New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-05-16

ings, az the Democrats were in power ana pro-
posed TO take all the responsibility. lie has
appeared two or three times since, and always
with moro or less OF an air. The country may
not vet have decided that he is great, but 1t
has reached the conclusion that he Is beyond
measure impressive. When he waved his
hand to the Republican Senators and told
them they need not bother any more about
the business of legislation, there was some
thing lordly in the manner of iC; and TINS,
with the unexpectedness of such remark,
or any remark, indeed, from that quarter, led
the public to conclude at once that here was
n man who felt that the Government was IN
his hands, and that he, if anybody, could run
it.
He is Chairman Of the Senate Committee
on Privileges and Elections. In that capacity
he has taken the task of more definitely
relieving Republican Senators of response
bility by voting them ont of the Senate, be-
ginning with Senator Kellogg, of Louisiana.
Now this is question upon which all Demo-
cratic Senators seem to be extremely sensl-
tive. When Mr.. Conkling the other day at
tributed the movement to partisan design
to strengthen the Democratic majority III the
Senate and extend the period of their con-
troll. Mr.. Thurman came down out OF the
chair and expressed great indignation, saying
that if he were q member of the Com
mittee reporting the measure he should take
it as personally offensive. Later ON In the
discussion the fery-tOpped Senator from IN
diana, Mr. Voorhees,, flared up, because Mr..
Blame said the other side was disposed TO
"shrk" O part of the issue. Mr. voorhees,
denounced such language as an exhibition OF
plantation manners" and crowned his re-
buke of the supplementary language by
characterizing Mr.. Blane's argument as pure
"pettifogging.n Senator Salisbury exhibited
still greater sensitiveness. lie complained
that Senator Hoar had called this movement
against Kellogg "a pretence," that Senator
COnkling had called it " a scheme" and that
Senator Carpenter had said 1t was brought
forward Gin the spirit of revolution" and the
Delaware Senator said, in his most exalted
manner, that he could not suffer these alle-
"gations against a Committee with which he
I" is connected to be made without at least re-
"pelling all such charges and insinuations."
And a little later he informed Senator Logan,
who was disposed to criticise the Committee,
that the Committee would not feel cOmpll-
mented by his confidence and did not feel IN
iured by his want of it; a remark which also
showed sensitive nature.
But the really important thing in Mr.. Sauls-
burys able calculation of the purposes OF the
majority was his statement that all
the Committee desired was authority
"to eliminate the TRUTH" and his COM
plant that the Republicans in the Senate
were "interpOsing technicalities to prevent the
elimination of the truth" This is very
frank confession. 1t has been popularity sus-
pected for long time that it is always as a
rule the purpose OF Democratic man
agcment to eliminate the TRUTH They have
pretty thoroughly eliminated it from their
professions and promises, and there is little
doubt that they would like to eliminate it
entirely from politics. AS to the Louisiana
matter, we do not know what witnesses Mr..
Saulsbury's Committee propose to call, but II
they are anything like the red-headed pro-
cession the Democrats have heretofore sum-
moned, it is safe to say the eliminating pro-
cess will be neither long nor labOriOus. All
traces of the truth were eliminated from them
years ago. There is reason to believe, however,
that Mr.. Salisbury did not make his statement
so full as he might have done. What he and
his high-minded and sensitive -sOuled friends
propose is not merely to eliminate the truth,
but to eliminate Kellogg also. That is the
prime purpose of the movement. And the
precedent being thus set, they may subse-
quently eliminate by easy stages the entire
Republican representation in the Senate. And
this would only be carrying out to its fullest
extent the process proposed by the noble Della
ware Senator of eliminating the truth"