Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-12-06
1ancaster fntflIiQetlrer.
An Unenvfable POSitfGn.

An Unenvfable POs1tt90.
The narrow majority which the Be.
publican party has in the lower branch
of Congress makes the position of the
speaker and of the party very difficult
one tc profit by. Under such circum
stances frst-class man was needed in the
speakers chair to do honor to the posi-
tion and himself, and to secure advan-
tage TO his party from its power. The
Republican party is far from being such
a unit in sentiment as to cause it to be
readily moved in solid column, and
when it finds itself tied in the Senate.
and with bare majority in the House,
it certainly is not in a position to he en-
We'd. II is far better for the Democratic
party to be in the powerful minority it
holds than to be in a narrow majority.
In the last Congress, though it had fair
working majority, it often came to grief
through the intractability of its men,
bers, and although there is a greater
ductility in the Republican political
temperament it is not to be expected
that all the Republicans will show them.
selves to he well-bebaved puppets and
easily moved pawns.
The signs which indicate the Republi-
CAN disruption are 10 decided that it can
very safely he prophesied. Nothing but
conciliation and forbearance on the part
of those holding the reins over it can
maintain its unity; and of such forbear-
ance there is absolutely no indication.
The president and his advisers are of the
class of men who have shown concilia-
tion to be no part of their policy.
They believe in moving straight
forward in the pursuit of their
aims, over the bodies of those who
stand In their way. 1t is good policy
in war, and against avowed enemies,
but not so good towards those who are
needed as allies Leaders of parties
that are redundant in strength can afford
to he arrogant, but when they have no
strength to spare it is necessary that
they should be prudent and conciliatory.
The Republican president has identi-
fled himself, in the course of the contest
for the speakership, with one wing of the
party, and that the one with which he
has been believed to be in sympathy. He
has gone so far as to invest Senator
Cameron with authority as his rcpresen.
tative, by the simple, but eloquent in
junction, see Cameron" Everyone is
perfectly familiar with Senator Cam
eron's methods and aims.
When he is made the presidents s mouth
piece to his party it is declaration that
there must be absolute submission or
the knife. Intelligent Republicans of
the other persuasion, of course, recog-
nize the situation and all who are not
supine enough to deliver themselves to
the Stalwart embrace have no resource
but in open rebellion. Nearly all the
congressman from Pennsylvania deter
mined submission to be better than
valOr. Of course, there is 10 denying
the humiliation of their position. They
consented TO be placed in it with full
knowledge of it. They sacrificed their
independence to retain their claim upon
government patronage. Without this
the ordinary congressman of the party
in power cannot sustain himself. He
feels that he needs this support to stand
up among his constituents. There is,
however, an important and growing elc-
ment in the Republican party of this state
that will not submit to he kicked. The
idea of Senator Cameron is that he can
always keep it under with the admins
tration at his back. Probably he can as
long as the contest is within the party
lines. But it has already gone beyond,
and the discomfort has been shown TO I've
so great as to make it impossible to
stamp it out in the favOrite style of
Grant Cameron craftsmanship.
When Republican newspaper of the
standing of the Philadelphia Telegraph
finds itself impelled to denounce the
president of its party rs trickster who
has again and again descended from his
high Office to play the part of ward poll
tician it may be said with confidence that
there is a fatal lack of harmony and
good feeling in the party which holds
control of the national power barely" by
The skin of the teeth" The election of
keifer was caused by the interference of
the president and for no other reason
than that he was the candidate most
agreeable to Stalwart Republicanism.
There is no dispute about this fact. The
Telegraph expresses what is universally
recognized when it declares that 1.-THE
success of Mr.. Keifer is a complete
triumph for the Stalwarts, and Was di-
rectly accomplished by the efforts of
President Arthur, ex-Senators ConkliDg
and Platt, and Senator Cameron. To
say that, is simply to say that it was ac-
complished by deceit and trickery, and
in subversion of good policy and the wei
fare of the Republican party" And the
threat is suggestive with which it says
that if "Chester A. Arthur, president
by grace of Guiteau," will "go back to the
last summer, and recall the immeasur-
able indignation they 1.-THE people) then
showed against the political faction
whose shattered fortunes he is trying to
rebuild, and their profound distrust Of
himself, he may perceive that it will be
better not to arouse again the spirit
which was then evoked"