Year: 1877




| rsss.


There is no reason why the country should
lose its temper because the filibusters have
lost theirs. The discreditable exhibition of
rage, rant and idiocy which they made on
the floor of the House yesterday merely
delays, but cannot defeat, the counting of
the votes and the declaration Of the
the 4th of March are two full days, and only
one State, the last on the list, remains to be
counted. The filibusters did their. worst
and their utmost yesterday in the case OF
Vermont, but all their obstructive pugnacity
was powerless to prevent the count
ing of the Vermont votes. Three
States were counted yesterday in
spite of the flibusters. They will be
unabie to prevent the counting of one to-
day. They had some advantages in YER
mont which they will not possess in the
case of Wisconsin. There is not the shadow
of pretence of two certificates from tho
latter; tho only question is ono of
the simple ineligibility of an elector.
1t resembles the Pennsylvania ques-
ton and tho Rhode Island ques-
ton, both of which were decided
in one day, besides counting several other
States. Wisconsin will certainly be counted
and the final result declared to-day, and
probably without running the session into
the evening. There is no longer any reason
for excitement or anxiety outside the halls
of Congress; and the flibusters, whose dis
,e M pf
ridicule end pity than OF icdigna-
ton. Tho harm they can do is small, even
to The democratic party, which is not re-
sponsible for their acting the part of a bull
placing himself on a railroad track to butt
and resist the approaching locomotive
When the train has passed over them we
hope their considerate democratic brethren,
who have been so annoyed with their antics,
will


Take them up tenderly,


Lift them with care


The democratic party cannot with any
justice be held responsible for the passion
ate freaks of its unruly members. The
wisest men of the party, the statesmen who
enjoy its confidence, the leaders Of recog-





steadily opposed these mad endeav-
ors of the minority. Tho great lights
of the party, like Thurman, Bayard,
Herman, Wood, Randall. Lamar and Ben
Hill. though disappointed and incensed at
the action of the commission, accept the re-
suit with manly honor. There could
not be greater contrast than is pre-


&c
ocratic Senators and that Of the fill
clustering democratic minority in the
House. The democratic Senators have given
no countenance to the frivolous objections
raised in the cases of Pennsylvania, Rhode
Island, Vermont and other States where the
eligibility of electors has been challenged
on untenable grounds. The majority of
the democrats in the House have acted
in an equally patriotic and honorable
spirit, although some of them have
shown disposition to 'bear with the
infirmities OF the weak" and treat the fill
busters with all the indulgence consistent
with carrying out the intention of the law
and completing the count in season. On
the critical points where frmness was
necessary the moderate democrats of the
House have been firm enough. Especial
praise is due to Speaker Randall
for the decisive political courage with
which he has ruled against the flibusters
on all points which were vital, and to Mr.
Fernando Wood for the magnificent vigor
tact and skill with which he has led the
democratic opposition to the infuriate OBJ
structionists. All the best elements of the
democratic party in both houses have
been arrayed against the filibusters,
who are led by men without any recognized
political standing. The two foremost fill
busters are Mr.. Springer and David Dudley
Field. Mr.. Springer was never heard Of
outside Of his own district until he came as
young man into this Congress. He
resembles wild buffalo recently lassoed
on the Western plains. He bellows, he
plunges, he lifts his heels and his tail, he
ploughs the ground with his horns, he fills
the air with noise and dust; but the restrain
ing lasso is still on his head and although
it is impossible to prevent his mad leaps and
plunges, and requires some strength to hold
him, he will by-and-hy be tanned and be-
come useful and obedient as we'll ms q
strong OK in the democratic team. Mr..
Field is filibuster of o different sort. In this
Congress he makes his first and probably
his last appearance as a democratic leader.
The New York democracy have no lack of
able and experienced members, men who
have always been democrats and whom the
party has always trusted in the present
House. But Mr.. Wood, Mr.. Hewitt, Mr. Cox,
Mr.. Scott Lord, Mr. Elijah Ward and other
lifelong democrats from this State have
given rs little aid to the filibusters as does
Mr. Herman, the New York democratic Sen
ator. 1t was reserved for Mr.. David Dudley