The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-06-23
the strongest condemnation and punish
ment2 These arc questions which must
be answered promptly and positively.
q Hutler's Rig Hlnw.


II vas announced in all the Washington
papers that "Old Cock Eye" would make
big speech Friday evening, and a great
crowd assembled, of course. The speech
was devoted to defence of the rascally
notifies system and especially of B. BIS eli
ents, Jayne Il Co, the spy informers and
investigators of pretended frauds and the
blackmailers of honest merchants por-
ton of the "swag" thus dishonesty obtain.
ed going. as is believed, for B. BIS private
benefit. There was no occasion for the
speech except as defence of the thieves
and blackmailers who are B. BIS friends.
He was terribly severe upon Mr.. VIM. E.
Dodge, of New York well known in this
city, We copy the following from tele-
graphic report of his speech:
Mr.. Butler proceeded to relate how the
laws which authorized American statuary
! to be imported free of duty had been taken
advantage of by Phelps, Dodge & CO., who
imported statues Of the Goddess Of Liber-
ty, OF Washington, and of Jefferson, in
lead, tin, and copper, and then turned
them from the warehouse into the melting
not. But importing lead, tin, and copper,
as statues of the Goddess of Liberty of
! Washington, and of Jefferson was not by
any means the most serious raid that
Phelps, Dodge 4 Co., had made on the
revenue. In 1864, before Grant had or
gained the Army of the Potomac to cross
the Rapidan, when gold was 1870, Congress
passed resolution increasing all tariff du-
ties so per cent for 60 days. Dodge went
to the treasury department and had a
comma taken out of one place and put in
another, and thereby cleared 81, 100000.
Mr.. Butler resumed his speech. and
spoke of Dodge making long sermons by
day and prayers by night, while his part
ner was detrauding the government to the
amount OF millions, and he himself was Civ
ing thousands for the church.
Referring to the check for $4,000 sent
by the treasurer of the Delaware and Lack
awana Railroad company in payment of
taxes, and to the curious fact that San
born, in New York, knew the number and
description Of the cheek sent to the trea-
sury department, he said that that fact
was not so remarkable after all, as that the
clerk who wrote the check was the same
person who had given the information to
SanbOrn. Laughter. There was a pro
verb that If YOU scratch Russian you find
a Tartar; and so, if you scratch one of
Phelps, Dodge x Co., you find defrauder
Of the revenue. Laughter. 1t so hap
pened that VIM. E. Dodge was chairman
OF the executive committee Of that railroad
company which owed this 100000 for de-
! linquent taxes, and this, SAID he, is VIM.
| +. Dodge, of the firm of Phelps, Dodge Il
Co, the merchant prince, the Christian
J merchant, who imports american statues
at the risk of breaking the nose of the God
dess of Liberty when she is made of lead
Laughter.
The speech is well worth reading as a
specimen of the worst styIeof Congression-
al oratory. 1t is smart, but not truthful;
powerful, but not decent. 1t was quite
apparent that he made not one friend, and
while he gained some applause for his
ready wit, the end of it was that the
disgust and contempt held by the
majority Of the House for him was only in
tensified The cause of Jayne and San
born was not helped, while the viIlaines of
the outrages on the people, sanctioned by
the moieties and Sanborn laws, and the
despicable characters of the informers and
spies, were only shown up in stronger light
than ever before
Replies were made by Messrs. Foster,
Dawes, f. H. Roberts, and Tremaine.
Mr. Tremaine denounced Butler as the
apolOgist on the floor of congress, for thieves
and a villifer of honest men. 1t was bad
night for b. B. who was badly punished
and struck back feebly at the close.