Year: 1860

Suhu'oi oiaSS was dtIuueu W. eSpeoiaiN
by Mr.. Madison, as the great class out Of
which members Of Congress would be
chosen, and therefore that that interest
would be protected like all others. Now,
you have in this body, l suppose, abouta
dozen farmers. The interest Of no COM
munity will be attended to with punctu.
ality and zeal unless those in charge Of
it have direct interest in the sub
jcct. The lawyer has his own inter~
ests to promote; the mechanic his; the
doctor his; and it the interests OF the
farmer are to be promoted that classmust
be represented by those who know some
thing about its wants. its necessities, and
its condition. We have now in Congress
bnt very few farmers; and you find your
agricultural interests in the Government
committed to clerk in one corner Of the
Patant Office. who peddles out seeds. =
That is about the extent of the care Civ.
en- to the great agricultural interests Of
the country. If you cannot do better
than thst, you had better abolish the Of
fee altogether, and leave the agricultural
class to take care Of themselves.


One great evil in the country is, that
political Offices are open to men where
they can get much higher wages than
they can get on farm; and it is lamen-
tabe fact, that throughout the country
where I am acquainted, and believe tits
generi lily so, agricultursts are now edu-
eating their children, not for the culture
Of the soil, but as something which they
regard as more elevated. You will
find them seeking places in the profess
sional classes Of society, you find them
around your capitals of the States and Of
the United States, seeking employment,
seeking the loaves and fishes dispensed
by the Government, That is matter
of great Importance to the country
When man gets from four to five dol.
lars day for doing little or nothing, and
can only get dollar a day for laborns
on farm. there must be injury done to
the agricultural interest. If you are to
do anything to promote the interests o.
agriculture, you must get rid Of the po
litical excitement in this Hall and in the
country; for the very moment men find
they can earn living with less exertion
in one dirdetion than in another, and tha
one occupation is more lucrative than an,
other, that moment their efforts are ben
in that direction.


Such has been the case in reference t
the profession Of .aw; and we now have
young men in Oho-and I suppose there
are such everywhere in the Countrywide
considering the study of law as a step
ping -stone to promotion. have studied jus
enough of law to give them the name o
lawyers They then become politicians
60 through the country making politica
speeches, and fill the country with fe.
yersh state of excitement In the next
step of progress they come into this Hall,
and, pursuing the same course Of speech
making and creating excitement upon po-
litical topics, we who desire to get the
floor for the consideration of matters oil
great public interest outside Of politics,
can rarely do so without struggle al
most as great as would be necessary to
make fortune, ordinarily. daughter. ]
l do not wish to make any indecorous re-
marks in reference to this honorable body;
but have absolutely seen exhibited up
on various occasions, in this hall such a
struggle for the floor, and such an effort
to see who could talk the loudest and
longest, as, if exhibited in a neighbor.
hood of farmers, would be considered
not very respectable, to say the very least
of it. ......


Mr.. Chairman, the interests of the
country at this time demand, from the
hands Of every man who has any
regard for his country or his country's
welfare, cessation of this eStraordina,
ry excitement upon the subject of poll
tics. When you hear gentlemen upon
this floor seriously talking about disso-
luton of the Union; when you see a
convention of men of one single party Of
this Government dividing in reference to
that question, so important to the institu-
tions of our country, | think it is time that
every one of us should begin to pause
and reflect in reference to the consequent
ces. 1t is not extraordinary patriotism that
actuates men in making all this distur.
bance; and if it is, l am going to suggest
plan to get rid of at least one half Of
this excess Of patriotism, and make the
other half worth four times as much as it is
how. (Laughter.) You will do much
towards accomplishing that if you will
reduce the compensation of men in and
around this Capitol, and in the various
Departments Of Government, to some
what of an equality with the compensa-
tion of men who pursue other vocations
Of life. Let not a man here who opens
and shuts your doors receive three dollars
day, while man who mauls rails gets
but fifty cents or dollar. If you employ
here ten men to do the labor Of one at
home, and it becomes updsrstaa3 in11I