New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-17
TIE DEFICIENCY BILL IN THE HOUSE.
pr,ocREss MODIFYING THEIR TONE oN The AP-
PROHIBITIONS FOR MARslIAIS-TRYING 10 GRAB

PREPARATIONS FOR MARslMs-TRYING 10 GRAB
THE PATRONAGE OF THE PRINTING OFFICE.
lEY TELEGRAPH TO THE TIIBCSE.l
WAsH!NGTON. March 1G.-The House of Represcn-
tatives spent the whole afternoon in debating The
Deficiency Appropriation bill. Only two pro-
visions of the bI!l were discussed-thc appro-
priation for United states marshals and that for
the Public Printer In connection with the latter
there was some discussion of an amendment which
is to be offered making the Office of Public Printer
an elective one. to be filed by the House.
No candid man could listen to tine Democratic
spceches to-day without being convinced Of two
tbings-irst, the Democrats feel very sore over
their blunder in rclusngt to appropriate money last
Suling to pay the fees of the marslals,
and they bcgir to find cut that they have made an
other blunder in holding back this appropriation
until the fourth month of the session OF course
the Democrats continue 10 whistle to keep up ther
courage and in clustering way say that they dOnot
regret the extra session and viii not try TO eyadc
any responsibility FOR it. But any one wLo heard
Nr SnCictOI's fiery speech last Spring, and
listened 10 the same gentleman 10 day when he
begged the Republicans to "accept the 100000
what i; offered in good faith TO pay the fees of the
marshals and their general deputies could not fail
to realize that the Mississippi rcoater is willing to
' sing small enough now if people will only forget
the past.
Mr. Singleton went so far to-day as TO beg the
Repuhlicans not to oppose the bill, and half
nron,ised that if they would not the Democrats
yould later IN the session bring IN separate bill to
nav The election mars'als There is no likelihood
that tbe Rcpublicans will be caught with any such
chaii as this.
Another noteworthy thing in the discussion is The
blundcring as well as unmanly action of the Damo-
Gratis upon the management Of the Government
Printing Office.
The motive of this attack is transparent enough.
The Democrats want to gel control of the patronage
of that Office To do this they must have q creature
of their own selection at tho head Of II.
In order TO justify any change in
the mode Of appointment they must make it appear,
among other things that the present incumbent of
the Office is an uufit person to have control of IT.
But they have not been able to make
if apparent even TO the satisfaction Of themselves,
that such the case Indeed nearly all the Demo-
Gratis WHO have spoken on the BILL and who have IN
tho course of their speeches accused the Public
Printer of all manner OF corruption and
cxtrayarance, have preiaced those speeches
with statement 70 the effect that they did not
know ANYTHING was wrong in the management Of
tho Office Some OF them have even gone so far
to say that they dIdnot believe the management TO
be corrupt or cXiravagant.
spent many months IN an investigation .. She Office,
n subcommittee did report that the manage
mont was corrupt and eXtravagant. The
evidence gathered by the subcommittee did
not sustain these conclusions and the majority OF
the full committee. Democrats as well as Rcpubll
cans refused to sign the report until IL was very
mmcI modified that it amounted to nothing at ALL
even as Democratic political capital.
MR. DAVIS IN THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBoNE
WASHINGTON, March Ex-senator Davis, Of
Illinois, made brief but well-studled speech yeser-