Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1871-03-22
SPEECH or
Mr.. SPEAKER WALLACE,
~ REILLY TO
Senator white in the senate, on March
9Th, 1871.

Senator white In the senate, on March
9Th, 1871.
Mr.. WALLACE (speaker). An un
pleasant duty has been cast upon me
by the decorous and gentlemanly be
havior Of the Senator from Indiana.
During the entire discussion of this
bill, in committee of the whole, whilst
was upon the floor and ready to an.
swer him in debate, be was studiously
silent, and only when the committee
rose, and / was obliged to take the
chair and put the bill on its final pas.
slge, did be with studied phrase, de-
liberate manner aud evident prepara.
tion arise in his place and commence
foul and unproyolsed personal attack
upon myself ought not to be sur
priscd at this, for it is but the parallel
Of his conduct during most other polit-
ical discussions that have occurred
whilst | have had the honor of place
in this chamber.
Mr.. WHITE. VIII the Senator allow
ne
Mr.. WALLACE. The Senator will no
permit himself to be interrupted
The Senator from Indiana has deliber-
ately behaved 10 this body as no gen
tleman should behave; and | denounce
his conduct as ungentlemanly and dis
graceful, and in this denunciation
believe | am sustained by every Sena-
tor upon this floor, save himself
W hat is the pre.ext for such conduct ?
II is, that | asserted that / made the
issne in the First Senatorial district
and demanded fair apportionment
bill that here descended from the
chair and proclaimed my readiness to
60 10 the people upon the justice Of
this bill. Sir, when in committee of
the whole last evening ! arose TO ad-
dress the Senate, asserted what |
now reiterate, that tho bill is n just,
fair and equitable apportionment of
the State, when it is taken as q whole;
that ] was already upon record in
favor of such bill, as i had gone to
the First Senatorial district pending
the special election there and had
made the issue on the stump aud in
the public prints, that a fair bill was
the right of the people; that the bill
of 1864 was unfair; that the election
of Democratic Senator in that dis.
trict would given the Democrats the
Senate, and that with the House and
Governor Republican and the Senate
Democratic, the people would have
guaranty of a just and fair bill. This
was the extent Of my offending. DO.
cause Of this the Senator from Indiana
fouls his senatorial garments in the
filth and mire of declaimcd stump
speech because Of this he pours upon
my devoted head the volumes of his
billingsgate because Of this my per.
sonal character is assailed because of
this fanciful picture Of nv eonnee-
ton with the election in the first dis.
trict is sketched, and am coupled
with men whom il delights the Sena-
tor TO stigmatize as without oharac-
ter; because of this the vile and in.
famous political slandcrs heaped upon
me by scurrilous party press, and
which have heretofore borne in suf.
fcring and in silence, are rcvamped
and stamped with his base coinage;
because Of this | am iaunted with
having heretofore made issues for the
people and found them unsuccessful I;
and because Of tbs my conduct as the
official head of my party is held up to
comment aud derision.
Sir, notwithstanding bis protesta.
tions OF desire for fairness, for JUS
tice and for right, there is not within
the sound of my voice a man moro
filed with prejudice, a man whose
mind is more surcharged with party
rancor, a man who is moro devoted TO
aggrandizement, TO self and
to pelf than the Senator from Indiana
Ills acts to-day have opened the door,
and ! do but proclaim in words the
universal sentiment of this chamber.
Sir, | have no defense TO make Of men
with whom tho Senator has done me
the honor to couple me in ftncied op.
erations in the Fourth ward, in the
First senatorial election. But, sir. in
matters that touch the inner life, in
those things that make men respected
and honored in the communities in
which they dwell, in private character,
in personal position, there arc men
whom the Senator holds NJ 10 public
scorn, who far excel him who dc.
nounoos them. Sir, let the Senator
cleanse the foul stains from of his
own raiment, let him 20 to his home
ana renovaie and purify the atmos
pbere there from the well grounded
charges that make him thing TO be
scorned and hisscd at, before he deals
in groundless accusations, in fancy
sketches. | went 10 the FIRST district
to make the issue that have already
stated; butit is charged that | nan.
ipulated The machinery of the elcc.
tons. that pcrpeirated frauds, that
my management aided in clecling Col.
Dcchert. Sir, while was at home
with my family on the day Of that
election, and for week prior thereto,
the Senator from Indiana, with his
chief, was there, and, in company with
Bum and Ovens, aud others Of that
class, was engaged in supervising that
election, in making promises nerer