Year: 1878

The Democracy have at last put themselves squarely on the record as opposing any attack on Mfr, Hayes title. Poor Mir. Warner, of this District and thirteen others, were all the Dem- Ocratic members of the House who were really in favor of attempting a revolution. Is the Potter investigation, then, to turn out the farce Postmaster General Key has predicted? As a political move, we can hardly decide yet whether it was judicious, or otherwise. It can have little influence on Democrats. They have always believed Anderson scoundrel, and the Louisiana count fraud. There is nothing disclosed against Hayes or Sherman, and Stanley Matthews has long ceased to have influence with the administration, or the confi- dence of his party. No doubt fresh perusal of the evidence of the frauds which defeated their candidate, two years ago, may arouse something of the old Democratic indignation that nearly defeated the electoral count, after the Commission had decided in favor of Hayes but will that be likely to seriously affect next falls results?

 The investigation evidently tends to the heal ing of the breach between Administration and Straight Republicanism. It justifes the al- legged desertiOn of Southern Republicans by the administration as it has never been justified before. In the light of Anderson's testimony the Straightest of the Straight can hardly fail to sec Carpet-Baggery as it is. The disposition t0 criticise Hayes for cutting loose from that organized rascality is fast dying out.

 On the other hand, we regret to see that the efforts of the Administration in the interest of civil service reform have noticeably slackened The President finds himself with little real SUD- port from either party in his effort to purify. that important branch of executive govern ment. Whenever they could get pronounced Democrat into office, Democratic Senators have been ready to vote for confirmation. When the matter has been one of principle rather than of party advantage, they have seemed to prefer the principles" of Mir. Conkling to the principles of MT. Hayes. They are evidently looking forward to the time when they shall have the glorious opportunity of peddling cut the government patronage just as Conklng and other leading Senators were in the habit of doing under Grant.

 Perhaps it is judicious in the President to make no attack on the New York Custom House till after an election that is to decide Mir. COnklings fate We shall not easily be- lieVe that he has given up Reform altogether.

 What good result, then, may we expect from the elections of next fall :? Simply to clear the

 

 decks for 1880. The dsreputables and the ob- structives ought to be disposed of so effectually that we may once more fight for principles, and not for the mere punishment of unworthy can didates. New York ought certainly to retire Mir. Conkling; Pennsylvania, Don Cameron Massachusetts Ben Butler; and Connecticut, William H. Barnum. The Independent and the Reformer can make himself quite useful m defeating such candidates as these. It will need some pluck, and good deal of foresight to reach some of them but, if enough voters are in earnest, they can accomplish it. The ball has already opened in Pennsylvania where several Republican county conventions have nominated members of the legislature pledged against Don Cameron. Roscoe Conkling can easily be disposed of in like manner in New York, if the matter is taken in hand in season.

 The Democrat does not become better quite 30 readily as tie Republican but the feeling which is strong in the ranks of the Connecticut Democracy. against another purchase of the Senatorial nomination by Wm. H. Barnum, deserves, and may easily have, a fair expres- sion. Were the Democratic friends of honest politics to rally around such man as Richard D. Hubbard-or some other candidate who they know will never use money to buy votes they could soon block Mir. Barnum's game. If unopposed, he will simply repeat the tao tics of 1876 furnish enough money to turn dozen or twenty towns, on condition that he is to take the Senatorship won Gas his friends will claim) with his money. Such policy can he easily beaten by little hard, honest work. State Central Committees cannot be relied on in such matter. They always fa- vOr the candidate who gives them the most money. Town committees are apt to be under the like influence; but there are honest individ- ual Democrats who can do it if they will bestir themselves in season.