The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-02-17
RADICAL ECoNoMY Y.


Her husband, a poor poet. rigTsflEt al
RADICAL economy.
MR.. pAwEs,isEeoNDI SPEECH.
Last week we published the speech.
of Hon. Henry L. Dawes, of Massa-
chusetts, Chairman of the Committee
on Appropriations, showing that the
respective Departments were calling
foriappropriations some forty millions
of dollars more than was required last
year. This speech was. pronounced
an attack upon the Administration,
prompted because President Grant
did not bestow that recognition upon
Mr.. Dawes that Mr. D.. considered
himself entitled to. MIR. Butler, felt
called upon, too, to make a speech in
vindication of the President and in
condemnation of Mr.. Dawes. On
Thursday, the. 9th ult., when the
champions of proffgacy had had their
say, Mr.. Dawes made, his second
speech, reaffirming and proving the
points he made. in his first speech.
He said: ''''l
He had been charged with having,
with his eyes, open, prostituted his
official position for the benefit of the
Democratic party, and TO the sacrifice
of his own credit. But it would have
been more to his taste could he have
left the speech TO its peace. before the
bar of free and candid criticism, to
which everything that was said on
this floor must ultimately come. So
long as criticism on his speech had
been confined to what was contained
iii the speech itself, it had not been
his. intention even to trouble the
House or those who read its proceed
ings with anything in regard to it
1but when the motives that acfuafed
] him in its delivery were deliberately
ilnpugned on the floor Of the House,
there was no alternative but to ask
/ its indulgence to the extent which he
had indicated, and, therefore he would
proceed directly and without further
preface to inquire what occasion he
had to make that speech. That speech
was delivered upon bin involving q
great public work, involving imme.
diately, as he thought, and ultimately
certainly, the expenditure of a large
sum Of public money. He had been
4 charged with the duty, in, company
1 with eight other. members of the
House, Of taking care of the public
expenditures, and it had been the
1 opiilion Of that Committee that that
| was a proper occasion, through one ol
| its members, to express to the Honse
4 the reasons of its objection to the bill
and it had fallen to his lot to give ut
terance to those reasons. He had
been made the spokesman Of the Com.
1 mittee on Appropriations, and as such
had made a speech that was the occa.
! sion for the speech of his colleague and
he submitted to the Judgment of the
House whether it was proper occa-
sion. for it. It7had seemed SO plain a
path of duty to him that it had never
occurred to him that anybody would
lever Intimate that lie had seized an
improper occasion for submitting the
remarks which he did. But tar more
fL. Y A.Ns " !
important than that was tile other in
'lquiry, whether what he said upon
that occasion was true, and stood to-
day, after more than week since its
delivery, to submit to the judgment OF
4 his peers thatinot only was it fits
son for the delivery of the speech, but
that what he uttered was in all essen
tials and important particulars the
4 truth. l.r .ftH-E. hflf e=s.- ~
/ Mr.. Dawes then proceeded, with
the book of estimates in his hands, to
refer to item after item of the esti-
mates of the various departments, and
to show that his original statement in
regard to the excess of estimates for
appropriations forthe last year were
in every respect correct. Passing on
| from the figures, he said: / should re-
joiee as much as any man at any de-
Yelopment going to show how much
I the people of this country have been
relieved of the burden of taxation by
a reduction of the expenditures since
Andrew johnson left the .Presiden-
tial chair; but the question was in.
| yestigating, and the inquiry that was
putting to the country, was whether
as between this year and next year the
tendency of expenditures was upward
or downward, and1I feel it duty fol
me to contribute what was in my
power, if 1 thought saw that tender.
cy was upward, to induce those who
arc responsible in these halls in the
administration of the government to
SO manage public affairs that the ten
dency should be downward, not up.
ward, Ha.iaa 3fssf e4 '.} =it..
/ Now, sir, figures may be piled upon
figures, sOssa upon Pelion,' noun
tain high, to show the difference be-
tween Andrew Johnson's adninistra,
ton in that regard and the first year