The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1870-02-11
rHere the hammer fell.1

mthuto DpSceDCDt IUE suc puIpO1o VI a.
pressing their views. / will yiold now to
the gentleman from Pennsylvania. [Mr.
Woodward
Mr.. Woodward. Mr.. Chairman, this
seems to be day Of general confession.
laughtcr.1 ! ask that the gentleman
from Nevada Mr. Fitch will give me
time enough to make my confession.
Mr. Fitch. / will yield five. minutes
TO the gentleman form Pennsylvania, Mr.
Woodward / suppose that will be time
enough for his purpose.
Mr. Woodward. II happened TO me to
be member Of the Supreme Court Ct
Pennsylvania whcn the Republican coun-
ty of Allegheny and the Republican city
Of Pittsburg Tepudiated their most honest
and most righteous debt The commits
sioners Of that county and the authorities
of that city were summoned before our
Court to state why they did not levy the
necessary taxes to pay the interest on
thct debt. 1t fell TO my lot to write the
first opinion that was ever written in
Pennsylvania against these repudiators
Other opinions in other cases followed.
We imprisoned these county commission
ers-thc commissioners were imprisoned
for one whole year in jail.
Mr.. Ward. Served them right.
Mr.. Woodward. Yes, sir: they were
kept in Jail more than one whole year be-
fore they would not surrender to our
authority. IT was fierce struggle be-
tween the judicial authorities Of the State
and the Republican party. Laughter. +
And the judicial authorities of the State
finally triumphcd over the repndiation Of
tho Republican party in that instance.
Well. sir, on the 25th of FEBRUARY, 1862,
a Republican Congress passed an act de-.
clariDg that grccnbacks, worth then about
sixty cents on the dollar. should be le-
gal tender in payment Of debts in direct
and palpablc violation of provision of
the Constitution Of the United States, and.
TO the utter reputation Of one-third Of
fhc whole indebtedness of this wide coun-
try. Against that instance of reputation
my soul and al that was within me re-
Boiled. And improved tho earliest op-
portunity when / became a member of
this House to offer resolution insruc-
ting the Committee on the judiciary of
this House to bring in bill to repeal
that Law as disgrace to the country and
tho agc; and | am OBLIGED to say that
that Committee has never yet reported on
my resolution.
Dir. Myers. And ! hOpo never will
Mr. Woodward II was Republican
Congress in which / offered that rcsoln-
ton: II was a Republican Committee to
whom the resolution was referred; and It
is Republican who now says that he
hopes the Committee never will report on
that resolution. That resolution contem-
plates q gradual repeal of the legal tender
act iu order to let down the country grad
ually.
There was another instance of rcpudia-
ton. A Republican Congress and Dir.
johnson signalizcd themselves By rcqulr-
ing every Southern State before it could
be admitrcd into the Union TO repudiate
her debt, teaching them reputation accor>
ding to the Republican code of morals.
And | knou men in the South who viii
tell you that there never has been in their
personal experience SO disgusting and dis
graceful necessity as that which com
pelled them to repudiate their debts.
EIr. Dawes Docs the gentleman reicr
10 tho Confederate debt
Mr. Woodward. Yes; TO their own
debt.
Mr.. Dawes. Well, that must have been
painful to them.
Mr.. Woodward. Il was their own
debt. aud they felt bound By it as men of
honor. Again, this Government contrac-
ted with the soldiers of the army to 60 out
and fight that war on specie basis. Tho
Government has rcpudiated that contract
and Maid their soldiers and their widows
lin q deprecated currency, and aro doing
80 at this day.
These instances Of repudiation and 9TH
ers that might allude TO have had the
effect of sitting me like flint against reFu-
diation and repudiators. Possibly l
might have been converted by the argu-
ment of nv friend from Ohio. Mr. Num-
GEN. some of whose views I believe are
very Just. had it not been for those and
other instances ofrepudistion which have
been forced upon the country by tho Re-
publican party. look forward to the time
when the Republican party of this coun-
TRY will bo in favor of repudiating the ma
tional debt, and / may at some future day
have to stand up in defense of the piigh-
tied faith and the credit of the country
Iagainst tho Republican party, as I did In
the State Of pennsylvania against the He
publican ropudiators of the county of Al
Iicghany and tho Republican repuhiators
of the Republican city Of Pittsburg,
Mr.. Morgan. Mr.. Chairman, will the
lgentleman from Nevada Dir. Fitch.
lyiold me the floor for five minutes
Mr.. Fitch. / cannot.
| Mr.. Morgan. viii the gentleman
Iyicld to mo for one minute
Mr.. Fitch. No; / cannot yield fur
Ither.
Mr.. Morgan. Will tho gentleman yield
Ito mo for thirty seconds
Mr.. Fitch. Yes, sir; but for no lon.
lgcr.
! Mr.. Morgan. Thcn, sir, in that thirty
seconds 1 win conolusiyosly prove that
the Republican party ofthe United States
stands irreyocably pledged to the doctrine
of Reputation. In the very midst OF the
Hate war. during period when the kepub-
Ilican party had control Of the legislation
lof overy State adhering to the Union, by
solemn legislative enactment every adher-
ling State repudiased ono-half Of the Ia
lterest on their State dobts; for which
lthey were bound to pay the interest N
Igold. they paid it in greenbacks, when, II
Ioonaannence of their maladminIstratIon