Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-08-16


not keep track of the Proceedings of the
House of Representatives SO as to vote as he
meant to, but voted as he saw another man
vote-this man who was convicted By two Of
his fellow members as having preyaricated in
the premises? or for General Grant who al
ways viii have sufficient decision Of charac-
ter to act for himself, on all matters of inter-
est to the country, without being obliged to
humiliate himself by saying he did not mean
to do what he had done? Greeleys record
in Congress as shown by General Hall in the
speech above referred to is as follows:
See Congressional Globe lSio 1919, 30th
Congress "a session, page 1886
Books to members.
sMr. Edwards offered the following amen !
meHt.
BE it enacted, That the sans of money
appropriated in this line Tor books be deduct
"od from the pay Of those members who voted
''for the appropriation.
Mr.. Edwards then sent the New York Trib-
une OF January 18th, lSl9 to the Clerk ia
bic and asked that the following article con
tanned therein be read, coming from Mir
Greeley:
And yet Mr.. Speaker, it has been limited
Iii not asserted on this floor. that L voted Tor
''these Congressional books! certainly yo-
tied against them at every opportunity, when
81 understood the question. | voted against
''agreeing to that item of the report of the
''Conmittee OF the Wh9le in favor OF the def
''ciency bill, and, the item prevailing | voted
against the whole line. tried to be against
"them at every opportunity. But it seems
upon some stand-up vote of the Committee
cot the Whole, when l utterly misunderstood
'.what was the question before the committee,
al voted for this item. Gentlemen say | did,
''and must presume they are right. l GER
''tainly never meant to do SO, and did all In
'.ny pow er in the House to defeat this oppro-
.'priation. But it is common with me in incl
'.dental and hasty decisions, when do not
.clearly understand the point to be decided,
ito vote with the chairman of the Committee
"of Ways and Means, who is SO generally
Fright and who has special charge of appro-
s.priation bills, .and of expediting business
s.geueraly. Thus only can have voted for
these books, as on all other occasions
voted against them" The paragraph having
been read, Mr. Edwards addressing Mr.. Gree
lev said, II wish to inquire OF the gentle
"man from New York, if l am in order, wheth-
ser that is his editorialI'
To this question Mr.. Greeley replied, ''Er-
"ery gentleman here must remember that
THAT that was out the SUBSTANCE VI Nidl he
had spoken on this floor"
Mr.. Edwards, II understand, then, that
sthe gentlemen vote without understanding
sswhat he was voting for, ana that he would
.'have voted against keeping the books had
..he not been mistaken.
Mr.. Greedy assented.
Mr. Edwards, Il assert that that deciara-
'stion is unfounded in tact; | have the proof
'sthat the gentlemen justified this vote both
"betore and after the voting.
Mr.. Greeley called for the proof. llr. Ed
wards said she held himself responsible, not
'selsewhere,, but here, TO prove that
ssthe gentleman from New York MIR. Gree
.slev) had justified his vote in favor of the
ssbooks both before and after he gave his vote,
upon the grounds on which they all justified
ait. and that this editorial was an after
ssthought, written because he (Mr. Greeley
chad been twitted by certain newspapers with
shaving voted for the books. He held hisI-
.'self ready to name the persons by whom he
''could prove it.
Loud cries of .'name them, name them,
Mr. Edwards in response named Charles Hud-
son. Dr. Darling and Mr.. Pitman.
Mr.. Greeley addressing Mr.. Edwards) II
''say neither of these gentlemen Will say so.
Mr.. Hudson then stated,
II can say, then, that on a particular day,
.'when this book resolution had been before
s'the House-as it was before the House sew
''eral times-I cannot designate the day, but
Zone day when we had been passing upon the
.ques,ion of books, in walking from the
"Capitol, fell in with my friend from New
york (Mr Greeley, that we conversed from
'the Capitol down on to the avenue in rela-
elton to these books; that he stated as under.
s.stood him, (and l think l could not have
''been mistakenly, that he was in favor Of the
III. nHS. hat ba had
s.should vote for the books, and he stated
two reasons; one was that some of those
qualifications were of such character, that
| ''they would never be published unless there
"was some good public patronage held out to
''the publishers; and the other reason was,
sthat the other class of these books at least con-
''tained important elements of history, which
'would be lost unless gathered up and pub
| "iished soon, and as the distribution of these
''books was to ditfuse information over the
community, he was in favor OF the purchase
''of the books and that he himself had suf-
"tercd from not having access to works OF
| "this character"
Mr.. Darling rose and proceeded to say
"On one of the days on which we voted toI
| ''the books now in question, the day that the
| appropriation passed the House, was on
"my way from the Capitol, and passing down
| 'The steps accidently came along side of the
"gentleman from New York Mr.. Greeley
81 heard him say he justified the appro-
''pration of the books to the members on the
aground of their ditiusing general in
''formation. He said that in the city OF
"New York he knew of no place where he
"could go to obtain the information contained
Sin those books; that although it was sup
| posed that in that place the sources of in
| FORMATION were much greater than in almost
'any other other portion of the country, he
'would hardly know where to go in that city
sto find this information and upon this
"ground he would support the resolution in
flavor of the books. This conversation the
gentleman will recollect, took place going
''down from the west door of the Capitol and
''before we got to the Avenue.
Further on Mr.. Greeley said:
Il say now, as did the other day on the
"fioor Of this House, approve the appropri-
''ation for the books provided they are honestly
"disposed of according to the intent of the
appropriation.
Mr. Edwards. ''Why, then, did you make
"the denial in the Tribune, and say that you
''voted against it"
Mr.. Greeley. 81 did vote against it,
I