The daily gazette., 1879-04-23
THIRD EDITION
WASHINGTON.
SPEECH OF SENATOR DAVIS ON
THE ARMY BILL.
EVILS OF sEcTIoHAL AGITATION.

In the Senate the day was made no a.
BILE by a speech from Senator Davis, OF
Illinois, who spoke IN manner worthy
of former judge of the Supreme Court,
pleading for cessation OF sectional strife
and return to reasonable and sensible
politics. 1t was refreshing to hear such
calm and patriotic words once more in
Congress. Judge DAVIS was listened to
with the deepest attention by both sides |
in the Senate, which was not surprising
for he has not often addressed the SEN
ate, and his peculiar position as a former
member of the Supreme Court, an able
constitutional lawyer and a Senator in
dependent of party ties and tramnels,
caused his opinions to be eagerly watched
for. He spoke with mild contempt of
the heated temper in which questions
have been diseased at this session and
this cry Of "revolution" which had been
foolishly raised. If the danger Of revo-
luton was real, he said, four per cents
would not be bought by the public and
national securities would be unstable.
He said -
1t is, Mr.. President. in my judgment
the imperative duty Of the hour instead
of turning the attention of the people
back into history with its animosties, u
direct It to Ia troubled business Interests
of the country and the way to relieve
them. Win the past buried aud Discus
sions on living issues the people would
soon regain confidence, which is essential
in any plan FIR relieving the present hard
times 1t may be that such cour,e
would affect the fo tunes of parties, for
both parties in Congress on any question
of prac ical legislation fall to pieces, but
it would have The most beneficial effect
upon the fortunes of the country. With
out intending TO reflect upon the patriot
ism Of either party, it does appear to me
that the speeches on the pending bill do
not represent the wishes or opinions OF
the masses Of the people ofeither section.
Experience has taught them that ligiti-
mate business principles, which lead to
wealth and SOC. al happiness, require a
cessation from agitation on past subje is
and that sound policy dictates the culti-
vatlon of peace and good will beta cen
the sections. The country, Mr.. Presi-
dent, c,nuot be prosperous so long as the
old conflict between the Moth and Sou,l
is used at each recurring Presidential
election as an instrumeutality of party
success.
As to the pending question he sur
prlsed the republicans by completely jus
tifying the repeal of the "troops at tn,
polls" clause. lie asked:
"Ought the army to be used at tn
polls when there has been p oiound peac
for more than decade Does any on
believe that such law would ever hav
received The approval of the Aneric 4
Congress if it had been drought forwar
in time of peace ?" And he added -
venture to say that no one Of I'll
eminent men who voted for il intende
or expected that 1t would remain pa
of the permanent law Of the lam
They were too we'll read in the 10
sons OF history and the tradition
Of the Anglo-Saxon race to believe this
a free people would tolerate, except o
great emergencies, like war waged f,
the maintenance of the Union, the il
reference OF the military in civil Col
Germs. Aud they were men of piincipl
and did not wish to be otherwise. 1t
no new thing in time Of peace to rep-s
a law passed in time of war. Indee,
no wise statesman will hesitate to do
If the law be unsuitable to tie change
condition of things. Why, then, shoul
not the law OF 1865 be alfred in tn
manner proposed by this bill?
1t is said that Mr.. Lincoln si- med i
and the in erterence is that il would I,
fleet on his memory to change it. /
say the least, this is pretty strong pr,
sumption from such predicate. \
man loved Mr.. Lincoln better Or honol
his memory more than | do, nor had all
one greater opp rtuniti to learn I'll
constitution of his mind and charact,
and his habits If thought. He was arg
hearted, wiser than those associated wit
him, full of sympathy for strugg ing hl
manlty, without malice, with chtrit
for errlng mel, LOVING his whole cuul
try with deep devotion and intense
anxious to save it, Believing as | d
that he was raised up by Providence f,
the great crisis of the war of the rebel
ION, have equal belief that had he liv,
we would have been spared much of u
strife of these latter days, and that v
would be on the high road to prospert
Such man, halng all forms of oppre
sion and derpl, imbued with the prin,
pie that induced the men or 1776 to I
sist the stamp tax, would never ba
willingly entrusted power to any OIL
unless war was fragrant, to send troo
TO oversee an election. Why, then,
repeat, should not the proposed measu
passf
Judge Davis speech is the most il
portant contribution made to the deba
in the Senate.
PAYMENT OF ARREARS OF PENSIONS Z
GUN.
The first Treasury warrant for the pa
ment of the arrears of pensions WAS iii
ed to-day, aud 1t is believed that the ba
pensions can b. paid az rapidly as the
counts are made up, or at the rate 0
million and half month. The ann
saving by refunding its Sl3 600 600, a
two years saving on the interest 10
paid will 60 far toward paying these
rears of pensions without increasing
burden of the pubic debt.
PULLMAN PALACE CAk RATES.
Representative Thomas Turner,
Kentucky, yesterday Introduced
making it unlawful for the Pullman
ace Car Company 10 charge more u
81 81 for accommodations for day AL
night, and fixing the rate per diem at
This reduces the present charges to All