New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-07-02
WILL HISTORY REPEAT ITSELF


Senators and Representatives to take to heart.
In 1882 the Republicans had been entrusted
with power in the House, alter that body had
been controlled by the Democrats for several
years The appropriation for rivers ard har-
bors had been only Ts,OO0,OOO or S9,OOo,OOO
for some Yeas piior to 1881, but hai been
dis gracefully expanded by the Democratic
House to ST., 10000 for the year 1882. The
people having robukcd this and other miscon-
duct by the election of a Republican House,
that body proceeded to appropriate Sls,I3o,o'o
Tor nver and han Dor purposes, % called. III was
the belief Of Senator's and Representatives at
that time that the people were either too ignOr-
ant TO comprehend what was done, or too in
different as to the expenditure Of their money
OF that they favored heavy appropriations for
this object. Probably there are members Of
Congress at this time who console themselves
with similar notions. Let lis see how it TUNED
ont in the election of 1882.
Out of 152 Republican members of the
House which had passed the outrageous River
and Harbor bill, just 80 were reelected Out
of 1872 members from Northern States, only 81
were sustained by reelection. Out of 20 Re-
publican members from Southern States only
) were reelected. On the other hand, % Dem
ocmts were reelected from the Northern
States, and a large proportion OF the Demo-
cratic Representatives from the South. This
River and IiaIb0r bill, i'll its modern shape, It's
an agelomeration Of all the jobs and swindles
that can be pnt together under that name, il
a favo lite MEASURE with Democratic leaders at
the South, who want to get all the money ont
of the Government they possibly can, and do
not care how soon it Is forced into reputation.
The South, where popular elections III the true
sense are scarcely known and certain knots of
cOnspiIatOrs control the election Of representa-
lives, willingly sustains members who vote to
waste public money, or to degrade the public
currency, or to push the Treasury toward the
blink of bankruptcy, but the Moth does not.
NcwYoik reelected in that year only 3 Re
publican representatives, Massachusetts, only
., NewJersey only /. Ohio 5, Illinois 8, In
diana 4, Iowa 3, and Kansas 3. In most Of
the Northern States clear majority oil all the
Republican members in the River and IlarbOr
Congress were elected to stay at home, and so
overwhelming was the defeat in many cases,
where members who had mIsbehaved were
nevertheless renOminated, that Democrats came
in with decided mdjo.ity i'll the House.
but now was III III lllt Datef IHcle are sen |
atoIS who fancy that they can afford to di>lc-
gard public opinion. But ont of twelve North |
EN- Senators whose terms expired March H. |
1888, only Republicans from the Northern
States were reelected; Republicans Were left |
at home and other Republicans chosen in their
stead one Democratic Srnltor WIS retired and |
one reelected. From the Southern States.
on the other hand ont of 10 Senators were |
reelected, all Democrats. One Democrat was |
replaced by Eeadju>teI, two were replaced by |
other Democrats one Republican WAS ouStod to
make room foI a Democ at, and 9 Democrats |
were sustained by a reelection.
1t may be that the lesson which these events |
teach will not be wholly lost upon the Repub-
leans of tie Northern States. They may ex-
pect TO find Southern Senators and RepIesen-
tatives, who depend not upon the favor of the
people, but upon the control welded by few
y, mocratic managers, voting for the most lavish
expenditures. 1t would suit the Democratic
at the South to have the Treasury
pushed into reputation. But it would not sut
HE reol lc of the North and they control the
election OF Senators and Representatives i'll the
Northern States az those learned to their sorrow
who disregarded public opinion in 1882.