The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-07-12
LETTER FROM SENATOR HOWE.

q
pounded through the Eceni,ag Wisconsin, of
the 22d INST After much reflection I have
concluded to respond.
1t was my earnest desire to avoid all partici-
patton in the personal chickering's which in these
last years have disgraced the Republican party
in Wisconsin. I have borne very much without
remonstrance. W
1t pleased certain newspapers to advertise me
as having opposed the confirmation of Mr..
Schurz to be Secretary of the Interior: which
was not true. and which they could not have
known if it had been true.
@Ex-Gov. Washburn saw fit to draw upon nv
private correspondence to enliven his public
discussions
Another newspaper is considerate enough to
taunt me with having been "scooped" by my
colleague in the matter of an appointment to
the Surveyor Generalship for Dakota. Others
exclaimed against my temerity in voting for the
Electoral Commission.
Others with beastly satisfaction Illuminated
upon the calumny that I was procuring public
employment for friends that my son might
share IN the profits. Others, descending still
loaded lines the vulgar and skulking hint that
was involved in some unknown difficulty with
treasury female was silent under all this.
Descending still lower, Mr.. Carpenter with
that aff1uence Of dash and that poverty of
judgment, for which he is SO conspicuous.
waltzed clear up to the footlights to announce
that he had only obeyed the constitution in
voting for an increase of salary, but that had
outraged law and decency by taking the salary
after it was voted. Even to this arraignment
have made no reply.
But you summon me by name before YOUR
Judgment seat. You read me homily upon
my duties as Senator. You convict me of Ger
tain offenses which you invent, and without
asking me if I have anything to say in my de-
tense, you proceed to pass judgment upon me.
do not reply to you because you are more
offensive than others you are in fact less SO.
But you are more direct and more imperative.
You address me by name and you demand to
know, among other things who sent me to
Washington? -. I.,.
will not tell you it is none of your business
for that would not be polite, although quite
true. 1t is enough for your purposes to know
that went to Washington. 1t would neither
aggravate nor lessen my offense whether was
sent by one portion Of the people or another.
But to be quite candid with you, as I ought to
be with my friend, was not sent at all. I
went, not without request indeed, and not with
out reluctance but without command from
anyone of my own volition, alone, and at my
own cost.
tried to avoid going. The very smallest
concession ON the part of Milwaukee claims
would have relieved me from the thankless
Journey. But all concession was refused.
You venture to ask if [ was not "hurried"
off to Washington by ''the Postmaster at Mad
1son?' Ii you were venerable for years and re-
nowned for wisdom, you might possibly engen-
der suspicion IN some credulous brain by even
SO stupid question as that. But you are
neither, and you can't afford to draw upon
yourself the derision of million of people who
reside in this State and who have known me
for a long time. and have known that am not
a satellite to any OF our political luminaries
but as apt as most men to move in my own
hight and act upon my own convictions. Your
memory, l see, goes back to time when was
younger than am now, and when you confess
was not in the satellite business, but chose to
be covered by a cloud, rather than shine by
q borrowed and bad light.
But even if I was reduced to vassaIage. as
you suggest, don't you think it rather late to
lnculcate the notion that it is Mr.. Reyes whose
livery wear? s.th -
You do not inquire what considerations
moved me to go to Washington, and so I will
not state them. But don't fiatter yourself
that l do not know what they were and could
not state them to tie satisfaction Of unbiased
minds. et
But you assume that the purpose for which I
went was to bully the President out of a de-
cisiOn he had already made.
know nothing unlawful in asking the Presi-
dent to reconsider decision he has already
made. The right of petition is not vet abro-
gated But, in point of fact, the President had
not decided the question on which I went to
Washington. Of that took pains to be as
sured upon inquiries made both in Milwaukee
and Washington. And repeat to you if any
one had decided those questions, it was not
the President. AS for bull-dozing the Presi-
dent, only two men know whether attempted
that OF not. One is the President and one N.Y.
self. These Nominations I shall send to tie
President. He will know whether you are hon
estly applauding him, or dishonesty calumni-
ating me. If you and your allies can abide
his Judgment on that point can.
But you remind me that | am a Senator. and
therefore ought not to have iGterfered. Well,
sir, allow me to remind you you are an editor.
am hired, and so are you. May not a Senator
as properly express an opinion or state an argu-
ment in favor of the location of a pension
agency as an editor? Is there ANYTHING in the
decalogue, in the constitution Of the United
States, or even in the ordinances of Milwaukee.
which forblds Senator to express an opinion
as to the location OF an agency to pay pensions?
But you remind me [ was % chosen to represent
the whole State" Well, if so. you chose the
wrong man. I am not sufficiently naultifarious
loI Ondt' IeIu6PS tuo EOeYtTty WtSCO7tStU cOuIQ
do it, but cannot.
On some questions the whole State is not
agreed. Do you mean thata Senator may speak
when "the whole State" is agreed but must
be still when she is not? On what questions,
then, should 1 speak? Do you want an etfigy
for Senator, or man? ttH E
You urge me to initiate the example of the
great Senator Silas Wright, and have nothing
to do with appointments You Gid not know
Silas Wright, fancy, nor did you ever know
any Senator who in sixteen years service had
SO little to do with appointments as have
| most heartily wish could have nothing to
do with them. But do you seriously think the
time has come when L can safely say will have
nothing to do with them? Can L properly re-
ply to all these letters now Oh my table, some
from the heads OF departments some from my
own constituents, some from other States, that
will have nothing to do with appointments ?
Would that have been proper and satisfactory
reply to make to your friend who visited me
but few weeks since to urge your appoint
nlent to the Collectorship in Milwaukee,? Had
not better wait until our politics become a |