Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-09-26


the expenditure OF money for the improve
menT OF rivers aud harbors? If any onel
fact could go to show that the veto pow>
er WAS not dangerous power, the
history and experience of this session.
would demonstrate that fact beyond
all doubt. Let the veto power be ups
held. If oftner exercised, the people
would have cause to rejotcee
Well, sir, there was another thing got
ten up this House. which my friend
from N. York voted $4,000 for-and that
this was rowing commission which was sent
to Kansas to gatherup material to be used
ia the coming election. He voted for
that and after the expenditure Of s 1o'-1
900, after the time spent by that COM,
nitsee with it's clerks. it's marshals, its
secretaries, how much Influence ask,
did ell their labor have over the minds
aud the votes of all members Of this
House in ascertniding the Legality or lilies
gality OF Whitfeld's election, or in set
Ting the question as to his right to retain
his seat upon: this floor? Will not my
friend admit that, before this committee
went to Kansas, before they wrote one
solitary page of that, he would have Vo-
ted to turn Whitfield out of his seat, as
quickly us he would have after their re-
turn? How many votes have been chan
ged by the action Of the committee p
Does he imagine that half a dozen mems
bers have ever read the mass of irrelevant
matter collected by them Has there
been a solitary vote changed by it j.? If
not, it certainly was useless expenditure
Of money, and the gentleman must be
held before the country as one of the
guilty parties who have increased the an
nual expenditures Of the government to
that extent. CO.," ~i' 5-f l
But have some curiosity to know OK
ac'ly the object of my friends speech to-
night. Was it intended to furnish chart
to guide hisParty friends in the coming
presidential canvass Was it intended
TO suggest to the minds of the people the
propriety and duty of arraigning the
President of the United States at the bar
of the country and holding him and the de-
mocratic party responsible for the expen-
ditures of the government? Was it in
tended to enact over again the scenes Of
1910. when deceptive and ingenious cards
were prepared to show the annual expen-
ditures OF the government froLn the time
of Washington down? Was that the OBJ
ject Was that the intention? Did he
mean to make the impression that the de.
mocratic party here RAD voted the mon-
eY. while he and his friends had resisted
their extravaganza ? cannot very well
imagine what other object he could have
had in view and it does seem to me, il
that was the object, he ought, at least,
when he asks the people to condemn
the President, to state that he and his
party friends have voted the money which
makes up the S75, 900, 900 per annum.
Ny friend from New York had anoth>
er idea, which struck me as a novelty in
this age OF the world and that was,
that the federal government should be
collector of the means and money which
should be distributed, at due intervals, to
the various States, to enable them to meet
their annual State expenditures. take
the liberty of informing my friend that
this is not a consolidated government
yet, but it would become a consolidated
government if his theory shall be adop-
ted. Whenever you undertake to cen
tralizc power here, 10 turn the attention
Of the States to the federal government
for the means of meeting their annual ex-
pendiLures. you will soon have the States
~ IuVI0 SD-Gudu Gu6
gentleman seems to suppose the represen,
tetives Of the people now are to the exc
cutlve power. You will destroy every
thing like State independence-every thing
like regard for State rights md sound
State pohcy-whenever you mako them
even partially dependent upon the federal
government for their annual means OF
support? Does the gentleman wish to
see such state of things as this brought
about? Would it be a picture which
would please his fancy to see the great
Empire State coming four times "a year,
and asking from the federal treasury an
assignment OF her portion of the means
here collected, to enable her TO pay of
her annual expenditures ? Yet the gen.
tlOman says it must come to that, or very
soon the, States of Virginia, New York
and Pennsylvania. will be in the condi-
ton of the States of Mississippi and Hin
ois-not able to pay their debts. trust
in God they never may be able, if their
their ability to do is dependent upon a
sacrifice of State dignity and State
independence. l hope to see the
States ever main aim their indepen-
dent position towards the federal gov
eVernment-maintain their rights, and the
cherished principles ard doctrines for
which the democratic party has always
commended, with the spirit which has ever
characterized them, from the foundation
OF the government to tho present time.
l do not reeollect that my friend from New
York made any other point in his speech +;
and 1 should not have fel. myself called
upon to reply to his remarks but for the
fact that l thought they were calculated
to place the President and the democrat
ie party in false position before the