The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-04-19

Upon this resolution Senator CLY-
MER, now the Democratic candidate for
Governor, spoke as follows; (See Re
cord, page 538.)
l did not know, sir, that the Senator
from Washington (Mr. Hopkins) was
about to offer a resolution of this kind !;
had | been aware Of the fact, l might
have been able to form more correct
judgment as to his intentions in so do.
ing,
JUSTICE TO TIE SOLDIER.
I presume he designed to perform
an act of simple justice to those who, on
the tented field, are struggling for the
maintenance Of this Government. He
himself avows his intention to place this
meritorious class of our fellow citizens,
so far as relates to their pay, upon a
footing with those sleek, we'll paid, well
fed, truly loyal, and most discreet gen.
tlemen who, in this time of trial, are
idling sunny hours in the courts of Eu-
rope as our foreign ministers, while the
soldier is enduring the pains, the trials
and the dangers of a campaign. Con-
template the picture the one class
clothed in purple and paid IN gold, the
other clad in homespun and paid in
greenbacks The one surrounded by
all the luxury which gold can buy, the
other in their individual persons and in
their families, enduring all the want and
misery which paper money everentails !.
An unprejudiced observer, sir, would
not, it seems to me, be likely to attri-
Oute any sinister or Improper motive to
one who attempts 20 equalize in some
degree the condition of these two clas
ses Surely, sir, the disparity between
one hundred and sixty dollars a year
the wages Of the soldier-paid in green.
backs-and the salaries Of our foreign
ministers, ranging from seven to twenty
thousand year, paid in gold, is of such
magnitude that it should not be dis
loyal" to attempt to equalize it.
TALK AND NO WORK.
To me, sir, it is strange, passing
strange, that those who profess SO much
love for the soldier, who are externally
parading themselves as the " soldiers
friends" who would make the soldier
believe that every one outside the pale
of their political communion is his enc
my, whose whole stock in trade is to yell
that they are loyal" and to boast that
they love the soldier better than vile or
child, should here to-day resist a pro-
position so fair and just. BY your
deeds you shall be tried. Honeyed
words of hattery cost nothing. To sus.
tain this resolution and the enactment
OF its purpose into law, might impose
some slight additional taxation upon
your " loyal" gentleman, and that would
cost something, You cannot afford
that. Oh no Fulsome praise, lauda.
tion without stint-that you can give
it is in your line but when the soldier
asks for the means wherewith to supply
his wife and little ones with the bare
necessaries of life-which, owing to the
vicious system of finance inaugurated
by Republican rulers, have been raised
to fabulous prites-you turn your backs
upon him and brand as " disloyal
every man who dares to advocate his
claims. That is species of disloyalty
Of which |, for one, am neither ashamed
nor afraid. If it be "disloyal' > tC
stand by, guard, protect and defend the
poor and humble against the rich ant
powerful to be in favor Of the soldier
rather than of shoddy contractor, theI
| am disloyal. 1t is a kind of disloyal
ty Of which you, gentlemen on the Re
publican side, will never be accused b,
those who know you. Where th,
spoils are, there will your hearts b.
) also.
USURPATIoN IN THE SENATE.
Possibly, sir, the Senator from Wash
, ington offered the resolution with an ad
/ ditional motive that was, to relieV
: himself, and those who act with him pc
= litically, from the base and unfounde,
charge that we were opposed to an in
D crease Of the pay of the soldier. Whel
: this Senate was unorganizcd, as we the
believed, and as you subsequently ad
r mitted by proceeding to elect Speaker
e a resolution was offered on the opposit
e side of this chamber, instructing ou
Senators and requesting our Represen
D tatives in Congress, to vote for bill il
! creasing the pay of the soldiers. "
a then voted against it, as under simila
circumstances we would to-day. w
: told you then that by no vote of our
e would We eCer recognize your high
s handed act of usurpation. We toll