Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-05
Letter from Washington,
lrRoM OUR REGULAR coRnrspoSDBsr.I
WASHINGTON, D. c., April 8, 1871.
THE KUKLUx DEBATE,

WASHINGTON, D. c., April 3, 1871.
THE KUKLUx DEBATE.
The discussion over the Shellabarger bill has
continued for week. 1t will terminate, so far
as long speeches are concerned, on Wednesday.
| venture to say that the ten minute Limitation
then to be substituted for the hour now in vogue,
will, as rule, be productive of more interest,
and, perhaps, be more useful than that which
has preceded it.
So far the democracy have made less capital,
their arguments been weaker, and their opposi-
ton more of the merely declamatory order than
was expected. The southern men who have
spok.n, as rule, made better showing than
their associates of the north. They had for
ground work, more or less of the
other side of "that fact''-that stupenduous
something, which, according to Carlyle, is the
only thing that justfes talk. But they cannot
successfully dispruve the existence of these out
RACES; they only undertake to prove that if
they exist, it is because radical misrule creates
the remedy. That fails for Kentucky and there
they fail, except in vague dcnunciations. Mr..
Beck Of that state, a large-headed, big bodied
Scotch-American, educated in New York, but
long resident of Kentucky, and formerly
partner of Breckenridge, withal, though a
strong partisan, still fair and reasonable in his
opposition, could, in this emergency, do nothing
better than break out into a TRADE of passion
and abuse. No legal argument has vet been
made in the house on the democratic side worth
listening to or answering, except Kerr,s and
that like that of his new associate Farpswortb
wac or firply devoted IN hot
tenth amendment meant no thing, except as a
declaration; no power to effectually enforce or
prevent being embraced in it.
PERSONAL POLITICS.
So far Mr.. Farnsworth made the strongest ar.
gument against the policy involved, as well as
against the bill itself. The Illinois representa-
tive can hardly be deemed to represent the sent.
ment of bis distriet-one so long represented by
Owen LoveJoy, and the strongest republican one
in the west Farnsworth has taken the road
which leads to either isolation or to the dcmocra-
cy. He appears no longer to be controlled by any
motive other than hatred to Butler.
THE REPUBLICAN, DEBATERs.
on the republican side there have been
NUMBER OF strong speeches made. Ohio has
carried on the legal honors, Shellabarper. Perry.
eOiuclnnall'l and Brigham, all being from that
state The burden of each argument turned ON
the power to pass bill with the general G.a-
lures OF the one now pending, rather than -,
the complete conslituhonality Of its de,a;s
Judge Sbellabarger has wisely bent the discus
sion in this direction, leaving the anavtica,
phase 10 come in With amendments. Gov
BlaiPs speech Is also one Of the strongest made
as showing how slowly conservative mind Iik,
bis reaches the necessity, but how thorough,
it is accepted when once realized. Mr.. Hoar,
argument stands among the foremost, not mere
ly from the clearness and force with which /
is put, as because it gives in striking
form the idea which possesses so many
minds here-that there is perforce ant
naturally in the national government I'M
! der the constitution, the power to correct and