The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-18

The Majority of the House-The Gleefnl
Mugwump-The Reading strikc-A Sub
stitute for Hanging-Mr. Lamar's Con-
irmation.
Unless the Democrats In Congress
stand together" says the Atlanta Coash'
tuition, the party will be defeated next
fall"
The smallness OF the Democratic ma
iority In the House readers united action
necessary TO the passage OF a bill 10 stop
! the surplus by reducing taxes. -.
How shall such union be effected
What is the Democratic way when there
is a difference OF opinion In regard TO
party policy
Is not the rule of the majority the
essence OF Democracy
or the 1853 Democratic members in the
present House certainly more than two
thirds are In favor of reducing the war
tariff upon the necessities of the people.
More than one hundred have expressed
themselves in approval OF the Presidents
message. Is it right, is it Democratic,
for the small minority 10 insist that The
party shall "stand together" by having
the great majority march over to the
position taken by the former IL Is only
necessary 10 state the proposition to
show its injustice and a%bsurdiiy.
The concession of a repeal of the inter.
nal taxes on domestic tobacco is all that
can in reason be asked of the majority in
the way Of compromise. Let the party
stand together by Observing the Demo
cratic principle Of majority rule.-N Y.
World.
Remember how ~eleefully the ghoulish
Mugwump, in his beginning, tickled
himself with the idea that President
Cleveland would whip the Democrats
into line"
Unto line" meant into line with the
Mugwumps. .
1t is now conspicuously demonstrated
that the Democracy is indeed in line.
The almost solid front presented by the
Democratic o~ficeholders shows the
nature of the whipping which the Presi-
dent has applied to them. II was like
love pats, full of unadulterated partisan
sympathy.
So the line once dreamed OF by the
Mugwumps has turned out to be the
Democratic line; and as for Mr. Cleve-
land. he has been brought into line with
the party, not the party into line with
him.-Ner York SIM.
If the Schuylkill miners and the Read
ing railway strikers pool their issues and
make q square test of endurance with
the Reading corporation and other coal
operators, a long, bitter, and costly strike
will be inevitable and the result could
be as easily declared to-day as three or
six months hence. Employers would lose
much labor would lose vastly more, and
increase of wages would be less probable
than if there had been no strike.
These are not the arguments OF labor
officials who profit by strikes while
strikers make the sacrifice, but they are
the sober truth, and we regard it as most
fortunate that there is such an organiza'
ton as the Amalgamated Association,
whose offices, if now wisely directed,
might solve the dispute and prevent a
destructive issue on distractions. Every
question that is injected into the dispute
except the single question OF wages, is a
double wrong to labor and to the public.
and it seems probable that a manly asser-
ton of the authority of the Amalgamated
Association could reach an adjustment
Of the dispute without humiliation on
either side.-Phiha. Times.
The report of the commission appoint
ed to recommend the best method of
executing the death sentence will be sub
mitted to the Legislature today. The
commissioners condemn hanging and re-
commend electricity.
Existing means of inficting the death
penalty in civilized countries are review
ed. The most common on the continent
of Europe is beheading. The guillotine
Is used in France, Belgium, Denmark, and
some OF the German States the sword in
Prussia and Italy, and both guillotine
and sword in Switzerland. In Russia
the method is decapitation by the sword
or hanging by the gallows; in China de-
capitation or strangulation by a cord.
In Spain the garrote is the instrument OF
death. Shooting, which is common in
military cases, is employed in ordinary
capital cases in some parts of Germany
and South America. The gallows is used
in Holland, Portugal, Great Britain, and
the United States.-N. Y. Herald.
The prompt confirmation Of the nomi-
nation of Mr.. Lamar as Justice of the
Supreme Court Sc soon as the question
could be brought to q vote is a severe
blow to the petty politicians who have
been trying to revive the war feeling in
connection with this appointment. The
confirmation is secured by three Republi-
can votes, and, though the usual absurd
rule of secrecy in the matter has been
foolishly enforced, 1t IS not left to con-
lecture what were the grounds on which
these votes were given.-N. Y. Times.
We opposed Mr.. Lamar's confirmation
because, according to.the admissions OF
his own friends, ne never made a living
at the bar, and was grotesquely deficient
in professional qualifications; because
his refusal to vote for a resolution de-
~cIaring NOT only that the war amend.