Year: 1877

THE SENATE FIGHT.


The struggle in the Senate for political
mastery is much more than common
party contest. The politicians, Republi-
can and Democratic, belitUle this trial of
strength when they judge it from that
point of view only. If the Democrats
get a working majority in the Senate,
that would indeed be triumph for
them, They would have succeeded in
wrestling the sceptre--held uninterrupt-
edly for so many years-from their oppo-
nents; Over this they would be entitled
to exult. But if that were all the result
of the victory-the transfer of power
and patronage from one set of politicians
to another-the country would have no
occasion to rejoice. The vital issue of
the political battle now raging in the
Senate is, in the estimation of the COM
mon people, not the supremacy of this or
that party, but of this or that policy.
Parties have little conference and party
names little meaning nowadays. But
the difference between certain policies
which are before the country for iudg-
ment is clearly defined. 1t is with ief>
erence to these that the corvulsion IN
the Senate has an absorbing interest.
How would they be affected should the
Democrats obtain practicable majority
of that body? Let us see.


The Republican President has up to
this time, developed his "polcy'-which
every Administration must have, though
Mr.. Hayes would probably disclam the
fitness of the remark as applied to him


in two respects. He has been uniformly
just to the South in his words, his app
pointments and all his acts. Tie has
manifested the same kindllness to the
South as to any other section of the
Union, and this is all the South asks or
expects from the President of the whole
country. The President has also shown
some desire to reform the worst abuses
of the civil service in making his ap-
pOlntments. He has not gone as far in
this or been as bold as we could wish, but
he is long way ahead of those whom
he succeeded on that side as a civil ser
vice reforlneT. He has done something
where his predecessors only talked Of
doing. His appointments have gener-
ally been good-not of that old, familiar
kind where places are plainly bestowed
in reward for disreputable campaign
work, or out of favsritism to the former
cronies and boon companions of the Civ
er.


Now, in these two regards-the gen.
erous treatment of the South and the
renovation of the civil service-Mr.
Hayes is not warmly sustained by the
| Republican Senators. Most of them are
his open or secret foes on every occasion
where the two issues come up. They do
not want and will not allow, if they can
help it, fair play to the South. They
would postpone General Amnesty act
| till doomsday. They would not repeal
one Of the laws that have been passed to
keep the South bound and gagged and at
the mercy of unscrupulous administra-


tions. They would perpetuate the car
petbag rule in those States that have not


yet wholly thrown it off by admitting


such men as Kellogg to the Senate. They


are The irreconcilable foes of the Presi


dents course toward the South. They


are no less, but even more, hostile to his


newfangled ideas of appointing men tc


office because they are honest and COM


petent, and without previously consult


Ing the high and mighty Senators who


have in former years always distributed


the patronage among their own hench-


men. This opposition to the Presiden


appears IN the long delay of action OF


the Custom House nominations for New
York and many others. And all the an
tagonism is Republican. The tightin,


against Mr.. Hayes comes solely froM HI
= party. That is strange turn of event
which has made the Democratic mem
bers of the Senate, as also of the House
, the most sincere and Jealous supporter
of Republican President. But so it Is
and therefore if the Democrats becom
masters of the upper house, the Who'll
country, and not merely political pal
:, ty, will be benefited by the change. rh


Democrats do not expect and will not il
= slst that the appointments shall be mad
t. to suit them. They would not ask fC
all the offices until they had Democra
i ic President i'll the chair, and then the
! would probably be as ravenous as IL
4 i Republicans have ever been. A Demo


cratic Senate, we are satisfied, would |


more ready to confirm good nomination
! than SENATE led by Conkling and E.
"a munds and other disafIected Republican
Il AS to the full restoration of the South
lg citizenship and prosperity, that great o
n ject would prosper best in the hands
al its friends-and these are not the Rad
n Gals of the Senate. So, on all account
OF and aside from politics, the Democrat
as reascendancy in the Senate would be
~ ~ cause for regret.


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