Year: 1869

Senate. N~aA t-4-~ - AA--


The discussion In the Senate on Friday over
the Tenure Of ONCE act was the occasion for
very lively interchange Of ideas. The whole
affair was q warm one, but had the usual pet
tifogging characteristics until Mr.. Sprague,
with more blunt common sense than polish,
opened bis batteries and gave Congress few
solid ideas and unpalatable truths, which oc-
casioned some commotion. Said he: 'The
too many Of the members are lawyers-men
educated only In one line, in one range OF
ideas and experience and, therefore, incom-
petent to represent faithfully the diverse in
tercsts and necessities Of the great mass OF the
people" This was a shot in the right direc-
tion, and told with tremendous effect. 1t is
something that the different States will do well
to think or The petty wranglers, who become
noted ward.room politicians, finally work them
selves into power, and are then sent to Congress
to befog every question that arises and to
study how best they can get fee from the
different rings that have certain jobs to shove
through our legislative halls. Therefore, when
Mr.. Sprague states that ''of sixty-six men,
bers of the Senate forty-ave are lawyers, and
Of the twenty-one remaining five have received
legal education, and most Of the few remain
ing members are governed by lawyers and
their teachings" he states fact that accounts
10 great measure for the miserable theoreti-
cal legislation that has been given to us for the
past four years. How little this organization
is disposed to forward the true interests Of the
United States Is well shown in the further true
statement that s'ihe politicians have never
been willing to let the people know the true
state Of the country" "The object
of the majority in Congress appears to be
rather to pcrpetuate the existence of party
than to promote the welfare of the people"


Here is sound logic from man who can,
through his own vast business interests, feel
the palpitating desires of the masses, and,
being so closely linked to them, can also feel
strong in the bold words that he enunciates.
Still denouncing the Senate: In the Tenure
of Office act they expend all their ingenuity
to befog the question at issue, to seize addi-
tional power under the disguise of secur-
ing the equipoise Of the government. "Al
sham in substance" ''The House of Lords,
nor any other legislative body has half the
power possessed by the Senate of the United
States and yet the Senate clamors for more,
and for why2 Why, to build up an aristocracy
of power, an oligarchy of tyrants and mono
poly of legislation" He said that he ''pre-
ferred the tyranny of one man with some
humanity in him and occupying responsible
position to that of an irresponsible body like
the Senate" and he therefore earnestly pressed
the repeal of the Tenure of Office act.


A speech like this does the country good.
1t is long time since one Of equal outspoken
and clear sense has been heard in Congress.
Mr.. Sprague echoes the voice of the people
when he derides the lawyers How little
their legal knowledge avaled them is shown in
their complete ignorance OF the law Of 1889,
which prevented Mr.. Stewart from occupying
the Treasury Department We require other
men in addition to Mr.. Sprague in our Con-
gress who feel the effects Of their own legisle-
tion; and until we have them this terrible
muddle into which the lawyers have thrown
the country will not give place to good
government