tllTee months III mas peer
trilling with the public interest by turning
its attention to party schemes aimed agains
existing law and the public welfare. 1t hai
raised Il hypocritical cry against fraud ant
uttered a demand for honest elections, Will,
it has been engaged in II conspiracy to re
move from the balot-box the safeguards o
law in the interest Of pure, untrammcled
and upright elective franchise Throughout
the nation by their repeal. The time o
this session of Congress has been taken N
for mere party schemes at the expense o
right, justice, and propriety, until the friend
of the party have become alarmed at thi
strange dereiction of duty, and remind th
majority of Congress that "the dog days ar
'upon us" This admOniton is suggcstiv
of hydrophobia and all its serious conse
quences, and may have been INDUCED il
the hope of creating an alarm which will b
more effective than the appeals Of reaso
and common sense in awakening the Dem
ocrats to sense Of duty to the country.