Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-03-13
Good Words in the Senate.

I The best things that have been said in
either House Of Congress this session, says the
New York Eosntng Post, were said Weines-
day in the Senate by Messrs Carpenter and
Thurman. They were manly and vigorous
/ protests against the encroachments of cen =
( tralzation, which is now threatening to a5-
serb every remaining function of the safe
| governments, and almost every right of the
( individual.
I The occasion was an amendment to the
legislative appropriation bill introduced by
Senator Sawyer to increase the appropria-
ton for a mongrel Office, called the Bureau
of Education. from $50 500 TO S36 $50
did any one ever hear of an amendment to
decrease appropriations When Carpenter
asked under what head of federal jurIsdic-
ton this bureau belonged, Sawyer replied by
asking another question, which was, to what
Carpenter confessed he could not tell Sawyer
could not tell nobody could tell in truth
and the fact stands out that there are two
grand bureaus ct least for which there is not a
particle of warrant in the Constitution nor
in any other document capable Of comforting
authority They are excresences both, that
have grown up almost insensbly, and that
will soon swell. unless cut off, into the pro-
portions Of departments.
Mr.. Carpenter, IN opposing TINS uselc IS
waste Of money for iIegitimate object
said that we are fast travelling toward.
concentration Of power in the federal govern
mcnt, and it would be well TO stop and look
around Us and ask what authority we have
to establish this Bureau Of Education. We
have Bureau Of Agriculture What more
authority have we to establish either Of these
bureaus than to establish bureau of boots
and shoes, a bureau of merchandise, or of
silk goods, or Of any industry of I'll c country?
These Bureaus Of Agriculture and Education
are in my judgment, an innovation and
usurpation on the part Of this government. ="
In the same strain Mr. Thurman agreed
with Mr.. Carpenter in every word he had
said on this subject. The central govern
ment was gradually encr0aching on the pow
ers OF the states. The Department Of Agri-
culture began as mere bureau for the col /
lection Of statistics, but it grew TO be q de- /
partment, and the next thing would prJbI 7
bly, be that the head Of it would be made a
cabinet officer. 50, too, the Bureau of Eiuca /.
ton was growing into department OF pub /
lie instruction, and before long we should .
have minister Of public institution, who .
would be a member Of the cabinet. Unless .
the people put stop to this esntralizin- (
it would never end until it had alb
sorbed every power Of the states and assumed .
the right to regulate every industry in tho
Mr.. Carpenter is a republican and Mr..
Thurman y a Democrat hut nlad n ,
sec them unite IN sentiment which should be
common property Of all parties, because they
are founded upon the most elementary priu-
ciples Of constitutional government. During .
the war we were compelled to wink at many
stretches, and even at some abuses OF power;
but, the moment the war closed, every man
ia the nation and every party in the nation,
ought to have set It's lace against the wrong /
Nor is it TOO late now to begin the reform.
" G hear a great deal Of new departures of
late; but. our opinion, the best new de- /
parture that any body OF men could make .
would be like that of Sawney, when he was
caught crawling towards a henroost, :. Back /
again W must depart from the errors .
into which we have wandered and assume .
our original position. The mischefs that I
have been already wrought, and the greater .
mschIets that are likely to be wrought by /
the mutations of centralism are only too obvi- /
Gus, and we rejoice 20 see prominent men Of I
both parties den0uncIng them with honest /
Indignation 1t is our thunder, but it is at /
the service of all the world.