Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-10-23
Joint Discussion at Avoca by Cobb
and Passmore.
Reported for the DoDoEvIILE CHRoSIcLE,]

| more perfect gentleman than Gen. Cobb,
and hoped that the acquaintance that they
had formed would ripen as time rolled on
He did not wish to hurt any ones feelings.
| If he said anything that his hearers dls-
liked, they were not to consider it person
al. He rejoiced that slavery was over
thrown and destroyed. He had never be-
lieyed in the institution. But we were to
remember that it was not the Republicans
alone who overthrow the system. All
oarties expected that the war would end
in the abolition of slavery. All parties did
their best to put down the rebellion. The
speaker was stickler for the Constitu-
| ton he considered that it had been gross
" violated by the passage of the recon
struction acts. He informed his audience
that white men down South had no rights
whatever. They were even denied trial by
Jury. Military officers were established all
over the land. The pardon power of the
| President was OVERRIDE and trod down !;
the institutions of the South were battered
down; commerce was driven from the
land; free trade was ruined, &c. He con-
sidered that the Democratic party did
right TO fight against such oppression.
| Why were they right? Because this is a
white mans government; because the
government was and had been for the ben
| eft of white men and white mems rights
, had been, and still ought to be, respected
| by the government Mr. Passmore closed
| by saving that he was blacksmith when
| at home, but not much of anything when
away.
Gen. Cobb confined himself particularly
to the finance question. He said the Dem
ocrats were trying to make much Of it;
that they regarded it as all IN all. He
wished to know what kind of money we
had under Democratic administration
He had differed and did differ somewhat
in regard to the finances of the country
from some of his Republican friends. He
| considered it would be bad faith on the part
| of the government to issue moro than four
hundred millions, as the promise had been
made that there should never be greater
sum in circulation at any one time, and
| this at a time when the country was In
! danger of falling into the hands Of rebels
/ The General read the law authorizing the
issue of bonds, and said that all Congress
knew was that the salvation of the country
depended upon their issue. The very
bonds that Democrats were going mad
over were issued in the country's darkest
| hour-iust after the Mason and Slidell con
| troversy with Great Britain. Our money
was worth nothing over the water. II
was an absolute necessity to have some.
thing that we could depend upon. The
bonds met this necessity. But two mer
voted against the measure. The speaker
then alluded to the banking system. lie
thought it would not be wise for the PEG
pie to 90 back on the best system the
country ever had. He mentioned several
that existed before the war-such as stock
banks. the free banking system, the wild
cat' banks, and several others. They
had all failed The National Banks, born
in adversely, had proved safe and reliable.
Moses NJ. Strong had often asked the
question: What have you done with the
money? How have you squandered the
funds? He would answer, in part, at
least: The traitors of the North had
added materially to the expenses of the
nation. The Indian war had been very
! expensive. Before the war there were
only 100 government clerks; during the
rebellion there were 500. Bounties and
pensions were not paid before the war,
but these trihes are never mentioned by
! Democratic speakers. The expenses are
daily getting less. The Frecdmans Blu
reau is stopped. Many of the soldiers are
paid off, and everything is tending to de-
crease the expenses. At the close OF the
war the resources Of the country were
very much crippled. Taxes weigh heavily
upon the people; and, all things consider
| ed, we are in favor of putting off the pay
ment of the principal of this debt. The
coming generation can well afford to pay
a little toward it, as they will receive the
| benefit
The General wished to know when and
how it had become proper for Democrats
to rejoice in the downfall Of their pet insti-
tuition? The men who had fired on our
| Flag; the men who bombarded Fort Sum
ter; the men who told us it was uncon-
sttutionaI to suppress the rebellion; the
men who said we never could establish our
rights the men who laughed and sneered
when the President was shot-THEsE men
sag that they rejoice and are exceeding
glad at the destruction of slavery. II was
a puzzle to him. He could not under
stand it, He concluded by saying that
we are all :" stcklers for the CONSTRUCTION u
and that it had never been violated in the
least under Republican rule.
! Mr.. Passmore then made the concluding
speech. He appeared rather excited. lie
| touched on the finances. He proposed to-
pay the national debt within 40 years al
all risks. Was the taxpayer Indifferent
whether the debt was paid or not He
did not agree with the General in regard
to the banking system. He wished to en-
tirely destroy the present method. 1t was
the most gigantic swindle ever perpetra
ted. He said there was no war between
the plowholder and bondholder. He re,
! marked, in conclusion, that he did not
expect to be elected, but he wanted the
Democrats to run as near the heels of the
Republicans as possible. EFT W.
DEMOCRATIC Enthusiastically has beef
| oo,,paripo tho eypapceS and ia yes of Hpfri-