Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-04-24
Continued from first page.l

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mental alteration he should so dare, not least or
| iewest of the arguments wherewth lie would be
instantly slaughtered would be drawn from the
| recorded arguments of that departed Maine Sena-
tor on whose grave you stand only to stab the liv-
| ing with i'll concealed weapons but to whom YOU
cannot refer in terms too high to be repeated aud en-
! arged bv those who knew W llliam Pitt fessenden
when living and who honor him when dead.
THE NATIONS FAITH NOT VIOLATED.
count it no shame to your calling or to mine
that we are ignorant of the principles and the
history of fusnce But count it the very crime
| of shame for you or me to stand up clad and
| crowned with ignorance, and cry aloud that we
| are the people, and wisdom and honor shall die
| with us. frankly admit that count back only
the months since | knew as little of this rs you.
Even now my ignorance is only less dense than
yours. With my inherited Instincts and my con
nectons wholly on the gold side OF the question,
have followed its discussions with sympathy
rather than with intelligence. Bot have a su.
preme interest IN the honor of my county, and |
| have learned enough to know that the good faith
of the nation bias not been violated. Nor yet APP
parently has i been dlscredi,ed. All the ''recent
| disastrous fleets" which you assert, but which
YOU forget to designate, are yet in the future.
| The one test of our National credit at home and
| abroad is-not 1.-The wild rant of demag ogues
which YOU find only in the American Congress,
| but which ilourlshes more abundanty IN the pull
| pit and the press of the United States and Eng
| lands the value of our bonds They have stead
| ily risen both in London and New York since the
| passage of the Silver Bill. More than this, the
silver dollar Itself has steadily and rapidly ap
| proximated to gold. that if you should turn youi
bag Of decerful weights upside down, the hun
| dred silver dollars that would tumble out of il
| would be worth as | wIite only twelve aud a ball
cents less than a hundred gold dollars or to bring
| it more close " to your clerical comprehension,
one gold dollar is to- day worth but an eighth part
| of copper cent more than one silver dollar.
Hav ing thus strictly Ignored or sternly mlssat-
ed all the facts touching the silver question, you
advance by short and easy stages to its philosophy
Because Congress does not agree with you, you
pronounce 1t unworthy. because Congress, so
far from containing enough virtue and statesman
ship to withstand the popular mania, did rot even
contain enough TO give it vigorous opposition,
we have felt justified in regarding this as
| a Legislature which by no means fairly represents
| the United States
That is, because a Congress, elected by the peo
ple does not antag the people, therefore it
does not represent the people. Having settled
| this to your satisfaction by process which must
have come from inspiration, since it is not deduct
BILE from reason, you next address yourself to
the task of discovering why Congress is so un
worthy. Task it night be TO others, but not to
you. ave need spend little time III the search,
you cry, as you nimby cut around the corner and
| announce that Congressional office brokery" l.
the reason why. la your swash of loose state
ments on this subject, 1t is difficult to find any
with root enough TO he eradcated. When you
saw 1.-THE members of the dominant party in Con
gress as a rule, have claimed federal patronage
10 order that they might use that power for per-
soua ends" you simply speak like the theolog ian
who has so long dealt in statements incapable Of
proof OF disprooi, because beyond the realm of
knowledge that he has lost all of the differ
ence between knowledge and speculation. When
you say ito suppose that Congressmen lay claim
to the government offices from lofty desire for
the countrys good, would show simplicity little
less remarkable than that which should be dis
PLAYED by one who should think that bank rob
bers commit their deprt datlons from righteous
wish to prevent the banks from making too
much money" you add TO your rashness
an excessive, | might say brutal degree OF
that personal discourtesy which often
attaches TO the cure of souls. When you APP
proach tangible msstatements it becomes posi-
bic to show how glaringly you misinformed,
how pitiablv YOU are unnformed, on the grave
questions whereof you assume to teach your own
people from the pu pit and all the people from the
newspaper. ! am appalled, when | see you lend
ing the we light of your respectable name and the
influence of your sacred office TO the assertion
that "hoasands Of offices hare been made solely to
proyide places for friends Of members Of Congress-
and that millions Of money are (eried IN taTes upon
the people annually to .feed these supple servants
q some Of our great men,. When the proof read
er replied to Horace Greeley's reproaches for an
incorrect election return in the morning Tribune,
that he did not the mistake, See it Z" ietoIt-
ed the angry editor, Il could smell it," If you,
Mr.. Ilincke, believe your startling statement, YOU
have not a sufficiently keen scent Ior truth to be
safe spiritual adviser. If you do not believe it,
you become the slauderer of your country and OF
the great mass of its public men--an inconcevable
wickedness in clergyman or layman. II you give
It indorsem and circulation without knowing il
to be true, YOU assume the moral responsibility
of ham who repeats evil stories concerning his
neighbor without inqaring or caring whether
they be true or false.
UNwARRANTED CHARGES.
Reverend SIR "thousaDds Of Offices, )" must mean
at least tio0 thousand. Combining your charge TO
ITS narrowest possible limit, tell me of bow many
OF these Two thousand offices made solely to pro.
vide places for friends of members Of Congress"
have YOU personal knowledge Can YOU, aided
by all the slanderous iuformants who have misled
you, name one hundred of these offices Can Won
name hfty' Can you name twenty-fvei viii
you name ten! VIII you name five pray Won
name one. And when YOU name it, will Won add
the name Of the particular Senator or Representa-
tive who caused 1t to be created for his friend
! Let us 90 to the very bottom Of this thing Mr.
! Hlneks, and then we may perhaps hope to ascend
Millions Of money must mean at least tteo mil
lions That is the annual interest on forty millions
OF our public debt Do yon see the sgnitude OF
your accusation, the prodigious dimensions OF the
! your proof or your retraction. ] am sure The
I Portland Advertiser will gladly honor itself by
obliging you; and beg the same unknown friend
who furnished me with your sermon to forward me
your manly justification or your still more man
/ ly confession.
3 have confined your assertions to the naprowest
limits your language would alloy-two ,hn,san5