New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-06-18
LEARNED To "SHUT Up"

| LEIhNED
1t is said that when, a good many years ago,
a very gcdate and solemn palishiOner OF Mr.
| Bcccher's complained that he INDUCED too much
in light and trfnR remarks in the pulpit, Mr..
Bccchcr, after cOnfcssng the truth OF the
charge. added But, my dear brother il you
only knew the number of worse things ! IN
"tcmptcd to say, and don't say, instead OF
blaming me for what do, you would give mo
great credit for what keep back"
The Democratic newspapers and their dep
utIcs are entering up the same plea to tho all
verse criticisms upon the action OF the Demo-
cratic Congress which adjourned on Wcdnes-
day. They did wicked and silly things to be
suIc-ihoSc they arc always doing" but then,'
they say when charged with them, Just think of
| the numbcrlcss Other wicked and silly things
to which dcpravcd nature. evil associations,
and bad habits tempted lis, which we rclranrd
from dong" 1t was supposed, when they be-
| gan The session which has just closed, that they
would do all sorts of ridiculous things that
they would tinker the tariff, play the mischief
with the currency steal seats in the Senate and
! House, and make good, far rs they were able,
| their threats Of the special session to sweep
away all the legislation of the past fifteen years.
| And they were expected to loosen their chins.
and by keeping up the racket they had begun at
| the tirSt session, create uncaSncsS and disturb
ancc, 50 that everything would be at SKIES and
Scvrns. The Lord knows they have done mis-
chief enough. but when rcproachcd for it they
call attention to the fact that they might have
done, and were expected to do great deal
worse and on that appeal go to the country.
| They arc especially clatcd over the >elf-denial
| HOY. ah, in ata lin he s,.pta pt
Wa~lbuln, Of Minnesota, and Yocnm, of Penn
| sylyania, and Senator Kellogg, ef Louisiana,
! though they have only reserved their oppOrtu-
mites nll next December when they can do
what they Will without exposing themselves to
IctIiDutlon in n pending election.
They are already boa>tng. too. of the
! sagacity and scf-rcStrant they have exhibited
! throughout the session III avoiding political dis
! CUSHIONS They claim to have learned wisdom
from their experience in the prcyl uS session III
this lrgard, and to have made no foolish
| speeches, or very few, which can be used against
! them by their opponents in the coming cam
| paign II at their irst session they riyalcd the
| parrot and maggie, they can claim at least that
during the second they exercised the INTEL igcnt
prudence of the oyster and the clam. They
| ask tn br admired for the same reason that the
| naturalist gave To II very garrulOuS person for
respecting the oyster, because they know
"wh,n to shut up 1t Is we'll to take note of
! this prruliar attitude of the party at the close
of their Congressional session and the begin
mug OF their Presidential campaign. And II is
| only frank to say that they have shown unusual
! sense and unsupported shrrwdnc~s in the tao
ties by which they have put themselves IN this
| position. The change from the Chinese gong
system. with which they began, to the ambush
and masked battery policy, was wisely made.
| The first served only to alarm the people and
put them ON their guard. II remains to be- seen
whether the sudden shutting up and taking to
cover will effect the purpose OF deception for
which they are intended.
More credit Is ''uc their cunning than their hon
| csy to he sure, for the policy of silence they
have pursued for the past six months But we
do not withhold the need due to smartncsS.'
Against strong temptations to let themselves
ioos". they have exercised srli-rcsraint quite
admirable, and held their tongues. There
have been two or three occasions when they
seemed on the crumbng edge of indulgence
in political debate, which would have been
damaging to their prospects, but the skill and
prudence Of one or two leaders saved them, aud
they slid over it, The nomination of Garfield
the other day came near putting them off their
guard, and it seemed ut one time, when our
Mr. Cox got started off ia characteristic fashion,
rs though the Gyascntus were really loose.
But he was checked before much damage was
done, and the House slid over the thin ice of
the last few days without falling through. So
now they have it to say that they did not SAY or
do half the SILLY and bad things they were
tempted to and expected to, and can ask to be
trusted for the reason that they are not 50 had |
as they have been painted Well, we do give |
them the credit of having learned something
from the oyster. But they did not begin to
"shut up y caIly enough.