The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-05-19
Democratic and Conservative Documents.
von, &ha National Tntellirencer

Democratic and Conservative Documents.
From the National Intelligencer.
There never was SO general a call upon |
congressman and political committees here
for denaocratic documents as at present. |
The mad measures of the radical majorities |
in both houses of congress have alarmed
the people aud whetted their appetites for |
democratic or conservative speeches, illus 1
trative of current topics, 10 a degree noti
only unprecedented, but quite beyond the
ability of congressman to supply the de-
mand.
A congressional committee has been
raised for the distribution of campaign doc
uments, and their card has been published,
with list of speeches, and the prices at
which they can be furnished. We under
stand that this committee are in receipt OF
numerous orders, but that not more than
half of them are accompanied by remttan-
ces to pay for what is ordered. Individual
members of congress also receive applica-
tons from every part Of the country for
speeches, which they are expected to furnish
gratis.
A wide spread mlsconception prevails
among the people in regard to the pubiica-
| ton of speeches. 1t is universally supposed
that they ere printed at public expense, and
that members are only taxed to frank and
send them out; sohey'eas. the fact IS, hdt
members pau Tor their otcn speeches, and
Others. the same price that other people arfe
CHARGED fer them. 1t is only such docJl a.
ments as are printed by order Of the houJes
| of congress that are printed at public Tex
| pense. Agricultural reports, the Con9,res
| sforal Globe, and department papers gen.
| orally, are instances of public printing, and
| these are furnished members in limited
| numbers; but the speeches of members are
never ordered by the houses TO Be printed
in pamphlet form, and are always brought
| out at the expense of individual subscribers.
Stereotyped as they are heaEre, copies OF
| speeches can be multiplied Indefinitely, and
are furnished at prices THAI barely quit the
cost of production; but att those prices are
paid for by the member Ordering them. Ev.
cry member expends several hundred dol
lars each session for Speeches to send to his
constituents. But W hen they have taxed
themselves as largely as they feel able to
bear for the benefit o.f their immediate con-
stituents, a great void still remains to be
filed. All the southern states are without
a democratic representative in congress.
Only one of the six New England states
has single democratic representative on
the floor of either house, and several ives
tern states have not one. In other states
that are partially represented BY democrats,
there are many districts which at the late
ele etions gave large democratic msjtrities,
and vet others with immense democratic
minorities, that are unrepresented. Now,
to require members of congress to buy
speeches to supply all these numbers of dem.
ocrats and conservatives in such districts,
besides supplying their immediate eonstitu-
ents, is unreasonable. Neither the con-
gressional committee, nor individual mem
bers not of the committee, ought to be
asked to bear so unreasonable burden; nor
| would they ifthe people understood the facts
as they exist, and it is the desire of mem
bers that the democratic newspapers in the
country shall explain these facts TO the
people.
Everywhere more or less organization
prevails among democratic masses. There
are state and county committees throughout
the whole country who might, with very
little effort raise an their respective spheres
money enough to buy a full stock Of the
speeches which the congressional committee
advertise, and which they would be happy
to send to any local committee on receiving
the money they viii have TO pay to the prin-
tiers. Funds so raised would burden nobody.
Any democrat or conservative who is worthy
to receive a speech gratis from representa-
tives of other districts than his own would
not object to paying one or two cents for a
pamphlet copy. Nay, he would be glad TO
| do so, if his local committee would organize
| chance, and it is not doubted that the To-
cal committee would take action in the
premises if the facts and circumstances
which we have brought TO view in this article
were well understood. But to make them
understood, the local presses should explain
] them, as we doubt not they will do.
| We commend this subject, therefore, to
the instant attention Of democratic newspa.
| pers everywhere, in cities, towns, and coun-
| try, and respectfully urge them to explain to
| their readers now, before the campaign
/ opens, how eheaply speeches can be obtained
4 through the congressional committee, but
| how unreasonable it is to expect members
of congress to purchase and distribute them
at their sole expense. The trouble of frank
| ing and sending them viii be cheerfuIly
borne by congressman, but the cost of pur-
chasing ought not to be superadded to their
other burthens.