New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-17
aleu, 0rlea,1s &epnbliea'1.
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF new ORLEANS
APEECH OF HON. MARTIN 1. TOWN.
SEND, OF NEW YORK.

OFFICIAL JOURNAL Ut NEW UhltANS
,PEECH or HON. MARTIN L. TOWN.
SEND, OF NEW YORK.
In the House Of Representative Thurs'
day, January ~, 1876.
The House, as in committee OF the Wnoie,
having under consideration the pill rouse
resolution No 5l4, relating to the centen'
NAL celebration of American lndepenu'
ence. Mr.. Townsend. of New YORK, SAID:
Mr.. Chairman use the language,
slightly modified, that John Adams used
q hundred years ago, when ne sald, ~ am
for the declaration" l am for the celebra-
tiou. A hundred years ago we were a
feeble folk, scattered over vast extent OF
country, and with population OF less than
5000, 600 A hundred years have maoe
US = nation of more than 4O,ooo'uo'' d
nation made up of material second 10 no
nation that ever existed. Ii there 90 ha
ton among the dominions OF earth that nas
hitherto been proud of its achievements tnaU
nation is the United States OF AI ee noo
We have JUS. expended more than % ocV,-
mo 600 tn render it certain that this nation
ahall exist We have spent $o,oOO,Ooo
to have centennial. That money is ex-
nended. and | put it to my side OF the
House to say whether we should grudge
million and a half of dollars to show to the
nations of the earth the quality OF our PEG
pie and their progress in arts, agriculture
and manufactures. That is the way feel
in regard to this question. And when you
come to the constitutional question, the
0ues;ion OF right, l say, cir, that if ma
ton has right to exist it has right 10
show to the world that it does exist. lnat
is the whole constitutional question tnat
troubles me. Laughter.
Now, sir, we have had an appeal to us IN
behalf of the poor. What has this nation
az a nation, to do with that questions O9r
strict construction friends on the otner si0o
of the House tell US that belongs 10 tne
States. | Join hands with them on that SUD-
;ect: Il belongs to the States; it does not be-
long here. Gentlemen on the other side OF
the hall are eternally quoting the Scrip
lures. NY emaciated friend from New
York (Mr. Willis), who has appealed 80 elo-
ouentiy in behalf of the poor, ls good,
Christian man; l have known him long
time. And l want to call his attention to
the fact that 1000 years ago woman was
wild enough to go and waste box OF ONT
meut on the feet of most eminent individ-
usl. One of those looking on. whose name
was Iscariot. said that the ointment might
have been sold for 300 pence and the money
given to the poor. Laughter: There Is
another verse which refers to this lnter1er-
ence in behalf of the poor which Will not
read. NV friend may read it at his leisure
Now. sir, l sympathize with the poor. and
it is because l sympathize with the poor
that l want this nation to flourish anc be
honored at home and abroad. The poor OF
this country occupy a position which the
DOOR of no country before ours ever Occu-
pied since Adam and Eve, going on farm
ing expedition, emigrated from Eden.
Laughter l am for this appropriation
for the benefit of the poor.
But l must refer to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Reagan.) He is on my side on
this question. In the most kindly and be-
coming manner he talked about the poor,
az if Texas was poor. Texas poor! Good
God! [Laugher] There is not gentle
man on this floor who has not been asleep
for the last fifteen years who does not
know that Texas to-day has four times the
material wealth that che had in 1860. and
was assured by worthy gentleman on this
floor from that State whose word l take as
law that the population OF the State has
actually doubled since 1870.
Mr.. Reagan-Let me say to the gentle
man that his information is not correct.
There is now in Texas q degree of adversely
and poverty rarely witnessed in the civilized
world.
Mr., Townsend. of New York-This gen.
tleman has the misfortune to suppose that
am nothing but a wild Yankee; but l can
assure that gentleman that large family,
dear to me, nursed in my very bosom, are
not only residents Of Texas, but were there
before the revolution from Mexico. and that
their large landed property has more than
quadrupled in value since 1860. l under
stand all about the present condition OF
Texas. am breeder of cattle in Iowa
for the market, and when 60 West to look
after my fo.ks l find the Texas cattle,
which were rendered numerous by the
events Of the war, now sent to feed and
fatten in the parks Of Colorado. on the
Kansas and Nebraska; and when l go
there, the broad horns of those cattle are
shaker in my face as good strict construc-
Zionist sometimes shakes his head across
this floor at us poor unhappy Republicans.
Laughter And when the gentleman
from Georgia {Mr. Hill) shook his clenehed
hand at me l felt as I do when l meet a
Texas steer.
The gentleman (Mr. Reagan) wants to
show how Texas is suffering. Sir, Texas
has sent Us one representative, apparently
ished condition. She could not have shown
her suffering condition better by send
ing sack of $50 pounds of
sweet cream, and the Speaker has never
done more graceful or proper act than he
did when he made that gentleman chairman
of the committee on the sufferings of Texas
{ Laughter And now l am going further
in this thing Of talking about suffering.
know our Southern friends are suffering
awfully. They suffer as our Northern tinau-
ciers suffer. The suffering OF the Democ-
racy of Pennsylvania and Ohio is for more
money. The fnanciers of the cities are suf-
fering from too much money. Laughter
But through our broad country, except in
some branches of manufactures, there is
very little suffering as compared with the
of other days.
And, sir, the cotton States are no excep-
ton to the general condition of the coun-
Try Sir, the production of cotton last
year was within one-ffteenth OF tie largest
production was in 1860, when God was
FOOD to us all and gave to the South it's |
argest crop of cotton and to the nation |
father Abr aham. Laughterj If we can |
ely upon the reports OF the production of |
ottoD, this year the production will be
quail TO the best year in the history of the
epublic. But that is not all. The produc.
ion of bresdstuffs in the cotton States is 90
much greater than 1t formerly was that
tates raised more what is for the comfort
+ man than ever before. l acknowledge
hat it was not divided as it used to be be-
ore the last war. When we started with
his republic we disregarded Gods law,
hitch He laid down for His own people,
he Children of Israel. "Thou shalt not
luzzle the OK that treadeth out the corn"
We left the muzzle on. But during the
ar the mnzzle has dropped from the OK
nd never can be put on again. Now, in
10 division of the products of the cotton
tates the OK, that is, he that does the work
,ares little in the proceeds.
And let me say to our strict constitutional
lends on the other side thar, if it should
, the case in the cotton States that there
more attention paid to the constitution
an there is t., the fields of cotton growing
ere and to the working people, there will
, a mighty danger that these fellows who |