Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-04-14


profits of Office as it's principal and
almost only aim, and now, in
stead of doing something to
redeem itself, partially, at least,
by yielding with that grace
and propriety which become all hon~
orable men, the places to which they
no longer have just claim, it takes
the very course that leads to an
increase of popular disgust, suspi-
cion and distrust. If the members
of the party are successful in keep
ing off the pending question and
continuing the subordinate officials
of the Senate short time longer
in place, they gain nothing by it.
The party is neither made stronger
nor placed in better position. It
is weakened by the ignominy and
public disgrace which attaches to
such unusual proceedings. Not only
this, but, by emphasizing the fact
that the Republican margin Of ma
jority is small and doubtful they
deprive themselves of the advantage
of holding their opponents to o
strict responsibility. In this con-
fnection the New York Tribune truly
and forcibly says:
Had they been possessed of or
binary shrewdness and sagacity, in~
stead of antagonizing the Republican
nominations with this vicious stub
bornness, they would have contented
themselves with the usual forms Of
opposition and allowed the new Of
fcers to be installed without unnec-
essary delay. They would then have
lost nothing but few paltry offices.
and would have has the advantage Of
putting their opponents in position
where their action required explana>
ton and defence. It would have
seemed on the face of it as though
the Republicans had bargained with
Malone on the simple basis of a di-
vision of spoils, and saddled them
selves with Gorham, Riddle
berger and the other fnan-
cial heretics as part of the
trade. The business having been
permitted to slip through unques-
toned, the country, suddenly made
aware that a Republican Senate had
elevated that sort Of politicians to
Office, and knowing nothing Of the
real motives of the transaction, would
have been easily imposed upon by
the assertion which could have been
sent out Immediately, that it was a
simple case of bargain and sale in
which the Offices were the only COM
sideration. So plausible an accuse
ton might have been widely credi-
ted. The Republicans, put upon the
defensive before the country instead
of in the Senate, and forced to offer
some explanation, might have found
it difficult to prove to the people
that it was an anti~bourbon alliance
instead of coalition for spoils, and
that it looked to the accomplishment
of a great and important political
purpose instead of a mere parCe1llng
out of offices.
Thanks to the proverbial Demo-
cratic capacity for laundering, the
minority in the Senate have saved
all this risk The true motive Of the
alliance with the anti bourbons has
been brought out by the bourbon
Democrats in the Senate themselves.
They have so Illuminated the trans-
action by the bitterness of their
hostility that it has hardly been nee.
essary for the Republicans to proffer
any additional explanation. The
long debate has relieved the Repub>
licans from the danger of having
their action misunderstood by the
people, or their motives miscon~
strued. So much has been gained
already. The Senators who have
paraded their insincerity in mean
ingless talk about the effect of an
alliance between Republicans and
regulators have only succeeded IN
exposing the real ground of their
bitterness and demonstrating to the
country the true significance of the
anti-bourbon alliance. It is the
squirming of the bourbons that has
revealed not only the purpose of the
combination, but the bourbon
knowledge of that purpose and fear
OF its accomplishment. What do
they care for Malone as a Read
juster or repudiator Or what for
the Republicans who they say dis
grace themselves by associating
with him? Not a silver It isn't
that which disturbs them. Ali
this futter is not because the credit
of State is in danger of being i'm
paired Or the reputation of a party
of being smirched; those are things
they are callous to; it is because the
sturdiest blow yet struck is aimed at
the bourbon supremacy in the
South, and they know that it means
the beginning of the end of the
solid South.
The Senate debates, and especially
the contributions of the bourbon
Senators thereto, with the newspa>
per discussions of the subject, have