Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-07-02
'WHOLEE'.,NQ. 500.
Gallant vindication of the Denecfecy
p 'f BY Senator ThuYmsns 4asqiI

In reply to Senator SnERMAN; 'of Ohio.
who declared from his seat tfiat "ThS
strength Of the Democratic party for ysdss
during the war and since has bseusfn the
pest houses Of the cities where vice breeds -
Senator THURMAN said: '''N -"
That is the language thata Senator of
the United States uses Of Z, $50, O5O voters
Of the United States. AT the last oPresf.
dental election there were cast, exclusive
of the State Of Nevada, 8, ,622, 1853 popular
votes. OF those Gen. Grant received
2,978,551, and Mr.. Seymour ,2,645,31S:
The vote Of the State Of Nevada, as I am
informed by her Senator, was about ] q, 900;
and General Grants majority about 1880.
Making that addition, the entire vote for
General Grant was 2,9S5, ,S01, and for Mr..
Seymour 2,649,3 ,372, and General Grants
minority was only about $4,000. And
now, sir, in respect TO- substantially. one
entire half of the American voters, in, re-
spect to that party which held The reins "
government for nearly seventy years, and
under which this government grew mn
from poor feeble body of thirteen States
along the Atlantic coast to be one, Of, the
greatest empires on the face Of the earth
in territory, in population, in intelligence,
and in wealth, my colleague says the
strength Of that party lies in the Dsst-
houses ofthe cities, where vice breeds.Yes
Sir, I would scorn myself if l were tg
20 into any refutation Of such charge as
that. I have heard the Democratic pafty
denounced again and again. II Is TOO
common to do it. It il too. commmit0
forget-Senators even, too often foreet-s.
that when they denounced the Democratic
party in this way they are denouncing one
half OF their own countrymen. When
they dcnounce the Democratic party ae
traitors, as sympathizers with treason, -
dlsloyal men, they say to the world that
one.half the American people are enemiea
to their own government When Scna-
tor gets up here and says that the strength
OF the Democratic party the strength of
one-half the people Of the United States,
" lies in the pest-houses of tbs cities,
where vice breeds, = he holds up q pieturs
to the world which should appall mankind
and repel every man from our shofeA
Sir, it will not do. Ifit is . mere figure
OF speech it is figure of speech which .
man should be ashamed to utter. - If siH
was intended in seriousness then there
is no condemnation too strong for the Ut
terance ofsuch a sentiment. ~, -
Why, sir, my colleague lives in county
which gives a good solid Democratic ma
jority; q county in which there is no
great city; county of farmers, of men
with moderate farms, few beyond eighty
acres, very few indeed; county which I
will undertake to say has not its superior
in the whole United States for the virtue
its Inhabitants and for their respectability.t
To the east of that is Just such another,
still more Democratic. On the south Of
it is still another, also Democratic; SO that
my colleague can hardly step out of his
door, he can not take days ride without
being surrounded by the Democratic fafo
mers Of his neighborhood. i want him To-
go home and tell them, if he dare, the
men who have seen him grow up from i
boy; the men whose hands have helped
him in the struggle for life, the men who
have given him support and cherished
him and helped to make him, what he il;
let him go home if he dare and tell those,
old men that the strength Of their party
lies in the pest-houses Of the cities,
where vice breeds, ueai bes ,bo:ssn
Sir, could not refrain from mskiug
these remarks, because you are tsBsota tos
night on this bill /; the debate will then
cease, aud it would look like bringing up
an old quarrel to cali attention 70 Il ID any
other debate. 1t is not my fault that my
colleague is not here to defeod shimsslls
for defend himself be ought TO- dodlH hNs
has selfrespect. 80