The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1874-12-03

The following letter from Hon. Z. O..
Howe was received by q prominent gen
tIsznan in this city. In publishing it we
conform to The wishes Of many of our
friends:
WASHINGTON, Nov. %, 1874.
ny DEAR SIR :
T ought perhaps to have acknowledged
your kind favor of the 9th ultimo be
fore this time, but at that date and up
to election I was busy with the canvass.
After the election L was occupied with
my preparations for this place, where /
arrived on Wednesday evening last.
Let me thank you now for your offer to
serve me in reference 80 the Senatorial
question now pending in Wisconsin.
But at the same time / must assure you,
there IS but one way in which you can
serve me in that matter. The only IN
ter st / have in the matter IS, to have
him elected who will DO most to main
tain republican supremacy III the state.
Do yon know who that man is? Ny
own Judgment is not 50 clear rs [ wish it
was, but since you profess some con-
fdence in my Judgment upon political
matters, . and the election is over, I viii
tel you cardidly what think of HE
problem.
I assume from all I hear that the
choice Of the Legislature viii fall upon
1Ir. Carpenter or Mr.. Washburne. Both
are deservedly distinguished, the latter
for the solidity OF his counsels, the
former for the bziiliancy Of his advocacy.
If both were private citizens Offering
for the Senate, now for the first time,
the choice Of the party would probably
be determined by It's Judgment, as to
whether Il needed most help 20 frame a
new policy, OF help to defend policy
already agreed upon. But such is not
the status Of the candidates. On the
contrary, Mr.. Carpenter is now Senator.
Re is Just ending his first term. His
friends claim chat, according to political
usage. q second term is due hin unless
he has forfeited it by misconduct during
his first terra And III his case the cues.
lion IS, has lie forfeited the place?
But General Washburna, although
now . private citizen, has been often in
the public service. Three times before
the war he was sent to congress. He
was q Major General during the war.
Twice he was sent to congress since the
war. Three years ago he was made
Governor, and enc year ago, he was re
nominated without a show Of opposition.
There is no pretense he has forfeited
anything. No one denies he would
make an excellent Senator. In fact one
seems to be on trial, while the other is
not. TO elect Nashburne is to say Car
penter IS guilty. To elect Carpenter
does not say that NJ. Washburne is
guilty, but only that Carpenter is not
guilty. But IS Carpenter guilty? Guilty
OF what? Not Of that vague, nebuious,
Gacoidt ty,rgld fog of reproach under
which some opposition newspapers have
tried to bury him for & few years past (?
He IS already acquitted Of that by the
crowds of our fellow citizens who have
gathered to hear him speak, III the name
OF republicanisrn, during this past az
tuun. Re Is acquitted OF that by every
decent man or woman who admits him
10 their parlor, OF who bow to him on
the street. He must be acquitted Of
that by every man who is not willing 10
expose lis own character to the remorse-
less corrosion Of that subtle, but spar
ring SANDER against which the most ex-
allied character IS helpless.
But more specific charges have been
urged against Mr.. Carpentac, charges
which affect not his personal bat his
representative character. Only two, !
3hink, have really preiuGiced him IN
public Estimation. One is that he sup
ported the Poland Gag Law, The 9th
er that he supported the SALARY Grab
Law
The first charge rests upon an utter
misooaosption o. the law, It has no
more relation 10 the freedom Of the
press than has any other chapter in the
criminal code. Whoever VII raa1 the
net viii sec tlat. And venture 20 pre-
diet. thas no man, who IS q candidate
Tor the senate next winter, viii agree 70
vote for the repeal Of that set. One who
should do so would vote to repeal the
penalties against counterfei.iIag to set
votes.
The other charge IS more serious, and
batttar sustained. Senator Carpenter
did vote for an increase of salaries,
AMI the law was male retroactive. |
think he made mistake, but I think i