Speech #510091528

I can say for the district of which I am the accredited Representativethe ninetyseven counties. embracing an area as large as ten States of this Union. which I could designate. whose sovereign people have sent me here for four terms. that we can live under any Federal election law which can be tolerated by the voters of Maine or Massachusetts. You might dump the whole State of Massachusetts within that Congressional district and its entire territory would not make a respectable cattleranch. It has a cosmopolitan population. Its immigration comes from almost every State in the Union. and from across the great waters. Northern capital has found safe and profitable investment within its limits. The exUnion soldier lives side by side with the exConfederate soldier--one fence frequently divides their farms and ranchesthey send their children to the same school. worship at the same church. vote at the same ballotbox. and as a general thing the same ticket.