The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-03-05
senator scaurZ Playing Gr
And Ills EseHcssmen-
,raEt Platform CT the National Labor
ECfGImpry,

vu o"i o"tsioe WIS ucilFereG, C0NKLING
sssailed ScnURz again, and was again
unhorsCd and left in a most deplorahle
plight by the liberal Senator. We quote
from the Globe report Of ScHuEz's
sp5ech:
The Senator (Conkiihg) lcveled one
shaft at me which, TO judge from the
maeniiicence with which he propelled it,
and from the fearful ppmposity of his
looks, he deemed absolutely crushing.
1t was when he said that one day / had
come upon the floor Of The Senate ard
had dared to throw out an insinuation
against the Chief Of this Republic, as
to his being connected with some very
questionable practices in New York
Sir, let me say TO the Senator and TO
the country that 6y the statements l
then made l am willing to stand TODAY,
whether the Senator from New York
calls them an insnuation or not; and
for his especial benefit l will repeat
them, and | dare say that recent devel-
opments have confirmed the truth Of
what stated. What did say? ! said
that there was system Of robbery 60
ing on at New York known as the gen
eral order business | said that the
general order business had been desert
bed az such in the report of the COM
nittee OF this body which had by its
orders Investigated it. | said that the
merchants of New York had protested
against It. And now declare that the
system. in its naked deforlnity, and fn
far more elsring light than any yet shed
upon it, has been exhibited to the eyes
Of the country once more By the inves
tigation which has just taken place.
The conclusion drew waa this, that
when the public opinion of the mercan,
tile community denounced so scanda-
lous an abuse; when the Secretary of
the Treasury had it investigated and re-
ported against it; when a committee Of
the Senate had done the same, and it
was still maintained, then there must be
a power stronger than public opinion,
stronger than the Secretary of the
Treasury to sustain it; and what said
then repeat to day. Will the Senator
gainsay itp That is the language l
then used that is the insinuation then
threw out. If the Senator from New
York can say that the logic is bad, let
him speak II the Senator from New
York can say that my statement of facts
is faulty, let him speak II he can say
that my conclusions are unjust, let him
speak But if he cannot do that, by
what right does he stand up here impu-
ting to me desire of throwing an i'm
putation against the Chief of the Re
public, when 1 only spoke of the facts
open to the gaze of the whole world,
and drew conclusions from which no
sane man can escape?
Let me tell him that the people have
their eyes open; they see what is going
on, ard they have minds clear enough
to form their own Judgment. Let me
tell him that the people appreciate the
efforts OF those who have had the bold.
ness to face those in power, and that
those who think that by magnificent ell
oquence they can cover up the abuses
which are pervading the public service,
however clear they may lay before the
ewes of the world, will find themselves
grievously disappointed Thus much
as to the insinuations thrown by myself
against the Chief of this Republic.
TO this Conkling made no response
Tom Murphy, Leet and Stocking and
the New York general order business is
tender subject with him, but he did
indulge in the usual resource of the
Administration Senators in talking
about "saturnaia of licentious talk, !"
etc. Schurz would not let him escape
He had his opponent pinned to the wall,
and proposed to keep him there. We
again quote from his speech: which
closed the debate for the day:
Sir, let me again turn to the thing
that looks like argument in this contro-
versy. A case has been dragged in hy
the Senator from New York from which
| will not let him escape so easily.
asked him whether the facts l had stated
in regard to the general order business
were not correct He did not say they
were not He did not assert that it was
not most scandalous system of plum
der He did not assert that it had been
investigated by committee Of this
body, and that the scandal had not been
exposed in the gIaring light Of day
He did not assert that the Secretary Of
the Treasury had not investigated and
reported against it He did not assert
that this very same scandal is not exis
ting to this very day. He did not deny
the correctness of my logical conclusion,
that if public opinion was not strong
enough to remove it, that if the Secre-
tsry of the Treasury, in spite of his ad-
verse opinion. was not strong enough
to abolish it, there must be some pow
er stronger than public opinion, and
stronger than the Secretary Of the
Treasury to sustain it. Let him indulge
in phrases ever so magnificent, let him
walk up and down here with an air ever
so gorgeous, let him say to me that
what l stated was ever so base, yet the
truth of it he cannot deny, and there l
hold him Manifestations of applause
in the galleries, which were checked by
the Vice President And now, sir,
here we stand before the country, one
of us exposing himself to ohloquy for
a cause which he has proven to be Just
and according to established truth, and
the other vociferates against him in the
most magniloquent way, who has not
yet shown that he possesses the courage,
in the face of "the powers that be" to
draw an honest conclusion.
Dispatch from the Labor Reform
Nominee for President,
COLUMBUS, Feb, 23-The following
dispatch is just received from Judge
Davis: e.
"WAsuINGToN, Feb. %.