The Portland daily press., 1880-06-26
The Candidate for Vice President

~AO 0eSA-NANSSO ASA NASo AOo4SAChbs
The career of William II. English, Demo-
cratic nominee for Vice President, is well
known in Washington. The early part of it
was remarkable for a gigantic lobby opera
ton as a government clerk. The later years
were nored for the monstrous bribe which he
as Congressman offered to the free States to
perpetuate slavery. The first episode in his
career furnished the keynote which explains
the avarice which has resulted in great for
tune. The second event is the act on account
of which pro-slayery Democracy which nom
mated the Cincinnati ticket rewards its an
cient dough-face ally and champion. The
father of Mr.. English was an Indiana politi-
clan Of prominence, at one time United States
marshal and also member of a constitutional
convention. Through his influence young
English was appointed a government clerk in
one of the departments at Washington.
ENGLIsH's FIRST PRIZE IN THE POLITICAL LOT
Terry.
In the latter part of his term as government
clerk the bill relative to Texas passed, and
young English was the outside commercial
agent of Jesse Bright, then in Congress from
Indiana. Bright, it seems, like many Of the
statesmen of the class who now howl about
Credit Mobilier, was not averse to making
moneyin consequence of Congressional action.
1t Is generally understood among Indiana men
that young English made large purchase of
Texas bonds on the basis Of information re-
ceived from Bright that the bill was to pass, as
the result of which operation young English
received COO for his share of the profits.
HE DEvoTEs HIMSELF TO MONEY GETTING.
With this sum he left for the West, and
soon after entered into the banking business,
determined apparently to sacrifice everything
else to money getting. This-if old citizens
of Indiana IN ha haliavad-EnUlioh
successfully did. as he began to amass wealth
and failed to make friends, and soon became
known as man who would grind the face of
the poor. He soon after re-appeared in In
diana politics as clerk of constitutional con-
vention, and became member Of the State
House of Representative in 1854, serving as
Speaker, and was elected Representative in
the Thirty-Third Congress as Democrat.
THE ONE CONSPICUOUS ACT
For which his Congressional career will be
remembered was the organization and intro
duction of the measure known as the English
bill relating to slavery in the Territories At
that time the slave power had unrestricted
domination in Congress, and in the country its
tyranny was only equaled by its corruption.
The dough-faced Democracy OF the North was
its most subservient ally. The chief ambition
of the Northern Democratic leaders was to see
who best should serve the wishes Of the
Southern master. The great contest over
slavery in the Territories had begun; the free
North was demanding ahat there should be an
end put to the encroachments OF the slave
power Kansas was the fighting ground. 1t
remained for William III. English Of Indiana to
DEVISE THE MOST ABJEcT SURRENDER OF
NORTHERN FREEMEN a
to the slave power, and to invent the measure
which should do most to perpetuate human
slavery. This he did through what is known
as the English bill. That bill proposed, in
short, to grant to the State of Kansas for school
limo Ep,itlaoo lio
the condition that that State would adopt a
constitution recognizing and perpetuating
slavery, and that as an alternative, should the
State decline to adopt the proposed pro-slavery
conditions, the grant should be extremely in
significant Old residents of Indiana will re-
member the amazement with which such a
proposition was received there, and how even
thousands of Democrats recoiled from that
monStrous bill.
HE SUFFERS DESERVED IGN0MrNY.
Opposition speakers had the bill printed in
vast numbers, and it was neld up on every
stump in Indiana as an indication Of the de
radiation to which a subservient Northern al y
of the South could come. Soon after that,
possibly on account of the odium heaped upon
him, Mr.. English passed from public life, not
apparently to think of returning to it, until,
having amassed large fortune he discovered
from Mr.. Tilden's illustrious example what
could be accomplished in Democratic politics
by the use of money.
HE OPENS HIS BARREL.
From that date the attentions of English to
politics have been most assiduous, and Indiana
men assert that the Democratic convention
would never have thought of him except had
they not found it necessary to have "barrel'
attachment to the ticket to take the place Of
| Tilden, which they found in the ambitions OF
avaricious William I'll. English
| WHAT MONEY WILL DO IN THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY.
"For," said prominent Indianian, "no
| Democrat in Indiana would have thought of
| placing English on the ticket if he had not
made large promises TO use money. Certainly
| the poor tenants of the two hundred cheap
| houses that he owns In Indiana would never
| have thought that any consideration of public
policy or of human charity would have placed
their landlord on the ticket.