The Ottawa free trader., 1876-11-04
SPEECH OF HON. B. G. cAULTIELD.
The following Is the substance ofthe speech
of Hon. i. G. Caulted at the Court House IN
Ottawa on Saturday evening, Oct. 2oth;

II is q rood omen that everywhere, IN this
campaipD. wherever there is a democratic
meeting, even in hitherto republican strong.
holds, the democratic speakers are greeted
with an earnest, hearty enthusiasm by people
of all ranks and conditions. Such has been
nv personal experience wherever | have
Ibeen' and such has been that of others in our
cause. This is a sure evidence Of the deep
interest taken in the political affairs of the
nation. 1t shows consciousness that the al
fairs Of the country have been so wretchedly
mismanaged, that change of administration
has become absolutely necessary. (Applause)
The peoples eyes have been opened to this
| imperative necessity, from the enormous an
nual expenditure Of their money-the govern
ment funds wrung from them by grinding
taxation year after year and constantly IN
Creasing.
Under the pretence of paying the public
debt you for time uDgrudglngly paid these
great sums of money but you have begun to
discover that this money-a great portion OF
it-has been used for election purposes, to
keep a vile, corrupt horde OF politicians in
power; part of 1t squandered in building
worthless ships, IN jobbery of thousand
kinds; part has been stolen; part paid as sal
aries to thousands Of officers who do nothing {;
and only a contemplate balance has been
used ir the legitimate expenses OF the govern
ment, (applause); and at length you have be-
gun to investigate the conduct of the men 10
whom you have paid these enormous sums OF
money TO this end you elected democrat.
| ic House of Representatives, and they, in
obedience to your Instructions, instituted
series of Investigations which they prosecu-
ted as we'll as they were able and with results
that have astonlshed you and confounded the
Republicans, exposing their leaders as corrupt
and rotten. (applause)
During my brief time In congress | have
had wonderful revelations of the depths OF
intamy 10 which many of their most proml.
nent men have descended-men high in place
and power and hitherto respected citizens.
was chairman Of the committee on the
department of iustice,-of courts, from the
highest to the lowest and wish to give you
a glimpse of the ylllalnies which we man
aged TO uncover (Applause.)
Why is it, with all the varied resources OF
agriculture, stock-raising, mining Of coal,
copper, iron, lead, zinc and gold and silver,
manufacturing and rapid means of transpor-
tatlon in all directions, which the United
States possess to such an unlimited extent,
that we yet are buried under mountains Of
national, state, local and individual debts?
Why is it that our great stores are closed
and our manufactures idle and every branch
of trade so crippled or dead, or mortgaged, or
in the hands of the sheriff or in bankruptcy?
The answer Is, because of these corruptions
in the administration OF government. Inc
people have lost confidence in the leaders
have no faith in our law makers. Capital
will seek the safest investment. III Will not
go into factories or large mining interests,
likely, by corrupt management OF national
affairs to be continually tampcred with. zap
plause)
These men in power had so long used the
government unmolesed as private individual
plunder, that they forgot or Ignored the peo-
pie behind tieii-the voters who gave them
power, the taxpayers who furnished the mon
ey,-and from being your servants have as
sumed to be your masters! Applause
1t was with view to remedy.ng these fear
tul evils that we began our labors on the com
mttee.
At first the republican Office holders at the
Capitol were extremely obsequlous to u.s.
Their polieness and attention to this demo.
cratic house." as they then politely called us,
was astonishing. But as soon as we began to
organize investigating committees, they-es
pecialy those that we afterwards caught with
soled hands-Qaughter) began to get cool
towards us, and no sooner had we got fairly
in pursuit Of the leading corrupuonis,s than
we were denounced as the "rebel House,
the cOnfederates," TRAITORS" and similar
opprobnous epithets Uaughter) Why, gen
tleMen, this rebel or confederate house OF rep
resentatives has done more successful work
for the regeneration Of this nation than all
the republican houses that have ever met at
Washington put together. (Applause.)
| have the personal testimony OF two re-
publican members of the house who openly
-1,l. ..l tInt la. IQ
house had done wonders,-for 1t had rescued
the people from the profigacy OF the party in
power an achievement that the honest inde-
pendent republicans could never haye done,
and which the vast majority Of the rcpubli-
cans in the house would never have consent
ed to do-that Is, purge itself of Its corrupt
leaders and punish its thieves. (Applause.l
Our democratic house. after due considera
tion on course of action, decided that the
better way to pay the public debt would be
10 institute q vigorous system OF economy ana
reform IN the expenditure of the public funds
and to stop up every leak in the public treas
ury (Applausc) We inaugurated the very
doctrine so forcibly enunciated in Tilden's
letter of acceptance. (Applausc) We deter
mined to oconomlze and live within our means
to weed out useless Office holders-sine
cures and dependents upon the government
rendering no labor but that of receipting for
their salaries.
We were determined to tolerate no officer
in any position who was known to be dishon
est or negligent of duty so far as lay in our
power TO reach him. But we met with num-
erous difficulties. Almost every official about
the public offices seemed at once in league
with those whose tracks we were pursuing
Books and papers and information were de-
MED us, insOme cases, and in others the means
Of getting at them were 50 entanglcd in mesh
es OF red tape and tedious circumlocution
that our spare hours between sessions gave US
not sufficient time 10 prosecute our research
es! In every instance where we found new
and unusual difficulties, or blunt and abrupt
rcfusals to our demands for a sight at partic-
ular records, we were told at is by order of
General Grant
Here we have the President himself Oh.
struciiag and even totally blocking up the
road 10 the investigation of thieves and ras-
Gals holding public ofticel Grant throwing