The New York herald., 1873-11-07
yet hope to Succeed to his fathsf's business and

more tnan nis iather's power.
THE Sc, ATOR,s INFLUENCE WITH THE FAMILY
In a Corporation where the family and the com
pany are identical 1t IL only natural that some one
sbo,.ld control all the others and their analrs
AZ er the death oil his uncle this position naturally
y evolved upon Amasa Sprague but Amasa, though
no prude, was not bold enough 10 undertake the
management OF so large property. Neither he
nor his brother William had received an education
adequate to 80 great task. But William Sprague
outside he carried most sanguine disposition.
He was ready to accommodate the spirit OF HIS
elder brother and allow Amasa TO content MS soul
among the printing machines and the operatives
in the works at Cranston, while he swayed the
financial business oi the concern IN the oifces IN
Providence In consequence Amasa became one
or the most expert mechanics In the country
while William was worshipped by the family as q
genius, ana even came TO regard himself as one OF
the greatest fnanciers in the United states.
No man in his position could have
imagined such a thing without inordi-
@ borderea es'sg upon monomania. % lie was ambitious to
employ and control 100, 600 men. He wanted 10 ex-
interests Of New England, and even had thought Of
directing the monetary Interests OF New YORK. IN
politics he OF course thought IT necessary to carry
u Alar vote OF Rhode Island In his 0reecnes
pocket. His ambition was boundless. He was vas
able to bend his tamily to his absolute viii. HIS
workmen were ready to do his bidding. the
toadles OF his h, .. OF whom there were thou.
sands in the tSy and State, fawned ana
tyrant than Charlemagne, and was regarded by his
followers not less inallible than the Pope lie
was a young man OF splendid position. courted ana
ter of an eminent public man thought an alliance
with his house the best in the country. In MS
hood Senator OF the United States, successful IN
business, in politics and in love- IT was
no wonder ms family should wSrshp or MP benn a
a man OF stronger mould II his intellect had been
fired with steadler name. the result might have
been different. II he had even been surrounded
by able men in whom he could con1de and had
been guided by their advice, his career might have
oughly in himself, and he believed in no one ese
He was afraid OF abler men than William Sprague,
even though they held obscure positions and were %
to be loyal to his interests. Accordingly,
the best men employed IN his legitimate ate
principal political friends had no higher
duty than to keep check books Of the voting popu-
at his bidding. such policy, supported by ms ms
successes, might seem crown OF glory IN the
Of the female smDers IT Os q ms
brother-in-law, Mayor Doyle 1t is doubtful II 1t
long continued to dazzle the eyes OF his wife,
| for Kate Chase. has too keen an intellect and
knows too well the ways Of politics and politicians
| to be long deceived. But it might well belog his
| brother Amasa, and 1t certainly charmed and be-
| witched his own vision. He was at once the
| SardaEapalus and the Beshazzar OF the family-a
bewitchlng image in the eyes OF his friends and
! followers ef1eminate even when he was most sui
! len and m0rose, but doomed adventurer in the
| opinion OF others, Of whom the andwrting on the
| wall declared that he could not long be king.
! THE OPPOSITION TO THE SENATOR'S CAREER
Though ne could brook no opposition, Senator
|
ali times other men in Rhode Island had aims
| and interests in lile-pOlittcal and business am
bition-as well as he. AT least one great house, II
not so Ostentatious was even richer than the
| Spragues. This was the house OF Brown Ives,
which mas been in existence over 200 years, whose
| account books even now are labelled 'Province OF
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations" These
people mad long controlled the University ana had
exercised great political influence in the State but
the latter was passive rather than active. Neither
| Mr.. Brown nor Mr.. Ives had any particular am
bition Of his own. They were both comparatively
4 nh mn ryhn Gnrn0 IN "a
greatest wrong to him. or the one which he and his
friends would feel most keenly that they looked
rHWr regarded pG him M as o parve, @ socially they hey
never allowed , him t to be Hsaa,,v upon or ,,to to
were old wings, and he. a young democrat, met
| upon the common ground of the republican party
during the war. In business they were OF the old
fashioned no credit, pay-as-yougo school, while he
| was speculator, entrenched behind an extensive
| legitimate manufacturing interest," but dealing
largely in promises to pay and acceptances. Under
| such circumstances there could be sympathy
between the rival houses and their adherents
| become that newspaper Bohemian made a few
dollars by clubbing them the Mohtagues and Capu-
| lets OF Rhode Island. Besdes another generation
and and H this generation % is the real 4Brown Ivcs oi
whom we have heard so much during the last few
men who are the head OF the house, are the active
| spirits oil what may call 1.-The Brown
pany.n Colonel William Goddard is Of about the
same age Senator william Sprague. He would
not OBJECT TO Deng Governor OI Cne state, OF even
to taking Sprague's place in the Senate. Naturally
the rival OF Sprague he opposed Sprague's pOlitl-
cal aspirations at all times, aud his riends or 1.-THE
| friends OF Brown a. lves,u which included all of
| Sprague's enemies, whether they knew or cared
| for Brown Ives or not, sometimes routed the
| Sprague faction horse loot and dragons. God.
dard sometimes laughed at Spragues method Of
| doing business, and the sneer was re-echoed in
every corner o. the state ~ very short short time IL
an1 whether intended to have this effect or not,
Sprague felt its rebound in the deprecated credit
/ nfh zhnnsa Aan nOnln a hn
young Senator which Goddard never uttered, but,
naturally enough Sprague attributed every
on se
had become exceedingly bitter, and Sprague was
gOaded to fury. Then 1t was that he made his
famous speeches in the Senate, striking right and
lett at his unseen enemies In blind wrath ana
making q figure OF himself such as no Senator ever
made before. II he had any settled purpose in
making these speeches it was to save his credit
from the evil effects OF what he considered detrac-
| ton but in this he completely overshot the mark
by the bitterness he evinced, making hundred
enemies wDere before he had but one, and by his
| egotism, arr ogance, crudeness and obscurity he
succeeded only IN becoming q laughing stock
| before the whole country.
| sPRAGUE's SINGULAR POLITICAL METHODS.
have already indicated that large part oil
the sprague property may be called the political
| extension. have purposely excluded from the
list any Of the mill property tor this
| capital OF the company. The political extension
consists mostly OF cash advanced to the following
companies:-
sprague Moving Machine company ............ 6l3OOO
Gomstoek Cons Foundry Company Sog
Wilcox caorc Engine Company. ..-.............. $1,000
American Horse Nail Company. ................ E001
Perkins Sheet Iron Company. y............... 236 O0o
Total sl2lsoOo
The mill property IN the State and even the
| landed property, which, wanting in fertility 1t
would be important aids TO the political ambition
! OF any man. They forwarded the ambition OF
N ha attad IN