Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-04-30
The Rhode ISEa i Troublesome kc-
count of the I've Leading PANT
lies.

une, whose source of Information We know
nothing and for the accuracy Of whose
statements we cannot vouch, gives at con
siderable length an account of the trouble
which has arisen in Rhode Island since
Senator SpragUe commenced his series of
Sold speeches. From his letter we gather
the most important portions. The quar-
rel, a3 he states it, is between the house of
Sprague and the house of Brown & Ives.
Of these two great houses, the Spragues
are the younger and more energetic ;
Brown & Ives the older and more aristo-
cratic. The house of Sprague started with
Anlasa Sprague, the grandfather of Amasa
and William, the present representatives.
AT his death the business had not assumed
anything like its present proportions At
that time, in 1855, there were only six cal
leo printing machines in the works at
Cranton. Now there are thirty, with a
capacity Of $4,000 pieces q week. Amasa
Sprague like his father of the same name,
holds aloof from politics. William, like
William Sprsgue the uncle, is the political
member of the family, each. having been
Governor and Senator. In his recent
course in the Senate, William Sprague, the
younger. has done only what would have
been by his uncle under like circumstan-
ces, with the same disregard of consequen.
pidity. In one of his speeches he stated
that small manufacturers were breaking
down because they could not do as he does
He simply meant that his purchases of
stock were so immense that those who can
not buy in such quantities cannot compete
with him, and that those who do not com
mand an immense capital must yield to
those who, like him, do. The house of
Brown d Ives antedates the revolutionary
war. Always conservative, the house has ad-
hered to old customs and ways in aremarka-
BILE manner. To this day their account books
are marked, "The Colony of Rhode Is.
land" The present members of the firm
are respectively seventy and sixty-fve
years of age, both gentlemen of refined
taste and culture, Their property is most
~ in landed estates, and it is an old saying
that Brown & Ives buy and buy, but new
er SELL" Almost in the very heart of Pro-
vidence there are acres of land lying like
the laborers in the Scripture, all the day
idle, which they will neither sell nor i'm
prove. Many of their houses have look
Of antiquity about them wonderfully in
contrast to the elegance of their mills, as
described III one of Sprague's speeches,
With regard to the quarrel which agi-
tates SO many both in and out of Rhode
Island, the Tribune correspondent traces
it all to tho animosity between Sprague
and Brown & Ives. He admits that Sera-
tor Spragues intention in his recent
speeches was to break down a noxious sys-
tenn which leaves large capitalists with the
whole capital of the country, and prevents
small manufacturers from competing with
moneyed men armed with the power and
the disposition to crush them. But he sees
at the bottom of it all, Brown & Ives. His
0alr 10 81 knsI kol1
in measure to the phlegmatic conduct of
that soldier when urged to more vigorous
action by the young and impulsive
Sprague, and to his personal dissatisfac-
ton with him, is yet referred to the sup
posed connection of Brown & Ives with
Burnside's career. There is moro of con-
tempt for than jealousy of Burnside in the
matter. But, says Sprague. in his last
speech in the Senate :-''There is in my
State q great capital centered in one fam
lily, and that family has newspaper organ,
and that newspaper organ is controlled by
my colleague" This simply means that
Mr.. Danielson, who manages the Jour-
nal-a newspaper ostensibly owned and
managed by Senator Anthony-has sold
his interest to Brown & Ives, and either
remains at their sufferance or is to retire
altogether. This is said to be believed in
money to secure AnthonY's return to the
Senate five years ago, it is asserted that the
Journal was at that time inimical to him.
Neither Anthony nor the Journal can be
expected to feel very kindly toward him
now, aud they both hate him cordially
Anthony, because Sprague seeks to prevent
his own reelection next year, and the
Journal because it is Anthony's organ, and
according to Sprague, the organ Of Brown
& Ives. The ''friendly paragraphs" which
referred to Sprague's attention 10 private
interests. is considered q stab at his busi-
ness reputation. inspired by Brown q Ives.
It implied a dangerous extension" But
it is denied that he bought any lands in
the South except to the extent of about
S., 900, and some people hint that he in
vested twenty times that amount in An
thongs re election. Aud in this very sex
tension" Of his business at home he finds
the justification for his declaration that
small manufacturers are breaking do wn,
while capitalists like himself are swallow
ing mp everything. He has lifted SO many
men from the mire of adversely, and fur
nished the snews of prosperity to SO many
more, that he feels he knows what other
people not only do not surmise but even
deny Among other little grievances is
the election of Jenkes, who, being the
father in-law of Goddard, is almost one of
the family" Senator Sprague's egotism,
about which so much has been said, is
merely an energetic attempt at explaining
what he knows from his own study and
experience. That he will boil a theory.
perhaps a system, from it yet is not i'm
possible At all events the fight with An
thony goes on, and the polical influence of
Brown IL Ives must be crushed before he
can be persuaded to rest.
In the matter of mere personal jealousies,
the Brown University affair is prominent.
The matter is that Sprague thinks Brown
Il Ives own the lands in Kansas given by
the United States to the University, and
that they acquired them through the
agency of the Rev. Mr. Love, the Univer-
sity Agent, and their creature. Mr.. Love
is the ostensible owner of the property,
now worth nearly million of dollars,
having purchased it for $50, O00 He has
/ paid the University nothing, but has Sc
cured that institution by a deposit of
! United States bonds to the full amount of
the purchase money. In relation to the
denial of Brown dt Ives. that they ap.
preached Sprague, lii 1857, with propo-
| sition to break down the small n1anufac.
turers in the State, nobody, not unfriendly
! TO SDrapue. ACDears To think it will in onv