Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-05-09
Washington Correspondence.
WAsBIsGTos, A priI 10. 1873

HAsBIsGTos, April 10, 1878.
= EDITOR REPoRTER:-The attitude
Ct some of the republicsh papers in
criticising the late speech of Senator
iiowe upon the policy of, and course
pursued by the administration, is
rather astonishing. They denounea
the Senator and impugn his motives,
but conscious of the weakness of their
position they are careful not to pub
llsh his speech, and thus give their
readers an opportunity of judging for
themselves. They know perfectly
well that the speech is itself an answer
to their criticisms. o.,
They say it will not be answered,
and we'll they may, for a most excel
lent reason. as the State Journal of
Lincoln. Nebraska, very forcibly puts
1T. "Any man who had it in his
mind to answer it before it had been
delivered, Is very excusabls it he now
concludes to let out the Job. The
speech may be bclied, mlsrepresen:ed
and sneered at, but it is one of those
thing. that cannot be answered. 1t is
like Charles Summers Grafton on the
Modern Exodus, it might be respond
ed to with an assassin's club, but it
wall never be answered with words,
figures and logic. III -l..--
Now, let US look at the past record
of Senator Howe, and zee if he has not
done mere for the advancement of true
rel ublican principles than all of his
traducers combined.
He first stood firm against the
doctrine of state rights. UNFOLDING the
pre-eminence OF United States author
ity. and by this course defeated his
election to the United States senate,
at the time ex-senator Doolittle was
elected. Since he has been in the
United States senate there has been no
cate OF republican principles than he.
In order to prevent e1-Gov. Taylor
from placing a democrat in the U. S.
senate. he declined the office of Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court of the
United States, an Office second only to
that OF president, if even second to
that, rs the Office Of Chief Justice is a
life position, while that of President
is only for four years, He also de-
clined the office of Associate j ustlce
of the Supreme Court, and tho Office
of Attorney General Of the United
States, when sendered to him by Gen.
Grant. Is there one of his traducers
who would have had the noble ness OF
character to sacrifice their ambition;
to trample upon such chances for fame
as these, because to embrace them
would be TO strengthen the ranks Of
democracy in the U. S. Senate?
These editors appear to have for
gotten the long political career of
Senator Howe, and that there has
never been connected with his course
any transactions in the least unworthy
Of perfectly honest and upright man,
and that he has always been found
upon the side of truth, justice and
equal rights to all, upon the maintain
ance of which depends the very ex-
istence of the Republican party, for
upon these it is founded, and its down
fall is assured the moment it departs
| from them.
Had these fault finding journalists
been south, and taken the evidence of
those whose friends and relatives had
been mobbed, oppressed and murdered
for the simple reason of bcing pro-
minent republicans, and had scenes
that eclipse in barbarity those of Bull
garia, impressed upon their minds, as
Senator Howe has, by being on the
Committee that investigated the cleo
ton of 1876 in Louisiana, they would
pra re him for his mildness, instead of
densuncing him for not approving of
the Presidents southern policy In
regard to the political chameleon of the
Interior Department.
Can any true republican wonder that
Senator Howe should dislike to see
Carl Schurz in the cabinet? Does not
Senator Howe express the honest sem
timents Of all true republicans, when
he denouness the placing of such a
notorious disorganizer in so important
4 position as the Secretaryship of the
Interior! What claim has Schurz
upon the republican party--or upon
any party?--a man who did all in his
power to destroy the republican party
in 1872, and has never demonstrated
his ability to succeed in any under
taking, unless it was to cause discord
where harmony existed, to tear down,