The Van Buren press., 1872-03-12

reply was "Well, it 10 true; but will
tell you secret (but promise never to
mention it:) Yoa have got the guns,
but they are wooden guns, and never had
any metal in them F" Cheers
Gov. Brown went on to say, that whilst
inclined to speak thus frankly OF one part
of the convention, there was another part
and much the largest part toward which
he felt no disposition TO exercise clemen-
cy. What have we witnessed again to-
day in the State of Missouri The
President of the United States CONTROL.
ing directly from the White House all
the officials Of the government service
and precipitating them into this conven-
ton to control its deliberation. Only a
week since it was announced by the
press that conclavc Of them had been
summoned to Washington, and to day
they return with their worthless, con
scienccless leader at their head, and back
cd up by several car loads OF followers,
who have been put on ~ delegates, take
possession of the convention; make their
Sachem temporary chairman; organize
their committees, and "run the machine,
to use one Of their own classic express
ions This is the Republican Tammany,
Those who have nVtcd tell me that two
hundred-there or thereabouts-of the
delegates are Office holders, employees or
dependents by contract or servive on led
cral patronage. Both the marshsls OF
United States are here; the custom house
is here in full force; the surveyors Of
flee is here; the appraiser of mechandise
calls the body to order. What nappy
selection. Cheers. The internal rev.
enue pours IN its collectors and asses
sors aud subordinates from every dis
trict in the State, the land-oiiice gives
up its ghosts and the post office has no
shame to parade in platoons even the
letter carriers of st. Louis, whilst sum
moning likewise its representatives from
every village that could DO reached with
railroad pass. Cheers. And last OF
all, here turns ups again that celebrated
trio whose unquiet shade l had though
was finally laid" Easton, Smith and
Newcomb Cheers
In some instances it has been rcall,
pitiablc to see the stretch of power thai
has forced attendance. Here WAS post
master Warnoth, father OF his cxcellen'
CIV of Louisiana, VINO como feebly for
ward to duty, protesting "you know
didn't want to, you know. but yot
know l couldn't help 1t, you know.
Cheers. And here WAS my friend Tin
O'Brien from st. Louis, who had escap
ed all their vigilance last fall, corneree
al last, and now crowded to the front t.
give a show Of Liberalism suppose te
the convention, Chccrs Why, there
could not have been greater gathering
of them If there had been five thous
and dollar Office TO be filed Cheers
What a v.st IL has boon Tor tho people o
Missouri! For one day the silent exac
tons have been suspended. Fo. ont
day the mails must have ceased to dis
tribute. For one day enforcement ot
search aud seizure has lullci with tht
detectives whilst the Office holders heId
high carnival over an expected four years
added lease in their luxurious livings
Let me say. therefore, that when from
this list OF the five hundred you take Out
the henchmen and the marshals, the ex
ministers and expcctants, the custom
house and the surveys Office. the internal
revenue service, the post office, the in
spectors, the mail carriers, the contract.
ors; when you subtract the very re.
spectacle members Of the general Assem-.
bly, who were appointed delegates, to
save mileage. perhaps, Checrs and
those have before named, as vainly
coming with hope for better things
when all these arc deducted, the conven.
ton, tear, so far as The people are con
cerned, would show but beggarly ac'
count of empty benches And this is
what is commended to us as O
neat but not gaudy illustration of civil.
service reform DO you wonder now
that civil service reform met with snecr
from the President, aud was kicked out
Of countcnance by the Senatorial ring
And we Liberals are abused and trsduc.
ed because we do not choose to take
part and parcel with them in such desc
cration-diabolica desecration, ot all
true Republicanism
1t was against just such courses OF
false professions and infamous practice
that they dared us 10 try conclusions
with them one year ago That they did
not much relish the result of that con.
Gict, judge by tho. plainti-e cry that
goes up from them on all occasions tor
union and harmony. [Cheers. Yes.
you arrogantly demand reunion, but who
taught YOU tho virtue OF that amnesty
which you now parade in your resolu-
tons, yet arc as far from feeling
in your hearts as when you shouted in
derision at us when we separated in
1902 Who taught you the necessity of
proclaiming again your eagerness for
civil service reform. 10 which you are
giving SO complete and disgraceful n
contradiction in your convention OF to
day? Who taught you to hide and con
ceal that faith in centralizing all power
in the hands Of the executive at Wash
ington. which twelve months since was
the willing theme of glowing lectures by
your ablest orator under the taking cap
ton of "the nation. The answer
springs at once to the lips, and il that
battle is to bc once more renewed on
Missouri soil-I bid you welcome to the
conflict, and promise you shall have such
a settlement as will last you for the bal
ance of your days. Cheers. And this
time it will be unsparing work, and you