Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-04-04
WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENCE
From om Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 20, 1884.

WASHINGTON, March %, 1884.
The Democrats in Congress, since
their caucus on Tuesday night, have
been in a condition of a boy who
has rolled down hill for a dozen
rods and dosen't know where he is
or which end to stand on. 1t is
hard to determine which faction is
Gin the saddle" though it is of very
little moment whether the Morrison
Carlisle following or the Randall
Converse wing is the better satisfied
with their caucus action, as it now
looks as though there would not be
enough left Of the Democratic par
ty in the approaching Presidential
contest to make a respectable fight,
so rapidly is it disintegrating and
going to pieces. If the Democrats
have no unity Of belief and purpose
on the question of free-trade then
they have no party, and this fact
will quickly be developed, however
they may try to deceive themselves
and the people. The organization,
such as it has been and is, in ma
jority of the States through its con-
ventions and by its natural plat
forms, is committed to the anti-pro-
lection idea, yet in caucus on Tues
day night it lacked the courage to
assert its belief in this idea and was
too weak to show favor to the prin-
ciple of protection. There was an
expressed fear that neither course
led to the public crib, though there
seemed to be no other road open.
"Breddern," shouted the earnest
negro exhorter, "dar am but two
paths open befo' you. Oar is de
straight and narrow one dat leads
right down to everla8tin' destrpc-
ton; and dar is de broa way dat
goes straight to eternal perdition!"
"Dat bein' de case" cried out an ex-
cited nearer as he climbed out of the
church window, eds niger will
take to de woods" Most of the
Democrats are on their way to the
woods or are getting ready to take
to their heels and depart thither as
soon as the tariff question comes up
in the House.
There was mortal fear among the
faithful" of fight in caucus, and
when they assembled every effort
was bent to avoid it; but the old
adagc that che who fights and runs
away, will live to fight another
day." is certain to be again verified
in the present instance, as a tariff
reduction bill Of some kind and in
some shape is sure to come up in
the House-this much at least being
resolved upon by the caucus-and
when it does the battle will be more
fierce and harmful of the so-called
party than though they had had the
fight out in caucus.
That defeat awaits the party in
November, seems to be accepted by
all who have carefully surveyed the
situation, whileit appears equally
apparent that in the next few years a
reduction Of the present high tariff
will become necessity. The young
err members Of the Democratic party
argue that it is better to be defeated
fighting for principle that will
eventually prevail, and may bring
victory, than to be defeated as they
will be anyway, after q cowardly
back down. They say that if the
Republican party succeeds in Nov.
the rext Congress being Republic
can will adopt tariff measure fully
as sweeping as that of the Morrison
bill, and unless they steal a marcl
ON this issue by its endorsement, il
the future contests they will still be
left without a platform, and only be
left as usual to follow behiad The
Republican procession.
The bonded whiskcy bill, a Demo
cratic measure, went down yesterday
The bill never had more show thar
a short-tailed OK in fly time, but th'
dominant factionof the majority il
the House, deluded upon this as up
on other schemes, believed that th'
"Confederacy in the saddle" wa
able to force whatever they nigh
wish through Congress. There wa
trembling in the knees of tn!
whisky men and their adherents a
quarter to two o'clock when gen
eral debate on the bill closed anC
the slow voting began, and wheI
the announcement came;-ayes, So
uovs 1o5.ono oonl1 almost hno