Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-04-28
REMARKS
OF THE HON. HESTER CLYMER. OF PENN
sYLvANIA, INTHE HOUSE OF REPRE-
sENTATIvEs, APRiL is, 1874.

L
Mr.. Clymer. II what has Just been stated
oy the chairman on Appropriations be true s
IL Is Dut corroborative of the opinion long I
entertained on this side Of the chamber that
the number OF offices and the pay attached
thereto under the existing Administration
Is too great. More than once this has been
asserted and shown. So far as can remom-
ber we have received but one answer, which
consists ofdenuciatiOns of administ rations
PRIOR TO the year 1860; the design being to
conceal existing abuses and evtravaRance.
Aud no one has done SO more persistently
than by colleague. Judge Kelley, who,
when this bill WAS under consideration on
a former occasion, took occasion 10 assert
ccncerning the administration OF James |
Buchanan that ii there never had been such |
season of protlisscy as those same four
years.
Sir, during those four years purity in
private ami integrity in public life were the |
| rule and not the exception. During those |
years elections were tree ana not controlled |
| by military authority; the freedom OF speech |
and Of the press were not abridged the |
right of the people to be secure in their per- |
| sons and effects was not prohibited; the |
right OF trial by jury was not denied; no
| cruel or unnecessary punishments were
| infiicted; innocent men were not arrested
by the "tnkling OF a bell.' aud lett 10 lam
guish in the fortresses OF the United States
during the pleasure Of President or Secre-
| tary and innocent women were not banged.
| Theu. sir, there was neither unbriuled
taking OF gifts nor Wholesale sppointing OF
relatives to offices. There were no "Black
Fridays" to be inquired into; no corners
IN gold or in stocks 10 be accounted for, and
nO"L and Stocking" jobs and contracts
to be execrated. Collectors of Customs were
not forced to resign by outraged merchants,
nor wore presidential letters needed as
"bills of health" for exposed and deposed
officials. Innumerable and unnecessary
| offices were not created to support In use
lessness aud idlsness the "barnacles'' cling
| ing 10 the party craft, and the presence of
the Federal tax gatherer never darkened
the door of either the rich or the poor.
Then, sir, presidential or other salaries
were not increased, neither was the Treasu-
ry depleted by the use of contingent funds
for the ease. luxury and spiendot OF high
officials Our ships of war were not used
as pleasure boats, nor were the soldiers OF
the Republic employed rs mensls in the
streets and houses OF this capital.
During those four years Vice President of
the nited States was not in complication with
infamous practices, aud sent to his home in shame
aud dishonor, Then, sir, no man questioned the
integrity oil the Congress of the nted States,
uor was it compelled TO purge itself of those who
had stepped themselves i'll inftlny by their con-
lnection with fraudulent schemes, such a. were
lexposed by the "Cfedit Mobilier' investigations
| OF the Forty-secoud Congress.
| In those years sovereign States Were not re.
duced to q condition of vassalage, their substance
eaten up, their treasure sluandered and stolen,
: | and their pleasant places made everywhere desc
late by the hand OF the despoiler The very dreg:
of northern vagabondlsm We're not forced Into
their highest executive and legislative positions
by fraud and violence, and kept there by the de
crees OF corrupt Judiciary, sustained by Fedora
bayonets, in defiance of right and justice and II
contempt of the will of the people.
Then, sir, from under the very shadow OF the
Capitol there came no despairlnS cry from tn,
people 10 I've relieved of and protected from the
burdens and exactions OF the task-lAasters Sc
i over them by Federal authority, whom they &C
L lcused OF malteasance and corruption by wheel
their property was being contiscated, their meant
, exhausted and their property destroyed.
In that season OF profligacy," As It Is stigma
- tized by my colleague, the body-poliiic was no
diseased to the core, 50 that il might be touche;
nowhere that vile corruption and fostering rot
tenness would not ooRe forth. In those day
spies, inIoI mers and moety-grabbers were no
hired and sent forth to prey upon merchant cit
zen and corporation, so that iavorites might lat
ten on dues belonging to the Federal Treasury
Then defaultCrs were not screened in their ptcti
70 lations, or pardoned, if by accident convicted
and their bondsmen lcft unmolestcd by reason G
n their social aud personal relations with those il
n authority.
1t Then. sir, no wild railroad schemes were TO.
"a tered by the Government by which layman an
es priest, widow and orphan, were plsnlered an
ruined Millions and tens Of millions Of acres c
I the public domain were not given away to Law
i, less corporations without price and for no cor
j., sideratiOn, and by them used for the enrchmen
a of ,.insde rings OF gamblers and Speculation
5. who have brought shame aud dishonor upon Oh
:. national name and credit.
a, The manufactures, trade, commerce an
j. business generally were not stricken as II b
the hand of paralysis, ana starving men an
women did not march through the streets O
our cities crying for work or bread, but re
- iceiyne neither. Honest industry received it
reward and bloated fortunes coined out of tn
necessities OF the people were unknown; an
in that day there were no privileged classes q
40 bankers and bOndholders, whose Golfers wer
W filled to overfowing by immunites granted a
IS the expense of the people.
So Then, sir, there was republican simplicity i
50 official life and manners, and there was n
Uo aping of regal magnificence in establishment
20 intercourse or equipage
20 These, sir, are come Of the things which di
90 not exist, did not occur and were not don
90 dnrina the administration of James Buehana
q that season Of prohgacy" referred 10 by m
colleague. Did time permit many other
- might be enumerated and held forth for gen
~ erai detestation and excreation. But, sir,
these things do exist have occurred and ar
drne in this "season of prohigacy," whic
. has been of fourteen dreary years duration
/ it is not difficult 10 determine the respons
bllity.
And sir, of all these high crimes and misd'
meanors, of all these sins ofomisslon and con
mission, of all these inyasions OF the righ'
and liberties of the people, OF all these viola
40 na lions of the Constitution and the law, hei
ia and now arraign the party To which my CO.
lis league belongs before the bar OF the America
~ people.
a. When tae State becomes enervated an
,ro ~, corrspt, when the services offs spies and IN
nd FORMERS are needed and resoIted to- whe
those in authority are regardless OF the Coz
stitution and the law, and are sustaine
therein by reason oftne general debasemel
and Decentralization of the people. then, 81