New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-23
JEFTERSONIAN SIMPLICITY At LAST

LIIEhco-'ifN DIHL LfCJIf Al LdNI
Well, the President may have Pie for breakfast
at the White House, but his Democratic brethren
who sit in Congress being men OF simpler tastes
decline 30 patronize any of the PIG nickel plated
cuspidors which are provided for their accommo-
dation. And OF course they don't call them
"cuspidors'-a word that is manifestly incon-
sistent with genuine Jcnersonian simplicity They
call them "spittOOns," even as they employ in
their conversation, for the same fine old Demo
cratic reason, the plain verb to "spit' rather
than the more elegant to "expectorate.n 1t Is
not positively known whether Mr. Cleveland says
spit or "expectorate, but it is safe to con-
lecture that President, Democratic President,
who is so lost to all sense of Jeffersonian sim
plcity as TO give Pie his personal and official
sanction at the morning meal has marked pref
erence for "cxpectorate.'
1t is interesting to notice how Congress shames
MIR. Cleveland, how by putting the brand Of its
condemnation nicl1el-plated cuspidors 1t
shows its contempt for such enervating luxuries
as Pie. Mr.. O'Donnell of Michigan, from the
House Committee on Ventilation and Acoustics.
has just made report obtaining this noticeable
paragraph
Attention h directed 70 the fact that there are in this
chamber 216 nickeplsed cuspdors, furnished by the
munihcence of the Nation with the sole design OF Deng
employed for the purposes for which they are provided
but for reason unknown to your committee they are
ignored and the perfOratOn IN the brass NentOrs are
employed as the receptaces of eNpectoration
As Grover Cleveland reads this statement he
may well blush at the contrast between his own
conduct and that Of these lawmakers OF Spartan
austerity. While he, trampling under foot what
ever suggests the frugal days Of the fathers, Is
daily calling for Pie and is earnestly insisting that
the undcrcrust shall be well done, these Democrats
at the other end OF the avenue, more faithful TO
party principles, resOlutely tuln away from The
vouptuous cuspidor and spit into the unos-
tentatiOus brass ventilators.
II Mr. Clcveland's hackers are wise they VIII
keep him from sncerIng at this element in his
party. For il the issue is made in the National
Democratic Convention Of 1898 between the brass
vcntilator Democrats and the Pie-eating Demo
cats we have no doubt that the brass ventilators
will beat the Pie-catcrs by n large majority. The
Committee on Resolutions can be counted upon 10
ignore Pie altogether or to mention ID simply To-
condemnation But if Sam Randall desires 1t
some such brass ventilator plank as this Is GER
tain to be adopted by enthusiastic acclamatlon
R,elred That we point with pride the fact that the
Democrats OF the ALIAth Congress- as an earnest "
their determination tO cooperate for the restoration VI
the Government the rigorous simplicity that caiacI
took the pledge of total abstinence from the use OF e
81 nickeLplaed cuspdors scattered ABOUT Tue hous'
and spat with manly unaffected Diuhhess lhto lno Oi9
yentiatOIs.
Ii is not known that any Democrat has as vel
made an effort to work up boom for 1883 10y
placing himself at the head Of the brass VENT
lator Congressman. But the opportunity Is s.
promising that some shrewd leader is likely u
embrace ID before long .----4