The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-03
COALITION IN MASSACHUSETTS.
mr.. RantouI's Speech.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, Jan. "a.


not have troubled the committees | am
always very unwilling to do it-with any
remarks of niue, if there had not been cast
upon my native State an imputation 80 serious
as to demand immediate notice from me. A
majority of the people of Massachusetts are in
volved together in an imputation which, it
seems to me, the honor of the people of that
great State, without distinction of party, re-
quires should not, when it is thus cast upon her
by a representative of one Of her Congressional
districts, on this floor, himself native son of
hers, be suffered to pass unrepelied. The i'm
putation is one of corruption--not, as | under
stand it, upon few leaders ola single political
party, but upon a vast majority of the voters Of
the commonwealth of Massachusetts-of a
State which has stood so high in the history of
this country from the time when this country
began TO have history, and which am proud
to believe has never forfeited her pristine rank
in the glorious ssterhood ofconfederated States.
That such an mputation upon this floor as
soon as il is made, seems to me so plain that |
should think myself without excuse if kept my
seat under such a call to speak here. Sir, Mas
sachusetts bears name too respondent with
the glories of her colonial and revolutionary
history to be questioned by her children. She
has maintained her high standard of patriotism,
and virtue, and honor, too long, too uniformly,
too brilliantly, to have it supposed for moment
that true son of hers would endure to see her
fair fame sullied without rushing to her de
| fence.
Sir, the imputaton of corruption is made here
upon two political parties, which the gentleman
estimates to contain forty-three thousand in the
one party and twenty-eght thousand in the
other-a majority, according to his own calcula
| ton, of the voters who take sufficient interest
in political matters to present themselves at the
| polls. That is the charge, and il is to that
address myself And first, let me answer as TO
that portion of those voters with whom | am
directly and politically identified, and have been
| for more than q score of years, through SERIES
scarcely paralleled, of hard fought battes--I
mean the Democratic party of Massachusetts,
But before going into the details of this matter,
let me make one general observation, and shall
appeal to the knowledge and consciousness Of
| every man that hears me- whether am justified
in what | am about to say, and that is, that il
there be any political party in any State in this
Union whose history places it above the sus-
picion of corruption, from its peculiar position,
| it is the indefatigable and ndomitabe Democra
cy of the State of Massachusetts; because there
is no party in any State in the Union that hsa'
stood up against such odds, against such disad.
vantages, against such actual losses and sacr
fees, as the Democratic party of Massachusetts,
and every man in that party, has confronted and
sustained for very many years past. Why, who
are the Democrats of that State The laboring
men of the State, and some men of talent who
are not aboring men, but who are not men Of
capital or property. And against whom are
they contending Against the whole aggregate
mass of the capital of New England concen-
| trated in the eastern portion of the State of
Massachusetts. That is the position of the two
parties.
Now, ask, if there be corruption in the State
of Massachusetts, and do not deny that there
is corruption, more or less, everywhere, in every
State and nation under heaven--but if there be
corruption in the State of Massachusetts,, where
is it? Prima fdcie the answer is pretty plain
one. The corruption is where the means OF
corruption exist. There are several hundreds
of millions of capital piled up in and about the
city of Boston, There is no other such aggre
gate of wealth in 80 few hands on the American
continent; and if there be corruption there, it is
that vast, unequaled mass that purchases what
everis venal. This capital, like all other CAPT
tai is, by the instincts of its holders adverse to
| this on the position of political parties. The
Democrats are mostly of the aboring classes
do not say that there is bribery there; but say
that if there be- it is the rich that bride the poor
and not the poor that bride the rich. Upon that
position, then, start in this examination. The
Democratic party of Massachusetts consists of
men who stand up against their own individual
interests and this every man may know that will
pass through that State, and not shut his eyes
to facts around him. Is there an operative in
factory there who does not know that his place
is less secure to him if he votes the Democratic
ticket than if he votes the Wing ticket' Is
r..k /
the same thing? Is there porter or stevedore
on wharf who does not feel his certainty of
future employment sensibly diminished if he is
known, nay, if he is even suspected, to be a De-
mocrat! Is there storekeeper there, not
" hig, who does not know that those who would
be his best customers pass by his door because
he does not happen to be of the same politics, and
that the customers whom he gets in their place
do not expend with him such large sums of
money? Is there a physician or professional
man of any kind who does not know that he
makes heavy sacrifices if he adopts and processes
the socallcd heresies that have been so unpopu-
lar formerly with the powerful in Massachusetts?
Is there lawyer Of any talent, who is Demo
crat, who does not know that he could quadrupe
his practice by simply protesting to be Whig7
Cergymen, physicians, laborers, tradesmen--all
classes Of men make sacrifices by belonging to
the Democratic party.
No mortal man in Massachusetts, ever made
sacrifices by joining the Wing party, but tens Of
thousands of Democrs 8 have sacrificed large
portion of their means ofsupport by standing up
to what they believe to be sound, and true, and
right That is the position of the Democratic
party of Massachusetts, and that has been its
history from its commencement down to the
present time. Against this party particularly is
! the CHARGE of corruption aimed and what is the
ground of that charged 1t is brought down to
the alleged fact Of coalition
Before going into the character of the alleged
coalition, let me ask, are coalitions in themselves
wrong? Is it wrong that those who seek n
common object should cooperate to effect that
object2 Am | to stop to inquire whether my
neighbor thinks as do upon all questioDs--al
important questions, if you please-before ] act
with them upon any one important question?
If the capitol is on fire, and the engines in the
rotundo, and not men enough to man the brakes,
must refuse to fall in and help to work for the
salvation of the common interest and TO extin-