National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-02-04
FAVoRING DEMOCRATS.
A Strange IIalIucInaiion Among Some
Republican Members.


There seems to be strange hallucination pre-.
vailng among number of the Republican mem
bers of the present House of Representatives that
the patronage of that body should be divided with
the Democrats They seem TO think that II Is their
duty to aid INDECENT Democrats and allow Rcpub-
lcans to take care of themselves. This clique,
composed wholly Of old members, who during the
six years of Democratic rule in the House.
had probably been granted some slight favor over
other members of the minority, began their new
idea of aiding Democrats by giving that mcanest
of all Democrats, Sam Randall, the chairmanshir
of committee with q clerk attached. Next the,
Insisted that the most important and most lucra-
tive of the offices in the gilt Of the clerk that Of
journal clerk should continue in the hands Of the
Democrat, Mr.. Smith, who served we'll as Sam
Randals henchman during that persons iron
reign of Speaker,
THEY TRIED HARD TO KEEP
what Is called the desk intact that Is to retain tho
journal clerk, the two reading clerks. and the tally
clerk. But Clerk Mcpherson would not stand it.
First he bounced the tally clerk, then Petit one
of tho reading clerks, and finally Neill Brown, the
other reading clerk. It was, however, only
ens Sc s' T Of me O. ao%o that G%S
was re removed. The clique next tackled
the Doorkeeper, but that sterling Republican
could be neither cAjOed nor driven into retaining
Democrat in office. That gentleman said that he
was placed in position by Republicans and he pro.
posed TO have no one but Republicans In office
under him. He asked no tavors of Democrats, aud
did not propose to grant any in SO far as his APP
pointments were concerned.
FINDING BRowNLow HHMovABLE
and Mcpherson unwilling to have his Office shorl
of the best part of its patronage, the clique began
n new series of treaties by proposing to put back
in office, by means of resolution, certain favnrtC
| Democrats who had been bounced; in other
words creating new offices for the benefit OF
| Democratic strikers. The first was the resolution
to restore Bacon and next to restore Coombs, both
of whom belonged to the Doorkeeper's department
during the DemOcraticregimc. Then clique tried
| u scheme to drive the two Republican reading
| clerks from the desk. One they wanted removed
in order that Neill Brown could be restored, and
the other they wanted to get rid of because he Is
| obnoxious to the Democratic journal clerk and o
Congressman from Michigan, against whom. al
| one time. 10 had the audncity to compete for the
| nomination to Congress First 1t was proposed to
| with the understanding that Neil Brown should
| be appointed 10 the place. But this scheme didn't
take; so 1t was boldly resolved TO offer resolution
in the House restoring Neill Brown TO his old place
| A certain member now has the resolution In his
| pocket, and would have offered II ere
| this, but the feappointment of Dr. Mehaf-
| fey has LEFT them without any excuse
Is II now about time that halt was called In this
effort OF certain Republican members TO place the
most important and confidential places in the
| House In the hands OF men who belong to the
| ranks Of their bitter foe the Democracy In an.
other year we will be in the heat of canvass fol
n new Congress. Probably then these Republican
members who are so solicitOus of retaining Demo
Gratis In Office aud creating offices for them will bC
| called on to explain to their constituents why
| they pursued such o course.