Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 July 1879 — How Democratic Expectations “Petered Out.” [ARTICLE]

How Democratic Expectations “Petered Out.”

One thing the session which “petered out” on the Ist has accomplished which deserves recognition and record. It revealed the poverty of the mother tongue. Language fails to furnish any adequate description of the three months' performance. It began with proclamations of the most startling and startling character; martial music that almost deafened the pnblic ear; the waving of banners; the howl of orators; the peal oL newspaper organs; and the heavy tread of a hungry host with noses up and nostrils dilated witli the scent of plunder. It tapered off to a sneaking lope after a graveyard whistle, anil ended with a “Thank God, there’s enough left of us to adjourn.” How grandly they entered on the scene! Even before they entered, with what blare of trumpets and thundering of blank cartridges they heralded themselves, and flung abroad, with their summons to an unconditional surrender, the frightful catalogue of their determined purposes and dread alternatives! And how differently they went away! When one considers the vast parade with which these drummajors drew up their dines, and let loose their bass-drums, and kettledrums, and chins, and all their other wind instruments, at the beginning of the sigge, three months ago, it is hard to believe that this factionof a quorum which drizzled away to the tune, on a cracked life, of Grandfather’s Clock—- ■ “ never to go again”—with the voice of the Executive whom they had summoned to surrender, calling after them that they had forgotten something, is the same proud array. Let us see. They were going to have their own way or stop the machinery of the Government. They don’t seem to have had their own way to any appreciable extent, and the jnachinery seems still to be running. They would compel the President to make formal admission that the States are sovereign and the Nation subordinate—the doctrine for which the Southern Democracy entered into rebellion—or they would withhold appropriations for the army. But the army is provided for, and the President, so far from making the concession demanded, has reiterated with the most distinct and unmistakable emphasis his adherence to the Republican doctrine, which was affirmed by the results of the war of National supremacy and State subordination. They would abolish Federal supervision of Congressional elections, and liave’the doors thrown open for free fraud, or they would stop the business of the United States Courts by withholding the means for carrying them on. Upon this point they were absolutely determined. But the courts are provided for—with the exception of $600,000 for United States Marshals, which will, by-and-by, be taken care of in the deficiency bill, with which the Democratic majority usually supplements its measures of economy—and the provisions of law which stand in the way of Democratic repeating and baliot-box stuffing are still in force. The outcome oFthe whole business is that they have spitefully refused to make the usual appropriation for the payment of court officers, and sullenly sneaked off. And as if they feared the effect of this, we find them arguing, as Senator Hereford, of West Virginia did, in the Senate, that the refusal really amounts to nothing; that the Marshals will have their fees, and can perform ail their duties without any appropriation. That is, they have squeezed down their performance to the very last and least of the things they threatened, and now defend that upon the ground that it amounts to nothing, and is practically null. But it is said they are satisfied with themselves and their performances. Senator Thurman is reported to have said that he shall remember the extra session as one of the pleasantest things of his life. Well, there’s no accounting for tastes. It will be remembered that the Chicago citizen who returned from Oshkosh with a couple of ribs broken, one eye gouged out, both ears “chawed up,” his nose broken and his countenance m9shed generally, when inquired of as to where he had been, answered cheerfully, “Oh, only up to OshkoSh, having a little fun with IhCj boys.” Some folks have queer ideas about fun. The extra session fiasco reminds one of the bullying tramp who demanded that the inmates of a country house should surrender it to him, threatening, if they refused, to Smash all the furniture in the house. Being firmly met, he gradually came down from threatening to destroy all the furniture to the declaration that he would certainly break a window if they did not do something for him; and this not being regarded, ne went out into the yard and kicked a cast-iron dog. Senator Hereford excuses his party_s last performance on the ground that it does no harm. So, we presume, the tramp pleaded that he didn’t hurt the dog. And so they are satisfied with the extra session! Well, then, everybody is. Republicans certainly are delighted with it. It seems to be very much such a case as that in the down-east graveyard, where the sexton, being inquired of as to the person whose'grave he was so merrily filling up, “What complaint P”‘ answered promptly, “No complaint; everybody’s satisfied.”— N. Y. Tribune. , - i i ■■■ ji»‘ -