New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-14

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WAS what they did eleven years ago, render
ing some of the most important sections Of the
Reform act imperative. The various parts OF
the present bill are so delicately adjusted, es-
pecially those relating to Tenant Right that
the machinery of the new system can be easily
nut ont of gear in the Upper House. This Is
perhaps the most serious danger which now
menaces the cause of land reform in the un-
happy island.
SENATOR FEST is fHE HITCH or END0R.
We submit that there is such thing rs car
rying the Jefferson business too far That ne
was great man and good man and one OF
the Fathers of the Republic is admitted by
everybody. And no doubt if he were alive he
would be very much Disguised at being called
the Father of the Democratic party as 1t now
is. Indeed, if the superstition be well founded
that the body of dead man turns In ms COZ
fin Mt any unusually severe aspesion upon MS
memory. this old centcman's frame must have
revolved like a windmill in some OF the recent
campaigns. Now, we do not know that there Is
any way to prevent the young men who used
to organize Felix Flanagan Clubs when Felix
Flanagan was running for something SOFT
from organizing JenersOnian Clubs and wor-
shipping at the shrine of The abstract Jefferson
instead of the concrete Flanagan. 1t saves
the Flanagan purse, but it bears heavily on
tbe memory of jefferson. Nor do we know
that there is any way to hinder the
persons who represent the party that
undertook To undo Mr. Jcferson's work from
putting M bronze statue OF him with an
inscription stating that he was the Father
of the Democratic party" Having been q
long time dead no one feels sufficiently in
terestcd in defending his memory to get out
an injunction. Then, too, grass Jefferson
set up in some public place, though II might
not excel IA a work of art. would be q great
comfort to Mr.. Augustus Schell. And that
excellent man il getting 80 worn ont with
sitting up nights and viewing with alarm the
! growth of the great mouopoles and gigantic
corporations which menace the existence OF the
! Republic that no one will grudge him the
small comfort Of such shrine
But when it is proposed Ia matcrinlize the
! Author Of the Declaration Of Independence ana
march him into the United States Senate to
scare Malone and take "the flag of Demo
cratic Virginia away from him, we take leave
70 enter our protest And this, If we have
truly rescued his meaning from the trop-
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If ia smothcrcd, il what Senator Vest,
of Missouri, proposes 10 do. In his speech
in the senate the Other day. after relating q
legend Of a Danish King. who had died in de-
fence of his flag, stalking into an assembly
where his foes were celebrating their victory
with wine and wassail and tearing Che ban
nrr "away from his hereditary foes forever,
he went on tO say that il the gallant living
of Virginia do not ia the coming fall re-
deem the Democratic banner, he would cX-
"pcct under God that the awful majesty OF
Jefferson himself Father Of the Dcmocratr
"party. would darkcn this hall. and with spirit
"hand would wrcst that banner from thos'
who have always hated it, and give 1t "a
Lowing haudsn Vest l. evidently matcri-
alizcr. and means business. But really isr
this carrying the jefferson business tritie too
! fnrq We can gct along with the clubs, and
we don't object 10 the statue, but bringing III
hi, ghost in this blood-curdling way Is too
much. We are aware that the case IL some
what desperate Mahone doesn't scare worth a
cent. Mr. Hill, of Georgia, tried IT. and IN
stead Of frightening Malone, got nervous him
self. Voorhees, tried Bullying with no greater
,ucce.s and the prospect NOW l. that before
they get through every Democratic Senator
will have taken a hand in it. II really doe
not look n though anything human could dc
il. Sull-i.n't il % little early t0 try ghosts
Cannot this matter Ice compromised in som,
way For Senator Vest Is certainly very
serious about IT, lie would not say, as he does
ungualihcdly. that if the Democrats of Nr
,inia do not redeem the Democratic flag nj thu
next election. hccXpccts" the awful majesty ol
Jefferson" will darkrn thc Senate Chamber and
wre,t the banner with spirit hand" etc.
unless he meant it, II does not look now
either. ~ though Mahone would back down 81
Virginia would 20 Democratic in the fall
which we suppose j. what Vest means 10y
rrdccming the flag Consequently, unlcS
some compromise j. made with Vest, We shal
have this naturalization of the awful
naic,ty of Jefferson" We repeat our pro
test against this literal nnsacking %
the grave. Running a dead mans nam'
and memory into the ground rs they
have been doing these fifty years, Is wei
enough 40 long az his friends do not Object
running dead man 0ut of the ground is quite
different thing Vest ought To remember
too. that It isn't always safe to call mp spirits
There was q notable case once in Endor, when
the ghost that WIS called up disappointed th'
caller. Mr. Vest may find out about it in tia
twcnty-cighth chapter Of !. Samuel nn'
espccially from the sixteenth verse on. Rca'
il, Mr. Vest, and make mp your mind not t.
20 into the Witch of Endor business.
NEEDED STATISTICS.