The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-04-21
SPRAGUE ON THE VAR PATH.
His Opinion OF the state OF the Coun-
try.

| COun.
try.
An interview with Senator Sprague forms
the topic of two interesting columns in the
| New York Herald. The senator was found in
his study wrapped in loose and well-worn
dressing gown, and apparently lost in thought
beyond hope of awakening. The study ap-
peared in itself study, with all kinds of curl
GUS traps lying around loose. Books on top of
Bohemian vases, wonderfully carved paper
knives. odd-lookng ink bottles, pen wipers,
and host OF other al ticles OF st ,tionery on
the mantelpiece, on the marble-top wash
stand, on the writing table and on the floor.
Near the senator's chair stood small tray
holder, laden with the abstemious fare of
! student. consisting of coffee minus milk, and
| toast minus butter. Sprague looks old on
near acquaintance. He has q small head,
| small features, large, lustrous eyes, slightly
| dashed with dimness that necessitates the
| wearing of glasses. He has not the faintest
trace of outward affectaton. W. copy from
the Herald correspondents account: .
"People say, Governor, that they do not
comprehend exactly what you are driving ut.
Some insinuate that you are bidding for the
Fl esidency; others that you want to cut loose
from your party, and still more state in down
"Hold on ~ exclaimed the Governor, sslet
me answer the last charge. Yes-I am crazy
crazy, as every reformer has been since the be.
ginning Of the W rid. Because 1 refuse to fol-
| low in The ruts Of that set calling itself the
Senate Of the United States the cry is raised at
once, oh Sprague is crazy I will let them
know before long exactly how. crazy I am. I
am not bidding for the Presidency, either. IT
| it we're offered to me tomorrow should only
take 1t on conditions OF being at liberty to
kick out Of the White House every Office seeker
that dare come into it. Not man should be
| appointed under me to Office because he was
this mans friend or that mans supporter. L
would have an incorruptible board of examiners
for every cffce under the government, and
| the proper capacity to fill it. would disregard
party altogether, and put only the best men in
the nation in places OF trust; but as know
such "a condition OF things can never be attain
| ed, he Presidency ls not my ambition. Neither
am about to cut loose from my party and at
tach myself to the Democratic. Both, as par
ties, are rotten; but intend to build up new
| Ny party will have for it's one grand principle
the reform OF our finances, the rendering OF
money cheap, the reduction of taxation, the
tion Of labor, the Improvement Of our cotton,
agricultural, commercial, and manufa oturing
interests; in short, the making Of this country
really great, strong and prosperous. All your
rights, women's rights, rebels, &C., is only fit
Tor these old grannies in Congress. Where is our
shipping at this moment? Who of those men,
peste1ing our ears all the time about reconstruc.
tion, rebels, niggers, &C., has ever lifted his
| voice in favor of the broken-down commeree
that was once our pride and glory? I tell you,
sir, these men would drive this country head
long to the devil in their greed for power
This country is to-day intrinsically weaker
than any on the face Of the globe, not except
ing Mexico Now, let me explain; but first let
| me enli2hten you upon the purpose of the
speech, the opening one Of the late series I
made in the Senate. 1t was necessary should
draw the attention Of the people to Congress-
TO IN lavte no greater attention to the speech
connection Herewith. began by skirmish
ing, my objective point being the treasury
the great national curse My scheme was no
| hurriedly considered affair. For three years I
| have devoted my mind exclusively to this sub
ject, and you will find, ii am mad there was
some method in my madness after all. You
interest throughout the nation. There is some
OF the evidence lpointing to bundle Of let
ters.) Now, if had made my proposition
alone. without any preparation Of the public
mind. it might have gone the way Of all like
propositions. hold that the treasury is the
root OF our present evils. Forty millions OF
dollars, we will say, are received there this
month. This money comes out of the PC ckets
Of the people. One man whose taxes are large
| has, perhaps, to borrow the money at q high
| rate OF interest to pay his indebtedness to the
Rovernme ent. That money gets into the trea-
sury, and lies there boarded up for a month or
slx weeks without producing particle Of BEN
ft to the government or the people. Twenty
millions OF that amount, we will say. are paid
main. The market in New York; where the
capital Of the country is centralized, is de-
clared scarce. When money is scarce those
who have the least put their stocks on the
There is always in. New York class
OF speculators who buy up all such
next month we will aav-uban Tho
Treasury. in place of $20. 900. Goo. pays out
$50 1000 600. Then money becomes abundant,
sea these ans so Ks are srshea aa % the
You see there is no equilibrium here. Our
money market is all the time fluctuating, influ,
enced by that vast, oyergrown corporation the
! stocks are affected in this way. can 40 into
| the market in New York any day in my busi-
ness, and BY the process that obtains there
6y yhas force Of ths
| me. The whole country Is affected by this
| Money is entirely too dear. The cotton plant
| ers at the South pay almost twenty-five per
England is the chief market for cotton, but she
| is every year extending her purchases in India
| and Egypt, and finally. by manipulating the
ests at the South irretrievably. Agricultural
interests suffer in the same manner from this
dearness OF money. England will, after
while, buy less Of our agricultural staples
Capital is too dear, the cost Of transpor tation
too high, the taxes too many and too crushing,
for our farmers. Same way with the manufac-
turing interests. Twenty years ago our firm
in Rhode Island was one among twenty little
ones; now we have the whole field to ourselves
But then We crushed out the others, and are
now engaged lighting the big fellows, until
finally New England will hav3 nothing but q
small aggregation Of enormous monopolies.
to the liberties and happiness ef the people.
But think OF all that money that goes into the
Treasury being committed 70 the charge OF o
boy formerly secretary cs mine whsre1 in
munity are invariably selected for the duty of
receiving and looking after, the public funds.
The Treasury, above Gil THINGS should be jeal-
ousy guarded, and all it's incomes and expen-