The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-04-02
BLUM DHRs.

BLUNDHRs.
n The democrat party has frequently been az
e cused of a propensity to commit blunders TIL
= whole history OF its dominance In congress,
y however, will BIZ scanned In vain for blunder
4 ~ equal those with which the republican
y wound up the career Of their last eNecu,iv
= and with which the new administration OPEN
, its history The defeat Of the funding bill
was, in the light OF party achievement tn
r greatest hlunder Of the decade and it was
republican movement throughout. The party
' fought the bill In all It's stages in Its passag,
, through the senate and house, and though
the democrats carried it through congress, i
, was killed, Ia obedience to the behests Of thu
republican leaders, by the veto of President
Hayes. Even so thorough u sialwart "a Col
Plumb Of Streator admits and deprecs.es Iii,
exten, and seriousness of the blunder, saying
in q letter from Washington TO . relative in
Srcator:
The West will take it that per cent. inter
est on the public debt has been yielded In con
sequence of national bank intimidation, md
there is room to conclude that finance can be
left TO u political majority with lis much safe.
ty rs to q powerful money combination. Presi,
dent Garfield 10 committed TO the bank s,dc
and to rObblng the greenbscK of its legal ten.
der quality preparatory, no doubt 10 an early
retiring of that form of paper money. To
avoid breakers on the course to which thu,
logic of events is steering the republicans ship
is no easy task.
1t was no, Hayes and the republicans in the
late congress, therefore, but Garfield and th,
new regime at whose behest and on who's,
responsibility this blunder WAS committed IL
behalf of the bank side" Of this robbery OF
the people.
But President Garfield lAaugurates his sd
ministi alton with still greater and more pal
pable plumbers. The displacement Of an hon
est, capable and true public servant like Mar
shal Hildrup IN the northern Illinois judicial
district 10 make room for an un,ried and dis
reputable henchman Of Senator Logan was so
pable an indecency as to amount TO blum
der of the gr0ssest proportions, in that 1t dis
gusted the entire decent element OF the repub.
licsn party IN the state. The nomination Of
the notorious political hack ". +. Chandler as
solicitor general was another blunder in that
It displaced much better man and was such
a direct insult to attorney general McVeagh
that Chsndler's confirmation by the senate
will drive him from the cabinet. But the
browning bunder of Garfield thus far was
undoubtedly the removal of collector Merritt
from the custom house in New York and Civ.
ing the place to Judge Robertson. This lat
act was such a direct insult TO ConkliDg and
the whole stalwart wing Of the republican
party, that IT left them no decent alternative
but TO fight or perish. Merritt had made III
exceptionally good officer. He belonged Meth
err to the Conkling or anti, Conkling wing Of
the New York republicans, but both were sat
sfled with him. HIS term was not out by u
year and therefore under the civil service aCI
he could only be removed for cause, though no
pretense of charge Is made or other excuse
was offered for his removal. The only assign
aDle motive for H. therefore, could Ike 70 get an
opportunity to insult and enrage Senator
COnkling and the stalwarts by heaping honors
on a man who, of all New York republican
politicians was par excellence the enemy of
Conkling, having contested his supremacy IN
every convention OF the party In that state, and
organized the rebellion by which Conkllng
lost control of the New York delegation in the
Chicago convention and thereby failed TO sc,
rure the denomination Of Gen. Grant. The
insult to COnkiiHg Is the greater because the
appointment of Robertson is made at the evi
dent dicla,on Of Blaine, in whose behalf The
rebellion in the New York delegation TO Chi
cago was organized. 1t was asking enough,
heaven knows, Of Conkling and the stawarts
to assent to the appointment OF Blaine as pre-
mier Of the new adm ;nistration but after such
slight to deal them KICK like that Involved
in the nomination OF Robertson, was more
than human flesh could be asked 10 endure.
The consequence is that Conkling and the
stalwarts have put on their war paint and re-.
solved to fight Conkling and Plat, the Ne"
York senator's Wee President Arthur, Post,
master General James, their whole stalwarI
backing, are enlisted in the war. The admin
isra,ion of President Garfield, that had before
1t so many and such shining possibilities thus
starts out with the prospect of becoming nola-
Die only for its utter weakness aud incapable
| ty through miserable feuds In the ranks of lis
own partisans and a sckenlng and disgusting
wrangle over official spells. Surely no dem"
cratic president could ever have been guilty
of such an objectionable series of blundere
without laying himself open to the suspicion
OF having gone crazy.
/ The Streator FREE Press corrects the state
men OF the FREE TRADER that before pro
i hih,tnry ordinance uns adnpfud by hat ri 4