The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-08-02
DISCUSSION IN CHARLOTTE

grunge opened the deOate by expressing the graft
caton he felt at having opportunity to give
count of his stewardship and defend his public
He had been in Congress six years, and until the
present canvass had any objection been raised to his
votes, and only in three instances viz: his vote
against distribution Especially against the amend
ment to the Minnesota land bill in 1854 against the
Pension Bill, and the in favor of the admission of
Oregon. He declared that he had given these votes
after mature reflection and from honest conviction
that he right in doing AS for distribution be
opposed to it in every shape and form, and had
always voted against the grants of land to Railroad
Companies. While the opposition grumbling
about squanderng the pupc lands, it would be well
to remember that the system of donations inaugu
rated by wing Administration and that the demo-
cratic Representatives from North Carolina had al
ways voted against it.
The Pension Bill was an unfair and unjust measure,
intended eectioneerng scheme for which he did
and would not vote. 1t provided for granting
life-pension all persons engaged in the of 1912
and the Indian of that and former periods, and
would have required an appropriation of $29O0O,OOo
to put the bill in operation, and an average an
nual expenditure of So 900 period of years.
making ofabout % 900, 900 necessary settle
the claims arising under the provisions of the bill
This amount of money, said Mr. Craige, would
have to out of the pockets of the Woodworking
men OF the country. Is 1t right that laDOrlng men
should contribute from their scanty earnings to the
support of class of men who well able to take
care of themselves There many persons engaged
in the of 1912 who wealthy probably the
most of them in easy circumstances, and would it be
just require the poor farmer and mechanic to pay
higher tax that these might have ife-pensOn
The soldiers of the of 1912 had not only received
what the Government promised to pay them, but they
had also received in addition, grants ofthe public
land. The pension bill unfair because it granted
pensions the soldiers of 1912 and excluded those
persons who engaged in the Indian wars since
that time and the Mexican Why were they
excluded? They were just needy and as much en-
titled pensions Others But if this wholesale
granting of pensions should take place, effort
doubt would be made to pension the civil officers
of the Government, such clerks, heads of Depart
ments at Washington &c. No one could tell where
the evil would end. Mr. Crage declared that no
would more readily go for granting pensions to those
who disabled in the service of their country than
he; he would consent to require the hard
working of his District to contribute to the sup
sport of wealthy menpersons fully able to earn their
own living. He had voted against the bill and wvuld
do so again if it should up in such an OBJ
! jectionable form.
He had been censured for voting for the admission of
Oregon as State; free State and therefore his
/
mission she had not the requisite population. The
committee whom the matter referred reported
that Oregon had the necessary populaon-the Repre-
sentative Oregon said she hadand he felt it his
duty to he did. The Constitution did not pre-
scribe any particular number of inhabitants for State
previous TO her admission though it was contended
that ought have sc, 900 entitle her to Rep
resentative-this number Oregon had He wished to
preserve tbs Union long it could be done consist
entity and while he claimed that State should not be
refused admission because slavery recognized in
her constitution, he willing to grant the same
privilege to one prohibiting slavery other things being
right in her constitution. There was no more expe-
dious way of dissoving the Union than by refusing
rights to North which claim for the South lie
was opposed dissolution, and in favor of treating all
sections with equal justice Out of 75 Southern demo-
Gratis who voted the question, 81 voted for admis-
sion, himself among the number. Oregon was repre-
scented in the Senate by conservative men-Gen Lane
(the Marion of the Mexican war; one of the Senator's
was a national man, true man, and friend to the
South.
In reply to the charge against the democratic party
of extravaganza Mr. Crage showed that the increase
of Government expenditures commenced during Fill
mores administration. For 81 and 80 the appropria-
tons amounted to something SAC 900; for 81
and So S54 ,O0O0 900 and over; for 53 and "a, up
wards of 900. The latter amount although ex-
pended during the first year of Pierces administration,
was appropriated by the last Congress of Filmores
term and if too large Fillmore might have cut it down
bv his The expenditures of the first year OF Mr.
Buchanans administration (amounting it is charged,
to about So 900 twas the result of the action of
Black Republican know-nothing Congress ofthe year
preceding Banks, the abolitionist, was Speaker OF
the Congress that appropriated this 1000, and
the know-nothngs and black republicans had the as
cendancv passing 81 900, 900 Pierces veto! 1t
should be borne in mind, Also that 100000 of this
amount were expended in liquidatng the public debt,
and thus reducing the actual expenditure to an amount
less than that of 1853 and 1854. Moreover the Com
mttee of WAYS and Means whose duty it is to report
the appropriation bills composed of3 democrats
and oppositionsts; therefore, the opposition was to
blame for the large appropriations. Mr. Buchanan was
compelled to expend the law drected-he had no
right to withhold any portion of it. Since Mr. EGeh-
apan went into office these appropriations had been re-
duced and it shown that during the first year OF
his administration only 900 were appropriated
the next year about Sal 900 900, without the Post Of
fce appropriations, which, if. passed, would make
probably S54,0OO,OOO. So, it will be seen that the
charge of extravaganza against the democratic party is
unust and not in accordance with the record He adj
itted that there had been appropriations
made but the main portion of the democratic party IN
the House especially, had always voted against them
Senate introduced bill approPriating $4,000 tor