The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-05-10
Greenbacksr's Speech.

OF the greenbackers in congress there
are some whose heads are pretty level
outside of questions Of finance, and on this
subject they are perhaps cxcusable on the
grounds that they are only taking advan-
tage of the greenback craze as political
catch. Of this class we take to be, the
Hon. A. Il. Stevenson from the Blooming
ton district in this state. We have just
received copy of his speech on the legis-
lative bill in which he deals with the cleo
tive franchise, the bonded debt and the
southern war claims commission. Mr.. Ste-
venson takes the impregnable grounds
that vote against an appropriation bill
can only be justified by raising constitu-
tional objections: that the house of repre-
sentatives alone has control of ex9endi-
lures, to the extent of preventing encroach-
ments on the liberties ofthe people by refus-
Ing to pass money bills, in support OF which
he quotes section 7. article j, OF the
constitution. Mr.. Stevenson makes q
strong point against those who raised the
cry of revolution" in that part of his
speech where he says:
During the twelve years extending from
July 5, 1862, to March 3, 1875, three
hundred and eighty-seven acts of leglsa-
ton were passed as attachments to gener-
al appropriation bills; all of which time
the republican party had the majority in
both branches of congress"
Again Mr.. Stevenson ably answers the
point, attempted to be made in the mes
sage on the army bill, that the executive
is coordinate branch of the government
and as such should have q say in legisla-
ton. when he said:
The trainers of our federal constitution,
men who were deeply read in poll tea
science, wisely separated the powers OF
government into three coordinate depart
ments, the legislative, the judicial, and
the executive. Each of these, while il
one sense a check upon the others was
nevertheless in its own sphere supreme,
Their respective powers were clearly de-
fined By the constitution. To the legisla-
tive was confined the enactment, to the
judicial the Interpretation, and to the eX
ecutiye the execution of the laws. An in
fringement by either of these upon the
prerogatives of the others was, by express
terms, guarded against by the trainers OIL
the constitution.
On the question of federal supervisor!
and Southern war claims Mr.. Stevenson
took strong anti-republican ground ant
in closing came down to the real senti
ment of the people in saying:
The attempts made upon this floor t
arouse into new life the bitter passion
which fourteen years of peace should hav
subdued. Evil and only evil can result
from the attempt to array one section
against the other. Partisan ends may b.
accomplished, but only by the lOnge
postponement of that tranquility so essen
tial to material prosperity. Let these bit
ter animosities cease, and let us. implort
you, sir,tur our backs upon the past will
its sad memories and strifes, and address
ourselves to the consideration of th
living, vital issues of the hour which
so nearly concern US and those VIII
shall come after us. With business
paralyzed, capital shrinking from profita
bic investment, our workshops closed, anC
labor seeking employment, it is all import
ant that sectional strife upon this foo
should cease, to the end that we may ad
dress ourselves to measures of practica
legislation so essential to the restoration
of prosperity.