Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-01-14

refusing IN advance The legal tender
case on the calendar Is somelhing Of q
disappointment, 10 Conglessmcn cs'
pecially, yet Il Is not IN unreasonable
result, While members ot Congress
are anxious 10 have a decision Of the
Cont that would relieve them Of TO-
sponsbilIly. 1t Is not unnatural that
the court should decline TO so out Of
IL way to grapple with tho trouble
some questions involved. The Court
has once passed upon the legal tender
qualities OF the grcenhack, aud tho re-
naming question as 10 the duration
Of their necessary existence will per
haps settle itself il let alone. Any
how, Congress must answer to the
people for It's course in the premises,
without any assistance from the Con'''
Considering the Internationally mixed
condition of the Congressional mind
on the subject, this may be q mistor'
tune in which the business interests OF
the country will have TO share. The
reference made by the Court to the
fact that there was not full bench
corrobora,es the opinion here that
every effort is making 10 force Justice
Hunt 10 resign. All reports Of hip
intended resignation have come from
members of the Administration and
from members Of the Court. a very
strcag pressure has been brought to
hear upon him TO make vacancy for
the Administration To till. This is
not the first time that constitutional
questions have gone over owing TO
his illness, aud the Court has before
made the same announcement rs that
made in the legal tender case. But
Justice Hunt will not resign unless
Congress retres him on tnll pay, and
a democratic congress will hardly do
that for the sake of getting another
radical partisan on the bench.
The census bureau is another place
where the republicans are working
hard to secure some partisan advan.
tage, but the present indications are
that they will substantially fail. Sd
perinlendant Walker is honestly dis
posed to take the matter entirely out
of politics, and has referred the ap-
poinlment Of supervisors to the Con-
gressional delegations from each state.
Great pressure has been brought to
bear upon Mr.. Hayes to interfere and
appoint republicans exclusively, but |
understand he is not disposed TO do
so. This obstinacy has given rise to
curses loud and deep, for the radicals
see that if the work is done impair
italy, it will probably cause decided
shrinkage of the immense gains in
Congressional representation that they
have so loudly boosted the census
would give them. 1t certainly would
be great public wrong and a posit-
i've injury to have any partisan man
ipulation OF the census statistics, and
Superintendent Walker says that IF
any supervisor is found to be engaged
in political management he will be dis
missed from the service, whether he
is republican Or a democrat. Nobody
doubts that Gen. Walker means all
this, and if he can strictly enforce it
the next census will be an honest and
valuable exhibit. 1t is pretty hard,
however, tor party that resorts to so
many desperate expedients to retain
its hold on power to forego ouch an
opportunity as the census would at
ford.
In my haste last week | overlooked
one of the White House scenes on
New Years day, which is worth re-
cording. Over year ago wrote
something about tie case of Col.
Henry DeAbna, who was appointed
collector of Alaska at the beginning
OF Mr.. Hayes administration, and
then recalled under very trying cir
cumstances. Col. DeAhna is Ger
man American, and served with dis.
tinctiop in 0tlr late par. and came ont