Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-04-21
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON LETTER,
wAsHInsyos. D, o, April II, 1850,

""F''f'"
up TO q one-sided discussion OF H.
The Army appropriation bill has ilOal
ly passed, however, with tho ''rlder'
prohibiting the use Of troops TO iatlm
ldate voters at tho polls, This pro
vision ID the same one agreed to NJ The
extra session, Tor last year. voted ioI
by over twenty Republicans, and APP
proved by the acting president, Mr.
Hayes, hut for the purpose Of got
ting up q political discussion out Of
which they hoped In some way to de-
rive party advantage, the RePubl''
cans made q fight against this restrlc'
ton now. basing their opposition
chiefly on the ground OF antagonism
to "rlders.' The debate has been all
one side because tho Democrats DO
clined 10 DO drawn into u foolish dis
cussion which would, at best, DO 60
Ing over ground thoroughly developed
several months ago. So they lot the
Radicals do all the talking 10 empty
benches, while they took TO Tho cloak
rooms. This policy worked well. Such
a debate as that is not very exciting
and can not last very long, aud after
all the mouths on the other side had
been fred Of the Democrats put ioI-
ward Gen. Ewing 10 answer them in
a single spccch--and then passed the
bill,
1t Is really apity about this l'cpub'
lican antipa,hy 10 "ridcrs,' rs they
call them. There were only 3s7 rid
crs put on appropriation bills by that
party when they controlled both hous-
es OF Congress, and among them were
some huge jobs and robberics and
many outrages on the constitution.
Democratic "riders," without excep.
ton, have been in tho direction OF
economy and constitutional govern
ment. There is no issne on which the
Democratic party can better afford an
appeal tc the question than the ''ridcr'
question. The Democratic record in
this regard will, in all time to come
DO cited as conclusive proof Of the
pariy's devotion to those great princi
Piles which are the basis Of free gov
ernment The contrast between the
Republican and Democratic records in
this matter is high tribute 10 that
calm, moderate, but determined spirit
of resistance to wrong which has
characterized the conduct Of the party
since it became responsible for the
acts Of the peoples branch Of Con.
gress. The Army bill as passed, cen
tains the restriction against the use Of
troops at the polls, and also Mr..
Hurd's proviso that nothing in the
bill shall be held to prevent the use OF
the military by the President nnder
the Constitution TO suppress domestic
violence when called upon by the
Governors of States or by the Legis-
latures when in session. It's so fair
and tight that the fraudulent Presi-
dent can not refuse to sign it.
The President of the Panama Rail.
road Company has lately been before
the House Post Office Committee ar
guing on the impossibility Of Ameri-
can steamship lines entering into
competition with English lines for the
trade of South America. Mr.. Park
says that were the Panama Railroad
Company to build fleet Of eight
steamships to do their carrying trade
with the west coast, the first cost of
these vessels would he $l,6O0,000
greater than if built in England, while
the enhanced cost of insurance, man.
agement. wages, ETC., would leave the
American company unable to pay div
Idends on an income which would
yield the English company a very
handsome return on their capital. /
Mr.. Park intends these statements as
q preface to a plea for steamship sub
sides, the obvious reply would be
that he has mistaken his remedy. If
every branch Of business that suffers
from over-protection is to have the
Government supply it with funds
enough to place it on equal terms with
foreign competition, the Treasury
would become very cumbrous and
costly machine for tho disbursement
with one hand of the money collected
with the other. The simple remedy
for steamship owners, as for other
traders, who want to be
equipped for competition on equal
terms with the foreigner, is to demand
the right to buy ships aud the materi-
ais for making ships as cheaply as
their competitors. Further than this,