The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-07-03
LETTER PROM WASHINGTON.
[FRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT.

lFROM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENT. ]
WASHINGTON, D. c., June IS, 1879.
To THE EDITOR OF THE NEW NORTHWEST:
After running the gauntlet of a hard
fight in the House, the Warner silver
bill has been strangled in the camp of
its friends. All the while the struggle
was going on in the lower branch, there
existed no doubt about it's passage by
the Senate if once it got that far. A
number of Republican Senators were
known to be naturally, and from local
interests, silver men, and the Democrats
were considered mostly favorable to the
bill. Even the Eastern Democrats were
expected to vote for it as a matter of
policy, to induce a Presidential veto.
But these calculations have all gone
wrong, and the bill is temporarily lost
by the action of the Senate committee
in voting to postpone consideration of it
until next December. The Republicans
wanted to smother it for party reasons,
and two Republican silverites, Ferry
and Teller, obeyed the demand, though
the latter represents the great silver
producing State of Colorado. These,
with the Tilden Democrats and single
standard Republicans, were enough.
The one thought suggested by such re-
suits as this is that the country is too
large, with too many conflicting and
diversified interests. Both the great
political parties are nearly rent in twain
by the conflict Of these numerous inter
ests, and the Democrats especially have
got to steer their craft with unusual
dexterity to avoid shipwreck between
the rocks OF Tildenism and the melstrOm
of Western ideas. The policy that
makes New York and Connecticut sure,
loses Ohio and the West, and, between
the two, threatens disaster.
1t is little singular how politics go
in Washington. a Southern Senator or
member, like Mr.. Lamar, makes a
speech of rather pronounced opinions on
his side. Straightway the Republicans
step forward and order the speech by the
thousand to send to Northern cOnstitu-
encies. The speech of Lamar, in which
he extolled JEFF Davis, will go into every
school district by the dozen In the North.
A northern man of very pronounced
radicalism makes a speech, denouneiug
the South in bitter terms. The Demo-
Gratis from the South gObble up the
speech and send it broadcast in the
South. Lamar's speech incenses the
people of the North, and the other, prob
ably by Garfield, sets the ex-COnfeder-
ates wild with anger In the midst OF
all this, however, a very singular thing
has occurred. Senators Blaine and
Conkling have not spoken nor acknowl-
edged the others existence since the
Spring Of 1861, when they quarreled.
Neither has now anything against the
other, but both are too proud to make
up. This may be said of Blaine, he
cannot baTbor resentments; aud this
may be said of COnkling, that be is too
self-eonceited and self-important to ever
make up a quarrel. Blaine, broad
gauged as he is, knew Conkling made a
big speech, a fortnight or so ago, and
that its circulation might help the party
80 he bought three thousand copies Of
them, and they will go out over Blaine's
frank. Now, were Blaine to make a
speech as wise as Solomon and as eIo-
quent as Demosthenes, Conkling would
not buy one of them-not though the
speech would make him President.
Conkling is past understanding.
We have been afflicted this week with
the presence Of another installment Of
"LOuisiana liars" Il did not need these
to satisfy the country that Louisiana
politics have sunk to lower depths than
can be fathomed. The witnesses brought
here in the investigation Of KelIogg's
right to his seat in the Senate are bad
lot. Before coming, some Of them made
affidavits to having received money for
their votes; but, upon arrival here, they
were intercepted by the willy Senator
or his agents and fixed" so that they
go back on their first statement. This
is what the Democrats say, and two of
the slippery customers have already
been arrested for perjury.
There is every reason to expect Con-
gress to adjourn next week. The bills
can all be passed in four days, and il
they come out in such shape as not tc
encounter veto, that will end the mat.