The Montana post. [volume] (Virginia City, Montana Territory [i.e. Mont.]) 1864-1869, 1869-05-07
THE NIONTAGUEs AND CaPU.
LETS.

1ork tribune, which throws a strong
light on the focus of observation. Ii
shows that the great manufacturing in
terests of that Stste are led by the two
houses of A. & w. Sprague and Brown
* Ives. For generations there has been
an emulation and rivalry between them
Lately it has developed in a feud bitter
as that which existed between the
houses of Montague and Capulet. Let
US hope il will not be as sanguinary as
the feud of York and Lancaster-hope
with confidence, for have not the gem
tie Sprague and the gentler Abbott
struck hands in amity. Brown & Ives is
the oldest manufacturing house in the
State, having been started when Rhode
Island was a colony. The firm is richer
than the firm of Sprague. 1t is more
aristocratic and reserved il will not
extend" and cannot be broken down.
1t possesses the Lonsdale. Hope end
Ashton print works and mills, has a con
trolling interest in tue Blackstone Cons
pauy. the Pr0cidence Journal. and
Sprague, also believes in Senator An
thony and General Burnside. This firm
is the heaviest land owner in the State.
always buys, never sells" employs fif~
teen hundred men. runs 10000 spins
dies, and the opposition TO Sprague.
Ibis Is what Sprague alludes to as 1.-The
million dollars, and il is the political
financial and commercial thorn in his
flesh" the undoubted animGs of his
speeches. and the object he would reach
aud destroy. On the other hand the
firm Of Sprague is younger, more ener-
getic, directs it's attention more largely
TO manufactures, extends" itself more,
and but lily brooks its ole fogy rival in
manufs cture and politics. The Spragues
own the Baltic, Matte, Quidnick, Arctic
and Central Falls mills and print works.
have a controlling interest in the r. /.
Locomotive Works Perkins Sheet Iron
Co. Phoenix and COmstuck Fouudries,
II. /. Horse Shoe Co, American Horse Nsil
Co. Nicholson File Co. Boston Wheat
and Bread Co., u. 5. Flax Co., Provi
dence & New York Steamship Co.. be-
sides farm OF 1000 acres of land at
Cranston, and manufactures all over
the country. They work at Cranston
1000 men. and run 100000 spindlss.
using 1900 bales of cotton per annum.
and have within the last five months
bought from other parties ten million
yards of cloth to print at their works.
The contest has been for one of these
sole difficulty has been TO decide who
will be Jonah and who the whale.
Spragues made Sprague a General :
Brown g. Ives made Burnside a General.
Each says the other was a mistake.
Spragues made Sprague a Governor
Brown & Ives made Burnside Cover
nor. Spragues sent Sprague to the Sen
ate, and although Sprague did not OPP
pose Anthony. he thinks now he is
Brown & Ives Senator. Sprague de-
termined tO make n sally on Brown d
Ives. Burnside was beaten for Cover
nor, and Paddelford, Sprsgue's man,
elected 81 far. so good. In 1871 An
thOny's time will expire in the Senate
and a Sprague man must come in. The
million dollars must be crushed po-
lirically. it they cannot be financially.
Financially they nre invulnerable.
Sprague's paper rates 9 per cent; Brown
& Ives 8 per cent. on Wall Street.
With Paddelford Governor the rates of
the respective houses may be reversed
on the Rhode Island election returns.
Anthony is inimical TO Sprague and can
play with him as a cat with a mouse on
the carpet of the Senate Chamber.
Therefore Mr.. Anthony must be sup
pressed. lest Brown a. Ives political pa
per rate with Sprague's.
These are some of the springs and in~
ner wheels that set the Sprague hands
going over the Congressional dial. Al~
though he made failure of it there,
hts power is unshaken over his Rhode
Island employees and the many thou
sand voters who feel directly or indi-
recsly the force of his money-a much
stronger influence than his logic. The
rival firms have singular mania for
overstating each others power. thereby
enhancing ones glory il il defeat the
other Brown & Ives speak of "Sprague's
Rhode Islanders" but have lively in
est ir retaining those same fellows.
Sprague says, when Brown AZ Ives
sneeze, Rhode Island sneezes.' but lie
uuquestionably proposes to administer
the snuff.
The letter referred TO is evidently
strong in the interest OF Sprague; but Ii
enables a comprehension of that gentle
mans recent highly eccentric verbal
pyrotechnics, not clear before, except TO
persons thoroughly conversant with
Little Rhody politics, and the animus OF
the little rhodomontade of the husband
of the daughter of Chief Justice Chase.
III H.