The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-04-24
OF SENATOR sPRAGUE


speech, made by Senator spraguc, of
Rhode Island, IN the Senate, on Wednes-
day last, on tho Tenure.ofO Ofico BILL
Mr.. Sprague, (Rep.) Of r. l., said in
substance
A few days ago he had expressed the
opinion that the Senate, because of tho
preponderance in it Of men Of one pro.
fession, was not q body fit to exercise
control over the President in appointing
and removing public officers, but in ex-
pressing that opinion he had carefully
avoided reference to any individual or in.
dividuals The Senator from Nevada,
however, (Mr. Nye,) had seen fit to re-
ply by personal attack upon himself,
and had succeeded in getting on his side
tho laughter of the galleries and of some
Of his fellow Senators. This being so,
he (Mr. Spraguc) felt justified in address
ing few words to tho people now in tho
gallaries. They were representatives Of
the American people. He observed that
they were better clothed than the masses
daughter er)-but whether their dress
covered more virtue than might be found
under less gaudy habilimcnts, each would
have to judge for himself. lie did not
wonder that the galleries laughed Mt bis
warning. The teaching Of the past had
educated them to make light OF serious
things aud had made them Of frivolous,
thoughtlcss, scnselcss disposition. They
reminded him of the idiotic inmate of a
burning dwelling, who lauhgcd at all warn.
ing aud perished in the flames. He would,
nevertheless, repeat his warning. The
affairs Of the country were being Inisman-
aged and ruined by mer of the class he
had spoken of before. The people of
England would not tolerate such state
of things. The men who controlled the
affairs Of England, Gladstone aud Disraeli,
were not lawyers they were men of wi
der culture, with the instincts Of states
men, fit to control the dcstinies of great
nation. He had felt deeply interested ia
the success Of the republican party in the
past, and contributed to it, he thought,
as much in character aud a good deal
more in money than other Senators; in.
deed be believed that his contribution oi
the latter kind had been greater than those
: of all the other Senators combined
n When the war broke upon the people
without warning and found them unpre-
pared, he had been among the first 10
rush TO the support Of the Government
but now there was great danger pend
ing and he felt his duty TO warn the peo.
pie Of il. He read long account of the
character aud career Of the notorious
! Judge JcfFrcys, and of the condition Of
! England in his time, which, he said, was
7 very like the condition at the present
r time. England at that time was just af
: ter a revolution, and the country wa
t thrown under the control of despotit
g power, and JefTreys was the eager iussru
4 ment. Four years ago this country had
5 come out Of great civil war. Since tha
= time the great work Of Congress haC
4 beer, or should have been, 10 restore har
I mony and prosperity TO the country
:, How had the work been carried ong i
r there, he asked, peace at the South L
: there prosperity or contentment anon;
: the people there Are they not rathc
D 10 state Of chronic revolution Is thcr,
:, justice ia the land Who that ia poo
t man dare attack one that is rich in an,
$ court in this land 7 Is there protection
:. for the rights or liberties Of the citizen
l in. this boastcd land Of freedom? Tn
r immigration 20 this country had fallen oi
q so, 600 during the last year, and it wonl,
b continue to fall off, because the industr,
n and agriculture of the country were 8
s prostrated at the West that immigrant
on..tJ voI Gud woVnunn~.tswa eIa,.s,.a :.
i and if they went to farm in the Wes
= they could not sell their products 70
! enough to sapply them with the nccessa
rics of life. Whenever any one in til
u Senate or elsewhere asked the reason Q
y the depression of our commerce aud man
v ufactures he was sure TO be met with th
answer that it was owing TO the fact tha
we were not paying specie I; but the rca
reason was that the legislation and th
administration Of the government wer
Il so shaped as to encourage capital to spec
r. ulate upon every industrial occupation i
n the country. If this course were TO b
10 were TO be continued in less than fiy
years there would be clamor for
= tariff to keep out foreign cotton. Blu
Z great rs was the mismanagement {
n our national affairs in every depart
n ment, the greatest abuses were in on
= financial policy. That policy was d
rectcd and controlled by the bankers
J they no doubt gave as good advic
1t as they could, but experience bad a
l. ways shown that dealers in none
N know little or nothing about the rel;
) tions of money to other occupation
= and interests. The bearing of all thi
q upon the pending bill was this:
n the Legislators of the country ha
e. done their own work SO badly, ho'
: could they dare to assume the power
!, and duties of the Executive also ? II
"a had intended to say a few word
8, about the relations between himse
ID and certain other Senator'S, by wa
Il of showing the unftness of the lScnat
~ to exercise a revisory power over til
:. acts of the President, but he woul
"a reserve them for another OCCASION
le He must, however, before closing, sa
word about the social condition I
the country, which, he thought, ws
!. lquite as bad as the financial cond
: tion. The rich were struggling to
y richer, and the poor were strugglin
lg to initiate the rich, and thus virtu
ID was lost He knew something of I'll
20 character of the people of other coul
tries, and he firmly stated that thel
- was less virtue and morality in Anne