A Bit Of History

Despite the errors into which Mr. Thurman has been led by ambition for the Presidency, his retirernent from the Senate will prove to be a serious loss to that body and to the country at large. His influence was feit materially beyond the liinits of the Democratie party, of which he still stamla, even in defeat, the acknowledged Senatorial leader. In the discussion of all questions outside of politics his commanding ability, varied resources, and purity of character have neyer failed to niake an impression, and sometimes they have even conquered the prejudices of his opponents. His most remarkable recent suceess was the legislation of the last Congress cornpelling the Pacific railroads to account for their debts to the Government, after the Supreme Court had been captured into a decisión that the interest on the bonds issued to aid their coustruction was not payable until the maturity of the loans. The great eorporations were po werf ui enough in the Forty-fourth Congress to throw his firpt bill over; but he persisted, making some unimportant concessions to secure support and to meet the objections of Republican Senators who were acting as agents and neys for the roads on the floor. Hereupon Jay Gould, Huntington, and other representatives of the Union Pacific, ihe Central Pacific, and their eastern connections, backed by a most formidable lobby of both sexes, and an unlimited fund to draw upon, established themselves at Washington early in the session, when the Thurman bill was to be revived. They made no coneealment or a purpose to defeat the nieasure, cost what it might, and they openly boasted of having votes enough pledged to make the threat good. Confidential friends of Senators supposed to be beyond corruption were bought up like sheep at the shambles; privacy was invaded by pimps and spies; temptation spread its seductive nets in every direction, and the corridors and galleries swarmed with attractiye women, chosen in the great cities, and carried to the Capitol to win votes. Tens of thousands of dollars were lavished on entertainments, and presents were put where they would do the most good, even in social cheles not suspected of being open to indirect bribery. As the crisis approached, lists with thenames ofSenatois in the thrpp categories of certain, opposed, and doubtful, were shown, verified by different agencies, each actiD# secretly and unknown to t-ho oihers. The day of thfi '- presented a spectacle the Hfce of which had not been seen in Conctress since the day when the House was called upon to% pass judgment on the Credit Mobilier plunderers, and Mr. Blaine sat in the chair administering the rules to a mob oí railroad kinga and emissaries collected to save the iobhprs fmm ovr..Wot Air. Gould and his associates erna hia had not reckoned, however on the effect produced by the publicity oí their operations all over the country, the reputea-8JCptfli.JJte. lobby, and by of money to carry their point. w hen the roll cali ended they were beaten, and the record told that some of their own friends had helped to pass the bill. Consciousness of guilt, fear of exposure, and dread of the independent press. converted a majority pledged for the corporations into a majority against them. Mr. Huntington, Mr. Gould, and the rest of them, were dumbfounded at the vote and uiterly demoralized by the blow. it was the first great vlctory over corporate power since the outbreak of the civil war, and it may be said to mark au event in our legislative history. Wliile Mr. Thurman remaius in the Setiate no serious attempt will be made to disturb ttils legislation. But he will hardly have retired to private life before some pretext will be invented to take the life out of it, and to relieve these great corporations of their responsibility to the Treasury. ïhey built the roada with money and land subsidies; they organized a Hing ot construction of which the Credit Mobilier was the outside cover; they have created a powerful monopoly in the hands of a lew men, and have not paid a dollar of the principal or interest due to the Government, though the two roads according to their own reports have had a net revenue of flf teen millions a year. With the narrow majority in the Senate afier March 3, 1881, and the strong probability of a Republican House of Representativos after the census of next year, it will be easy for corrupt Republicans and rotten Democrats to make a combination by whiuh the acts relating to the Pacific roads will be modifled to suit the monopolista. Ring schemes irtvolving millions of money can be carried through, as they were in the days of Grant, whorn the Republican leaders propose to nomínate for a third term, and to re-elect him as a means of restoring the era oí' public robbery. In these respects the defeat of Mr. Thurman is a public loss, for he could hold his party against all jobs, and the other side would hardly venture to press them with the tainty of his powerf ui