New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-03
L MoNopoLY or BLuNDERING.

Our Democratic friends have long had the
reputation of a most marvellous capacity Tor
laundering. They have maintained 1t at great
expense to themselves for at least quarter oil
century, emitting no opportunity 10 90 the
foolish thing. even when the prudent and SEN
sible was easier. Wherever their ways have
forked in all this time, they have invariably
hurried 10 take the one that led into a cart path,
narrowed 10 a squirrel track, and ran mp tree.
II is largely due to this obduIate pcrverseness
ON their part that their opponents have so long
retained the confidence of the people and
control of the Government Uninterrupted sue
cess for n term of years did have upon the
Republicans its invariable effect IN relaxing
their vigilance, bcgctting loose habits and en-
gcndeIing extravaganza and wiliulncSs. An OPP
position wisely led, or one even that did not IN
evitably gravitatc of its own fatal iat"'nSnesS
to the most suicidal policy, might easily have
taken advantage of this state of affairs and the
dissatisfaction it created in the public mind 10
ride into power II could not rise to the golden
opportunity that circumstances placed within
its reach If it barely grazed great and
triumphant success for the contamination oi
which it had only to hidc It's time IN patience II
set AZ work at once with what seems almost "A
natural instinct to defeat It's own most cher
ished plans, while the Republicans, wise enough
to profit 10y the nauowncSs of their escape
began Immediately 10 redeem their mistakes
and regain forfeited confidence and lost pres
tige. The animal creation furnishes but one
parallel for" the Democracy. in the brute that
when placed with its nose TO the trough never
fails to put it, foot in it,
Aud tI,oso tonrl. trho uretcnd In Load the
party seem not content even to stop here.
They not only blundcr with persistent energy
Themselves but, rs If the game of politics were
competition in pigheadedness, they never
catch their opponents laundering but that they
at once set abOut ovcrt0pp ne them. They seem
actually to claim monopoly OF the business.
They have been giving Us a magnificent Illus
tration of this during the past two months. To
see this one need only read the speeches of The
Bourbon Senators on the various motions they
have made to delay action on the election Of the
officers of the Senate. Out Of their own mouths
comes the proof For the whole burden Of their
song during this time has been that the Repub-
lican Senators were bringing disgrace upon
their party by the choice of such men ~ Cor
ham and Riddleberger. According to their
own showing the nomination of these two men
WAS great political bunder, which must re-
dound to the disadvantage Of the Republican
party. Gorham's record, they said, was too
heavy load for the Republicans to carry,
while Riddlebcrger's reputation as an advocate
of reputation must necessarily inflict a stain
upon the escutchcOn of n party that claimed 20
be par excellence the champion Of public faith
and honest money. For almost two months
these sagacious party leaders have maintained
the attitude of factous obstructonsts, delay
ing the public business and indulgng in long
and fruitlcss discussions to their own damage.
with the avowcd object of preventing their OPP
ponents from doing themselves an injury 10y
the election Of unit candidates. "Gye us any
other candidates. they say. "anybody whose
election will not di,honor the party rcspon-
- sibc for il. aud we will cease factions oppo-
sition and intcrpo>o no further obstacle To
| proceeding To business Upon their own
reasoning, could greater stupidity be- con
cciycd They will not even lei the Republic
cans do themselves harm 10y their own blunder-
ing.
As Republicans we have had little to say of the
wisdom or unWisdom OF these nominations
| Having been made. and the minority in the
Senate having deliberately undertaken to OBJ
struct the course of business by iac,ious pro-
ceedngs, there was no question as 10 the duty
of Republican Senators to adhere to them and
insist upon their rights as the majority in that
body, at any rate until the minority should
have clearly defined their factious purpose or
some superior emergency should arise. But
there can be no question as to what was the
best policy under the circumstances for the
Democrats. If the election Of GOrham and Rid
| dlebergcr was so certain 10 damage the Rcpub-
! leans, they had only to put themselves on re-
cord in opposition to them, and then gracefully
submit, letting their opponents handicap them
selves. They could not sec it. They have
made themselves odious by Obstructng bust
ness with apparently no motive but the rcten-
| ton of n few paltry Offices and have saved the
Republicans from saddling themselves with
Gorham and Riddlebergor. The Republicans,
| if they do not now persist in the blunder from
which their opponents have saved them, owe a
debt of gratitude TO the Bourbon Democracy.
These latter insist upon their monopoly. Let
| them enjoy IT,
FOREIGN TRADE ZIG CRES