Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-08-02

YOU
yesterday on my return from an alb
sence of some time in too feeble terms
of my feelings as regards the death of
your father, yet as the mortal moves on,
so, though we never shall forget him.
yet business must be attended to. Last
summer, at the instance of your father,
attempted to have such II construction
placed upon the internal revenue laws
as would relieve the bankers and brok-
ers from the payment of a heavy tax.
There WAS IA partial success, but such Il
Boosting, or rather publicity, given to
it that the attention of the Secretary of
the Treasury was called to it and he
forbade the order to be issued. There
was, then, no remedy but in Congress.
| so suggested to your father. He then
wrote me the enclosed letter.
Upon the authority and in consider
alton of what was said in it went to
work; had interviews with Mr.. Bout
well, with John Sherman. chairman of
the Senate finance committee; with
General Garfield, and other prominent
members of Congress and the result
was that it became the policy of the adj
ministration to repeal not only the tax
in question, but the stamp and other OBJ
noXious taxes. | think this result was
brought about by discussion raised and
influences used by me. The taxes are
not yet repealed but they are certain to
be so within the next sixty DAYS. If
your father was living there would be
no necessity of asking about it. but as
the agreement was made through him
fear ,here may arise "A misunderstanding.
and therefore ask you to inquire into il
and ascertain whether the committee
OF the Stock Exchange still recognize the
contract. If they do 1t is all right, and
| will still continue my labors. Let me
hear from you at your earliest con.
venence. Please preserve the letter.
(Meaning the letter that reflected tho
cOntract.)
THAT is signed by G. II. Sherman
brother of John Sherman.
s. Il
Mr.. Harvey-"It would readily exhaust
the words of this debate to 90 into al
the inves LEGATIONS of that notorious Con
gress.'
Mr.. llorr-" ..... | admit tina
Judge sherman was guilty of crime
That was never in any way connected
with his brother and you know it. They
eXhonorated him."
Mr.. Iarvey-"Did they impeach Judg,
Sherman"
Mr.. Horr-"Judge Sherman resigned
Immediately; they drove him from the
bench. (Applause.)
"l'he public opinion of this country
would not permit man to hold pub
lie position who would do "A thing o
that kind. But what has that to do will
the question whether Mr.. Knox openly
aud squarely presented thi, bill to Con
| grps> :"
MIR. IIarvey-"As proceed-ln a con
nected manner, however, will fully
answer Mr. IIorr.
Among the many changes of corrup
tion made at this period, 1873, there wa
one of significance when we conside
that silver was demOnetized by a single
sentence beng omitted from The repOr
of the conference committee and enroll
ment of the mint BILL and indicates TIN
power, in this instance, IA corrupt clerl
would have. George \. BasSett, clerl
of the ways and means committee, 1873
was charged with having demanded
$3.50 per month from the bankers ant
brokers Of New York to assist them il
repeating the tax on borrowed capital
and $1,000 when the act passed.
In the Chicago Tribune, Feb. 2l, 1873
an administration paper of that periot
now before me on this table, for the in
spectOn of MIR. llOrr, a Washington cor
respondent says: GAS for George \
Bassett, long the clerk of the ways ant
means committee, the story of the use o
his privil6 ges is as old as my residence
in this city. | heard complaints made il
California that he had demanded pay
ment for services after experiencing un
usual hospitality from the corporation
there"
This same correspondent in the sam
issue of this administration paper 9Th
Republican party being then in power)
speaking of the situation at Washington
Feb. 2l, 1873, the very month in whicl
silver was demonetized, said: "Turkisl
corruption under the Pashas and Beys
or Russian official rOttenness, cOul,
scarcely be worse than it is here" CAP
plause.)
THE SALARY GRAB MEASURE.
The salary grab bill was introduced i
the House Dec. ,, 1872, and in the Sen
ate Jan. ., 1873. 1t passed March >
1873. 1t included two years back sal
airy, and aroused an exclamation of in
dignation throughout the land. Tn
people rose en- masse and forced Con
gress to repeal this bill, little dreaming
at the time that another bill had passe
at that Congress that was to rob them O
millions of dollars. The people coul
understand salary grab, but the
could not understand scientific spola
ton of their rights. (Applause.)
These exposures were followed b
general disgust of the people at tn
neglect of Congressman to prescott
each other, or rather at the disinclina
ton of those innocent to prosecute thei
guilty fellow members. 1t was at thi
Congress that silver was denIonetizeC
(Applause.) TO make plain how tn
fraud was practiced | copy into my re
marks sections - and IL of the bill a
it Is supposed to have been read when o
its passage, together with the word
iraudulently omitted in brackets. Oml
the words In brackets and you hav
these sections as they now read in tn
statutes; include the words in the bracb
cts and you have the sections as the bill