New-York tribune., 1881-03-31
FATAL FLUENCY.

We submit as q question of order to the
Democratic minority in the United States
| Senate, that it is entirely out of order Tor
party that has once talked itself to death to sit
up in its coffin and ObstTuct the progress OF the
| funeral by renewed chatter. 1t is notorious
| fact that the Democratic party died oil an over
worked Jaw and incurable huX of speech. Inc
| fatal effect of the distemper began to manifest
| itself during the first Congress IN which IL
came into power, and under it the party gradu-
| ally declined until last November when 1t went
| completely out though to be sure 1t was not
posityely known that it was entirely dead untll
| Senator Malone, of Virginia, voted at the
Open1ng of the extra session OF the Senate
Everybody knows, none better than the Demo-
cratic leaders themselves, that the party was
talked to death. What with the COxes, Black
burns and Springers in one House, and the
Becks and Ben Hills in the other, they managed
to talk away it's Last chance of life. What little
hope remained for it prior to November, 1850,
Wade Hampton and one or two other eloquent
persons gave the finishing stroke to IN the CAM
paign, the Presidential candidate rendering OPP
perfume and valuabla aid by his contribution
on the subject OF tn" tariff.
One would suppose that after such an expert
ence the party leaders would have learned the
wisdom Of observing n discreet silence. But
they seem unable to. Being dead, the party yet
speaketh. And speaking, it hindeIs IN an un-
seemly manner the obsequies. There is no good
reason why, being i'll minority in the Senate
as in al other branches of the Government
thouch they discovered it later-they should
not permit the majority to 20 forward ana
organize the Senate. The more sensible OF
them agree not only that it is perfectly fair and
proper that the Republicans, having an appa-
rent majority, though only by the Fice-Presi-
dents casting vote, should elect the officers OF
the body and have the entire responsibility, but
that il would be very impOllGc and unwise for
the Democrats themselves to have it otherwise.
The only thing possibly to be gained hy Demo
cratic obstruction is the re,entiop of few
Offices which is purely personal matter. But
for this small personal gain for few Office
holders the party in the Senate are willing TO
incur the Odium of obstructing the public busi-
ness and take the risks which always attend
their speech-making. 1t requires little wisdom
to see that the best policy for party in the
minority is TO hold still and take the chances of
the Oppcsito making mistakes. And COZ
tainly the Democratic party ought to have
learned so much as that by tins tme f0r
nothing is palmer than that its only successes
in the past twenty years have been due 10 tho
mistakes of its opponents, while it is equally
clear that its defeats have been due TO the DIS
closures it has made when ii has let itself loose
on expression.
Senators Hill, HAMPTON, Brown, GrCOme,
Jonas and the rest need TcmindIDg-tAcugh we
doubt if they would ploft by it-that the
nearest the party has come to success III the
past twenty years was under The leadership OF
the self-contained and somewhat silent Illdcn
and the policy of the still hunt" Republicans
do not complain of their garruiousness, OF
course. They do not reckon them dangerous so
long as they are indulgine in speech making ID
the Senate or OF the stump. The Democratic
Senators are doing Republican work while they
are talking against time and "giviDg away
the marty.