Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-03-13

ed and opened the speaking. The other |
speakers were Hon Thomas b. Reed, Hon.
Henry Cabot Lodge, Hon Theodore Roose
welt, aud Gen. Stewart J.. Woodford. |
What was said on this occasion was notable
as indicating the estimate of the best Re
publican sentiment of the country of the
work Of the jlst Congress and of the out
look which lies before. As few readers
will see these speeches in their entirety,
and fewer still might find the time to go
through the mass OF fine type and extract
their kernel, we give the leading thought
of what each of these Republican leaders
said
In the midst of brilliant play of wit
aud ralllery with which he kept his hear
ers convulsed, Mr. Depew said that, as we
have passed the singing period as a nation,
when the songs of a people stir their en-
thusiasm and direct their policy, so we have
also passed the time when abored argu-
ment and the leading editorial are deter
mining factors In the hurry and strain
of our daily life the people are taught by
phrase, epIthet and eplgram Unfortu-
natey the Republicans failed to grasp the
situation aud gave the command of epithet
to their enemies. A bill intended to fulfil
the promise of our national convention,
and having no purpose except to give ev-
cry voter IN every part of the country the
right to cast his vote once and have that
vote honestly counted, is dubbed the force
bill and so made to work against us
measure representing the highest patriot
ism and the proloundest conception of our
industrial needs, is converted into a syno-
nym for high prices :" the stand taken
| against fanaucism in financial matters and
in behalf of honest money and the nation
al credit, is made to appear as the move
ment of Wall street, the desire of the
gold bug and the coupon cutter bill
/ to aid our shipping interests is called the
Subsidy grab while speaker of the
| House who euforces the rules and brings
that body within the law is a Car
But fortunately the lessons of defeat
and adversely have their uses and they
have aroused the Republican party to its
Old spirit and its old aggressive tendency.
We are no longer apolugizlng. We are
| fighting. We call subsidy bill a bill for
putting American commerce under the
| American flag all over the world. We call
the defeat of free coinage Of silver honest
| legislation in the interests of every man,
woman and child in the country We cali
the Mckinley bill the protection of Ameri-
can industries and their promotion aud en-
couragement 10y all the strength of the
government We say that while piracy
upon the high seas was crushed out 100
years ago it remained for Republican
| Congress to declare the piracy of the hu-
man intellect Infamous.
The political triumph of last fall was the
triumph of the liar in American politics,
but il last fall was our Bull Run the re
turns from the recent municipal elections
in the interior cities of New York show
that having met our Bull Run the turn has
come and for this year and the next we
are to have our Doneson, our Nicksburg.
our march to the sea. and in 1877 our Ap-
pomattox. Great cheering. In the midst
of the epithets of the hour there is one
word that belongs to the Republican party
and which will give life, impetus and
strength to every American industry. That
is Reciprocity the achievement of a Re
publican Congress and a Republican ad-
ministration
Ex-Speaker Reed was given an ovation
of applause when he arose to speak. In
opening he alluded in bright, pointed
way to the abuse which has been heaped
on hir by the Democrats. while | appre-
ciate my friends to the full. he said, 81
am not 50 wanting in intellectual capacity
as not to know that the utmost kindness
that has been doue me in this world has
been done bv my enemies If mans oh
iect in life is to hold offices and wear deco
rations, undoubtedly his best way is to &c
softly like cat on carpet; but II he
means to do something perhaps 1t is not un-
desirable for him to buy trumpet. espec-
ially if he can get somebody who doesn
like him to sound it. Your friends some
times 20 to sleep, but your enemies never
do The 1lst Congress has been thorough
| l.. hui r. n "
: work has been carefully examined, as tnt
r people will examine it, in spite of vituper
: alton and epithets, and when it is realized
that the new tariff bill, its crowning work
means prosperity to the whole country, thi'
abuse will only be dimly remembered as al
% echo which adds to the general appreciation
u Without attempting to recount all the gooC
h deeds of this Congress, Mr.. Reed said -
: challenge the world to point to its equal il
important results, not even excepting tina
= magnificent session which met the exigen
cies of what was to be the great war TO
the Union, then just beginning.
From this Mr. Reed went on to SHOW
n how the present course of business in tn
+ national House of Representatives and tn
power lodged in the speaker is the nature
and inevitable outcome of our growth as
a country. The government of 10000, 90
| n
d ernment of 5000, 900. In the first hft
years of our national life the whole mum
Der of bills and resolutions presented i
: Congress for the whole period was onl
S17S. For the Congress just closed tn
number was double that and 2OOO NOR
n added to it, By steady and natural pre-
10 cess along with this growth of COMPRESSION
al business the necessity has grown up tina
: the committee ON rules should have sui
stantial control of the course of bushes
in the House, with the speaker as chairma
of that committee. This necessity wa
recognized By the action taken at the be
ginning of the last session of Congress
when amendments to the rules were mad
entrusting all matters touching the rule
Joint rules and all other business to tn
committee on rules and the result has bee
that more business has been transacted,
a session where the minority threatene
that there should be no business done at al
than ever before. This is a natural evoll
ton. an evolution coming from the cOnsei
sus of the entire people. What claim fC
the House of Representatives is not merel
what it has done, but what it has mac
possible to be done for all time, namely, tt
government visible of the people and /
the people"
The address of Henry Cabot Lodge ii
sound and brilliant young Republican lea'
er from Massachusetts,, was an earnest pie
for principle in politics. The life of p
litical party, he said, must be a life of col
hict, and in the fortunes of war defei
must mingle with victory. There is
need TO be cast down, or to lament over Il
defeat, if we have borne ourselves bravel
i'm the day of battle, and it, despite r
verses, we keep our honor bright and OF
principles untarnished. Defeat becom
disastrous only when men grow faint-hear
ed aud abandon the object for which the
fought, and sully by base conduct the pri
cipes which they upheld. In defeat or
triumph am proud of my party, whi
it is true to itself and keeps its face turn'
toward the future While we hold ou
selves thus true to principle defeats and vi
tories may come and GO They have lit
meaning beyond the moment, and the gre
tide of progress sweeps surely on.
The Congress just ended has been
memorable one. IL has made mistakes,
doubt, but it has done great and astir
good for the American people. We ha'
given minority rule deadly blow, we ha'
crippled obstruction, We have proved to d
American people that the House can legi
late, and we have made it impossible 4
any ma jority in the future to escape :
sponsibilty by the miserable excuse tn
the minority would not let it legislate.
Mr. Theodore Roosevelt now a memb
of the civil service commission, spoke Z
peeially in praise of the action of the k
publicans in Congress in resisting the pre-
sure of the silver men, and thus maintai
ing the financial honor of the country. III
main stress of his remarks, however, W