The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-05-08

law to the dominant party in Congress and drag
its unsullled ermine through the slough of a
Democratic caucus. It is not so much ones
ton whether Congress had the constitutional
power to pass these laws as whether we shall
have Congress at all. It is not SO much a
question which one of the three great and CO.
ordinate branches of the Government has
power to direct the use of the army and navy
as it is whether there shall any longer be three
branches or only one and that this Democratic
House, holding sovereignty and ~unquestioned
sway, at whose feet executive and judiciary
alike shall kneel with uncovered head and, like
cringing mendlcants, plead for bread In a
word, the issue this Democratic Congress pre-
sents is simply this, to the minority in both
houses: Yield your judgment to ours" to the
President of the United States e Sign the bills
we present;" to the judiciary: aEcho our
views of the constitution, permit us to load ap-
preparation bills with political riders until we
have effected the repeal of all laws offensive to
Democratic caucus, or we will with
hold all supplies for the support of the Govern
ment, throw the machinery out of gear, and
hold 1t there until we starve you into submits
sion." These are the questions of the hour,
and, if this be not revolution, in the name of
heaven what is it?
1t has been stated that your conduct in 1861
was honorable and heroic-meaning suppose,
as contrasted with what is now proposed; but
am prepared to characterize the rebellion of
| 1861 as treason, and your purposes of to-day
but little else, and, SO far as the South is con-
| cerned, an exhibition of the basest ingrattude
Is it fitting for you to smite the hand that fed
you, and sting the breast that warmed you
back to life? Have exaggerated your pur-
pose?
Let me recount brief but startling history
On the 4th day of March just passed the Pres
ident of the United States, by public procla-
nation, informed the country that the Forty
fifth Congress had closed its deliberations
without making and l quote the language
| Of the proclamation-"t the usual and necessary
appropriations for the legislative, executive and
judicial expenses of the Government for the
! fiscal year ending June 80, 1880. and without
making the usual and necessary appropriations
for the support of the army for the same fiscal
year" u..
Every statement in that proclamation is lit
orally true That Congress did adjourn with
out making the slightest provision for the sup
| port of the Legislative, executive or judicial
! branches of the Government, and without ap-
propriating one single dollar FOR the support Of
| the army of the United States. That same
| Congress knew, the moment it adjourned, that
| if no further legislation was had until the
time for the regular session Of this Congress in
December next it was inevitable that in less
than four months from the hour of it's adjourn
ment the three great pillars that sustain and
support the Federal fabric would, unless sup
| ported by the OmnlpOtent arm of patriotic
people, crumble and fall, while the army, dis
| banded by starvation, would not be suffered to
survive the dissolution that it might even stand
| guard over the sacred ruins.
| The same Congress knew the moment it ad-
journed that If matters were undisturbed, that
| If the country now would comply with what
Jefferson Davis demanded in 1861, "Just let us
Alone" the rising sun of July |, 1879, would
gid, not the temple, but the tomb of the re-
| Had Hove hoo H.
this plot the nation to-day would be tottering to
| It's dissolution Yet, thanks to the President of
the United States, thanks to his patriotism and
his courage, it is made possible for us to avert
so dire calamity.
| Sir, by the same proclamation a portion of
| which l have already read, both houses of the
| present Congress were convened in extra session
on the 18th of March, for the simple and single
purpose of making provision for the support of
the army and the executive, and judicial ex-
| penses of the Government work so simple
that it might have been contaminated in one
week. and the session closed But what have
| we Witnessed? For more than ten days both
| houses of this Congress, now under Demo-
cratic control, went through the idle ceremony
of meeting and adjourning from day to day.
| For what? Awaiting the pleasure of the Demo-
cratic caucus, which, if rumoris to be credited,
was considering, not how the needed supplies
| for the support of the Government might best
be provided, but how rather they might be
withheld, and the very necessities of the Gov
eminent, which we were summoned to relieve,
seized upon and made available to prosecute
and sustain siege already inaugurated until
the Executive should be forced to surrender to
the domination Of Congress. The Democratic
| majority of this Congress began just where the
Democratic House of the last left Off.
Why did the Army bill and the General Leg
| islative bill fail in the last Congress? Was it
| because there was any serious or irreconcilable
difference of opinion between the House and
Senate on any item of appropriation? under
| stand not Not that. But these bills failed
solely because the then Democratic House in
sisted upon migrating upon these appropria
| ton bills measures of political character
| known to be offensive to the Republican Senate,
| then saying to the Senate in spirit if not in
| words, Consent to the obnoxious legislation or
| no supplies will be voted for the support of the
| Government"
| And now what is attempted? Why, sir, it is
| no longer necessary to coerce o Senate for
! both branches are now under the undisturbed
| control OF the Democratic party. But an Execu-
tive is to be overcome, and the very same
measures which were then used to coerce a
| Senate are now invoked to coerce the President.
| Am l mistaken in that? If you do not mean CO.
ercion, divest this bill of it's offensive political
legislation, and / venture the assertion that it
will pass this House to- day without one dis
senting voice from this side of the Chamber;
will as quickly receive the sanction of the ma
jority of the Senate, and within forty eight
hours become law by Executive approval If
you do not mean coercion, separate these meas
ures and let each stand or fall upon it's own
| merits First feed the army and supply the
means for the support of the Government, and
then consider your political legislation. Do
this, and | think l hazard nothing in saying
that there will not be the slightest objection on
this side of the Chamber to the introduction
! and Immediate consideration of any bill en-
bodying this or any other legislation you may
see fit to enter upon touching the use of the
| army or the modification of the election laws.
Do hear consent to this proposition from
the other side? Oh, no. The siege is to be
prosecuted without mercy and with no terms of
| capitulation but unconditional surrender. In a
word your avowed purpose is this: Toingraft.
upon any and all of the appropriation bills
| any measure of general legislation which
Democratic caucus shall have previously ap-
proved, and then pass these bills with such
! legislation attached; and if the President, in
the exercise of his constitutional power of veto,
| shall return these bills to this House with his
objections thereto, and we of the minority shall