Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-10-17
"a H of a GOHarnmenf y

The above sententious language was
used by the venerable Simon Cameron a
few years ago, when on visit to Wash
ington, he found the President and heads
of departments off on junketing tours.
1t is not to be understood, though, that
the blunt old boss meant to imply any
dissatisfaction with the then administra-
ton per Sc. The trouble was that Simon
wanted pressure exerted in certain
quarters for his personal purposes, but
could find no one in Washington to ap.
ply the screws for him. His dissatis-
faction proceeded from the absence of
those whose business, as he understood
it, was to execute his wishes.
His hopeful scion, Don, visited Wash
ingtcn last week in sore tribulation over
the condition of his faction in Pennsyl-
vania, only to find a similar state of
affairs to that with which his revered
parent was confronted on the occasion
aforesaid. No doubt Don echoed his
fathers sentiments IN his own breast, for
he is credited with remarking to Chair
man Cooper that ga live Cameron was a
BANKED sight more important than a
dead Webster" President Arthur being
at the time at Marshfield, engaged in the
patriotic duty of honoring the memory
of the 'godlike Daniel"
The Camerons, it will thus be per
ceived, have clearly defined ideas as to
the functions of the Federal Govern
ment. The remark of the elder, how
ever, begets an inquiry that people
would do well to put to themselves. The
history of Radicalism long ago permitted
the disguised American citizen to ex-
press his sentiments as to the conduct of
affairs at Washington in the emphatic
terms employed by Cameron senior. The
duties of the Federal Government are
''to insure domestic tranquility, pro-
vide for the common defense, promote the
general welfare and secure the blessings
of liberty to ourselves and our pOsterity. "
But the practice of Republican admin
istratiOns has been to promote the wei
fare of the "grand old party" first, last
and all the time, and the mode of effect.
ing this has been the establishment Of
machines wherever possible, to be driven
by the central power at Washington,
and alliances with the privileged classes,
cemented by concessions rendered at
the expense of the public. Instead Of
acting as public servants, the repre-
sentatives of Radicalism have assumed
the roles of masters of the people, and
the public offices, instead of being re-
garded as public trusts, are parcelled out
as chattels of the bosses. The bosses,
too. act with the defiance of squatters,
who have become tenants by prescrip-
ton, and the only hope of relief OF the
plundered people is to rise en- nlGsSe and
thrust them out.
Public patience has been put to sore
trial, but the day of reckoning is at hand.
Bossism has outdone itself. and is about
to be called to account The old capital
of Radicalism has been overdrawn, and
all that it can offer now is broken prom
ises and violated pledges. 1t has nothing
to stake but its word, and that its prac-
tees belle.
AS is clearly shown by the result in
Ohio, the grand old party" is bankrupt
and merely holds possession till the
formalities for its winding up can be
gone through with. 1t was a close cor
poration from the beginning, but it
ignored the people too sedulously and
absorbed entirely too much. Cameron
was right, though not in the sense he
imagined. The people have reached the
same conclusion, as father and son will
both discover in November.