Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-12-15

THIS very DAY, Old say, in view OF this evil
dence, that there must be some mysteriUtis
power sustaining that system stronger than
decent regard for public opinion, and
stronger than the Secretary Of the Treasury
himself.
Mr.. Patterson hers interposed to make
an explanation, and in reply to e remark
by Mr.. Trumbull said, do say that there
are Inspectors in the custom house in New
York who stated before the Committee I'M
der oath, that in violation of their official
oaths and in violation of the laws of the
land, they had taken brides, and that they
took brides every time they discharged a
] vessel, and | say further, that the agents
of the steamship companies told me that
/ they could not get their vessels discharged
without bribihg the officials.
Mr.. Summer: l should like to know
whether these men are continued in
! Office.
Mr.. Patterson: / have no knowledge of
| their having been removed. / know moth
ing about it:
Mr.. Schurz: Tie Senator from Indiana
| (Mr. Morton) says my remarks yesterday
cast reflection on the Republican party
How so? Do not we all profess to be in
favor of reform, and yet when a member
!
| abuse, the cry is raised that he is trying to
injure the Republican party. Ny motives
have been reflected upon, and and those
with whom l act have been asked what OBJ
jet We pursued. / am ready TO state: Ny
object is to uncover and deneunce and try
| to have corrected any and every abuse
wherever can lay my hand on it, without
regard to how it will affect the interest or
advantages of party and without regard to
| whether this or that person may like it or
not. l am in favor of reform, and l am in
| dead earnest. do no5 mean to denounce
abuses on the other side and shield abuses
among my own friends. | want to put the
| hot iron to the very bottom of the sore, and
unless we do that we do nothing.
| Mr.. Upton followed in support Of Trum-
| bulls proposition. He cited Mr. Mortons
| statement, that the objects of those who be-
| fIiended the proposition was to show that
| great corruption exists under the present
| administration, and said that that was ex-
actly what be wished the people to under
| stand. As to the other branch Of Mr.. Nor
| tons charge, that this movement was an at
! tack on the Republican party, it was not
! true. He (Ar. TiptOn) made no attack on
| the Republican party. On the contrary he
desired to redeem that party from curse
that had come upon it through the mistakes
| of the administration and the corruption of
| its officials. He believed that there was
corruption, deep, damning and fostering all
| through this administration. The motives
| of those who sought to revive the Commit
| mittee on RetTenchment were called in
! question. Could not a man believe that
! even in the Senate there might be found a
better leader for the Republican party than
the
Intellectual COLOSSUS
now sitting in the White House, without
| being therefor accused or unfaithfulness to
party. The Senator from Indiana (MOr =
| tom had boosted that it was a distinguish
| ing mark of the Republican party that it
was prompt to punish wrong-dOers among
! its members. He (IiptOn) had once be
| lieved so, and had acted upon that belief,
but he had been prescribed and punished
! for it ever since.
Mr.. Trumbul's amendment was rejected
by vote of "A yeas TO 80 nays. The fol-
lowing Republicans voted for it: Acorn,
| Fenton, Logan, Patterson, Robertson,
Schurz, Sumner, Upton, Trumbul, West
| and Wilson.
The original resolution was then adopted.
{
] committee provided for in the resolution
| Just adopted, to inquire into all the sub
| iects enumerated in his rejected amend
ment, and made few remarks. He denied
| he had done or proposed or said anything
! hostile to the Administration or the Repub-
/ lican party. He was astounded at the
| ground taken by certain Senators in this de-
| bate. He was hostile to none who were
not dishonest and corrupt, and would any
| Senator undertake to say that the Admins
tration or the party did not desire honesty
in the government? The President had
| declared in favor Of reform.
Mr.. Morton said that the drift of the de-
| bate was a reflection upon the Republican
party and an insinuatiOn that it was cor
Tupt.
MFR. Trumbull-Have 1 ever said or init
mated that?
Mr.. Morton replied that from the spirit
| of the Senator's remarks he inferred that he
! (Mr. TrumbulD did believe that gross cor
ruptiOn existed under the present admins
! tratiOn, but he was glad 10 find that he did
not think so.
Mr.. Trumbull said he believed that great
| abuses did exist under this administration.
| Abuses had existed under all administra-
! tions, but he believed that the great in
! crease in tie amount of patronage had
naturally caused an increase in abuses.
| He had not said, however, that more cor
rIptiOn existed under this than under pre-
viOus administrations, but then he wished
| this administration to be better and the Re
! publican party to be purer than any other.
Mr.. Morton: l am glad to hear the Sen
ator declare his devotion TO the Republican
party, but | did understand the spirit of his
! speeches to be different. However, l &C
| cept his statement of his position now as to
! this question of reform. There seems to be
a disposition on the part of some people in
! this country to become professional reform
| ers par excellence. They seem to desire to
monopolize that business, and set them
selves up as the only men who hate corrup-
! ton. Now | desire to say to til Ose gentle
men, whoever they may be, that for one
| shall not allow them to mOnOpolize that
| business. l claim to be as good a refOrmer
| as any of them, although don't make such
high pretensiOns.
Mr.. Trumbull said Mr.. Morton was ex
! tremely kind to accept his statement, but
! he declined to answer him (MortOn) for his
republicanism, and denied his right to call
him to an account. That Senator (Morton)
! claimed to be reformer, but he had
| queer way OF showing it. Not long ago in
a speech at St. Louis, be eulogized the civil
service as it stands at present.
Mr.. Morton remarked that in that speech
he had said Of the civil service, that while
there were many reforms and improve
ments which could be made in it and which
| the Republican party would make, he did
believe that on the whole we had the best
civil service in the world, and he did say
the same now.
Mr.. Trumbull-Well if there is any where
in the world a worse civil service than that
of the United States pray God to deliver
that people from it Qaughter). l feel less
| disposed than ever to submit my republi-
canism to the test of the Senator from In
diana, after his declaration that we have the
best civil service in the
world. My Republicanism is not partisan.
l care nothing for it, except as party of
great principles, and if it ever comes to be
used as a cover for frauds and iniquities the
honest people Of the country will over
whelm us as they ought to.
At O'Clock p. NJ. without reaching a
vote on Mr.. Trumbulls motion, the Senate
went into executive session and soon ad-
iourned until Monday.
HOUSE.