Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-02-27


honest; only does it wish that he shall be 4
Democrat, bound TO the fortunes of the
South, TO he directed by its dictation.
Any such man will suit the white Demo-
cracy of the South-for single tecm-after
which they will give the country Southern
President; and as for the colorcd Republi-
cans of the South, the majority Of the law
full voters III many of the Southern States,
they are not so much as alluded 10 10y Mr..
Hill, and are ~ haze no more say on the
question of the Presidency than if they did
not exist
The Democratic Senate.
The New York Times thus describes the
present United States Senate, and the pic
ture is not over,lrawn
The Democrats are now in a majority in
both branches Of Congress. Let us hope
that the mourncrs are checred when they
look into the Senate and behold the great
men wEo now represent the Democratic
party. There certainly never was time
when the Senate was So disor,crlv, undigni-
fed, and 50 low in tone, as Ii is now. The
men who represent the southern Democratic
States have reached their highest mark.
There is nothing more for them 10 hope for
(unlcss it is Il reelection. and they loll IN
Senatorial chairs with all the vulgarity OF
their old plantation manners, content to be
where they can draw pay and be waited
upon. They have only a lanquld interest in
the public business. They smoke and Cos
sip in the cloak-rooms or entertain their all
miring constituents in the Senate Chamber,
discussing local politics, poker, and horse
racing, while the business Of the Senate goes
on in the hands of older and ADLER men about
them The petty squabble between the
Georgia Senators over 4 census supervisor
ship is of more moment to them than the
highest interests of the whole Nation can
possibly be. They argue, swear, and grum-
bic in corners of the Senate Chamber check
ed only for a moment by the reproofs of the
presiding officer, and absolutely indifferent
to the cntreaties of Sergeat- alarms who is
their servant, or to the eXpostuations of real
Senators who are intent on discharging the
duties which the people elected them to
manage. Let us lie back, stretch our
legs. and have a good time, they seem TO
saw, ''Bayard and Thurman will look after
things We are Southern gentlemen"
These nobodies who 81; in the seats once
occupied by Representatives Southern men
might, at least, behave themselves with de-
cency and decorum. If they cannot aid in
the transaction of the business of the Nation,
they should not oh struct it, us they do, with
their idle 90 ssip. Locking over 4 list Of SEN
ators, even well-intormed readers must stop
to ask who these people arc Who knows
Senator Pryor? or Senator Walker: or Sen
ator Call? or Senator Jonas? or Senator
Bailey? or n half dozen more smooth
bores who could he named? Senator Gordon
has made himself conspicuous by his Tuning
and fire-eating and Senator Butler won dis
tnction as the hero of tie Hamburg massa-
ere before he was rewarded by seat in the
upper house of Congress. Politicians are apt
to say that this is the day Of small men and
this complaint was probably made when the
Senate contained the greatest of American
statesmen. But there certainly never was
time when there were so many insignificant
men in Congress as now. And the weak
ness of the Senate is exhibited in its array
of undigniticd nobodies from the South.
OF course the consequences of filling Con-
gress with men whose sole claim to their
are not confined 10 negative results. The
observer of the doings in Congress cannot
have failed 10 notice the increased number
of special committees" which has followed
the advent to power of the Democratic ma
iority The committees of investigation are
also multiplied beyond all precedent-the
object, of course, being the manufacture Of
political capital against the Republican par
ty. \ week ago Democratic Senator re-
ported bill from his committee TO divide
millions Of the Federal money among a num-
Der of States as a compensation for lands
which had been sold from their territory at
some vague PERIOD in the past Other raids
on the Treasury are known TO be In prepare
tion and TO be only held back for time, by
the fear that they may lessen the chances of
Democratic success in the coming election.
These evidences Of weakness and extrava-
gance on the part of Democratic Congress
must lead thinking men to inquire to what
greater lengths the extravaganza would be
carried if the Presidency were also in accord
with these plotter. against the public treasury.