Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-03-05
Democratic Congressional Soothing.
Syrup.

Congress has never been 80 inactive
and stupid as during the present win
ter. The stupidity is ingram in the
Democratic majority; the Inactivity is
assiduously cultivated by order Of the
caucus. Il is the policy Of the Demo
cratic leaders TO do nothing--for the
present. They assume a virtue, though
they have Il not. II Is the virtue Of
self-restraint They simulate conserva-
tism for campaign purposes. The Brig
adiers are securely muzzled and the
dOughfaces are chained up. MRS. Wins
lows soothing-syrup is as regular a diet
in Congress as treacle was in DothebOys
Hall, but II is administered IN more lib
eral doses. The prevailing stupor Is
similar TO that which follows the opium
habit. Every restless fellow on the
Democratic side has relays of keepers
assigned, who take turns in holding
him down and keeping him quiet. The
other day one impulsive member showed
signs Of speaking out in school, and the
entire Democratic cabal put their fingers
TO their lips and hushed him up. He
hastened TO assure his friends that he
would not break the compact of silence
which had been secretly and scarcely
agreed upon in caucus, and he was per-
mitted TO proceed.
The meaning Of this unaccustomed
restraint is SO clear that he who runs
may read. 1t is the Democratic policy
to efface, il possible, the recollection Of
the extra session and to allay the pop
ular apprehension which the reaction
lists then excited. A President is TO be
elected in few months. The South is
solid so far as it goes, but IL is not big
enough to elect a President by itself
Fraud and violence have established
the minority rule in every Southern
community where the ex-COnfederates
are not actually in the majority. But
the South must have Northern allies to
acquire National control. Large num-
bers Of voters in New York, COnnecti-
cut, New Jersey and Indiana must be
placated. Deception must be practiced
long enough to lull the suspicion of the
doubtful voters who hold the balance of
power in certain Northern States. The
Democrats count upon the short MEM
ory of the public at a time when the
succession Of events is so rapid, and
believe that few months of inaction
will wipe out the general distrust which
the revolutionary threats of the extra
session created. Hence the gag-rule
adopted in caucus; hence the anOdynes,
the muzzles, the chains, the guardians
and the other expedients for enforcing
the policy of silence.
Whether or not the Democratic eau
Gus shall be able to control the blatant
BourbOns throughout the session re-
mains to be seen. twill be death to some
Of their number. During nearly three
months this unnatural restraint has
been effective, but it must be main
tanned three months longer, and it is
growing more irksome and irritating
every day. 1t will not be very surpris-
ing II some Of the fretful animals break
their chains before long, and make as
much havoc as bull in a china shop.
Greed and selishness in dividing up the
appropriations, and the spirit of fac
tion in the effort to agree upon a Presi-
dental candidate, may betray the rash
partisans into excesses that will be all
the more glaring because Of the long
sef-denial that has been practiced. But
even if the gag can be kept firmly upon
the extremists, the Democratic man.
ayers are leading forlorn hope in the
effort to conciliate the conservatives by
deception. Their present attitude is sim
ply ridiculous. Everybody understands
it. The cloven foot has been shown so
often that no person in his senses can
doubt that it is merely hidden for the
time being. The Democrats in repose
are as dangerous as tame bear in q
household. They are only waiting to
spring upon the spoils and devour
them. Give them the President and
the patronage, the army and the Treas
ury, the sword and the purse, and they
will make Rome howl. They will then
jeer at the very suggestion Of purity in
elections; they will laugh down Civil
service reform; they will plunder the
North to make good to the South the
losses incident to the folly and wicked
ness of rebellion. All the menaces of
the extra session will come into reali-
zation, and the Democratic leaders
will gloat over the success of this win
ter's deception. This is the programme.
Its vital defect is the depreciation Of
American intelligence by assuming that
the American people cannot see through
the thin gauze of hypocrisy which the
caucus has thrown over the Dresent