The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-09-20
From the st. Clairsyille Gazette.
TO BENJAMIN S. CoWEN.

State being $40 900 900 in debt. as you had, for
the first time, discovered it while at Columbus
last winter. and as though you had something ne'o
to communicate to the good people of old Bel
mont!
How came Ohio thus indebted' Whose policy
was it, that has sunk this otherwise prosperous and
fourishing State, into an interminable ocean OF
debt, which has also engulphed so many OF our
sister States! Why, sir, at the termination Of
John @. Adams administration, under the auspl-
ces Of Clay and Adams, there had grown up, be-
fore Congress, propositions for internal improve
ments, amounting to more than 1Wo Hundred
Millions of Money!
This system of general pl,uder, by the Federal
Government, received its deathblow from the
keen sighted and veteran President, ANDREW
JACKSON, by his Teto on the celebrated Mays
vile Road Bill for which he received nothing but
the deepest curses and imprecations Of the whole
Federal party!
In his Message of 1882, GEN. JACKSON told his
countrymen, that the entire system of Internal I'm
provement was one Of corruption. He says:
sIt promotes mischievous and corrupting in
fluence upon elections, by holding out to the peo-
pie the allacious hope that the success OF certain
candidate will make navigable their neighboring
creek or river, bring commerce to their doors and
increase the value of their property. II thus IA
vors combinations to squander the treasure ofthe
country upon multitude Of local objects, as fatal
to just legislation as to the purity OF public men.
Mr.. clay, in his speech of Dec 1888, in which
he makes his ferocious assault upon GEN. JACK
SON, said: "We are in the midst cfa Revolution"
and why' Because, amongs, other charges, which
he made against the President, he exclaimed
"THE POWER OF INTERNAL IMPROVE
MENT LIES CRUSHED BENEATH THE
VETO"
Yes, it was "Rerolutionary," no doubt in the
eyes Ct Mr.. Clay. the Leader of Federalism, for
President JACKSON to oppose this system OF inter
nal improvement, which, in Gen. Jackson's view,
was forming combinations to squander the Treas
ure of the ntry"-"promoting mischlevous
and corrupting influence upon elections "as
fatal to just legislation as 10 the purity ofpublc
menu
John @. .ddams, in 1884, said:
"He thanked God, that the Nation spent Mill
ons every year, tor internal improvements, IN spite
cf all theories! Was there single locality, ten
miles square, in our whole domain, which is not
susceptible of scme improvement! Every dollar
thus expended was debt laid upon posterity, and
would be, by them, duly appreciated. Had not
the God of Heaven given US our country to be
improved"-[Nie's Reg
Time has demonstrated who were right-wheth-
er Gen. Jackson and the Democracy or Adams
and Clay with their Federal allies. Thus stand
the respectivs parties, Sir, on this subject as far
az the General Government is connected with it.
And how stands the account in our own State,
as between the two great political parties? Who,
Sir have ever cherished this debt.contracting sys
TEN of State Improvements, by the Legislature,
and where has the opposition to IT ever been found
Let the facts answer! Let the Standard Bearers
Of the respective parties-the Federal and Demo-
cratic Governors-speak on this subject
Gov Vaace, your Leader, in his Inaugural Ad-
dress Of Dec. 1886. SAYS
"The people have nobly bourne themselve
through a system of improvement that has thrown
upon the back ground some of their more wealthy
and powerful sister States. few more years OF
patience and perseverance will dlffuse the dement's
Of this system, throughout every section OF our
State. 1t cannot then be doubted, that those in
the receipt of the benefits of works already con-
structed are too Just to ask at the hands of their
neighbors, that which they will not be willing to
repay; and too patriotic to fold their arms in the
enjoyment of unlimited prosperity, the fruits Of
combined effort of the whole body of our people,
whilst any portion of them remain unprovided
for"
This Champion of your party would "d!fuse the
bessings"-of what, SIR Or DEBT and TAX
ATOM Yes, such Debts as are fast prostrating
the energies of the people of Pennsylvania, of I-
nois, OF Indiana, and of our own 6,trayed Ohio!-
Yes BETRAYED by men who would now fain shift
the responsibility of their own acts!
And, Sir, what inducements were held out to
the People of Ohio, to suffer this immense debt to
be accumulated, and for which their property is
now held by, and mortgaged to domestic and Brit
ish Bankers' They were told by the Federal
leaders in Ohio, that those Public Works would
relieve them from taxation. If any one doubts
this fact, let him read the following passage from
the Message Of Gov Vance, in 1888:
"When the auxiliary works, now in progress Of
construction, shall have been completed, and shall
connect the mineral regions of the Muskingum and
Hooking valleys with our main canals, and that Of
Pennsylvania at Pittsburgh, our People will BE- re-
ieped from those burdens of taratiOn that were
necessary to bring these great works into success
full operation"
Itwas language like this, by which the People
were deceived and betrayed into that system Of
debt and taxation, under which they now groan-
inp But the deceDtion stoDped not al this point
for while some sections of the State were thrust
ing their arms, ebow-deep, into the Treasury, and
enrching themselves at the expense of other sec
tons, the latter were told, IN the same Message,
by the same Federal Governor, that ''Our system
has progressed too far 10 stop, until every portion
of the State is placed local position will
allow, upon perfect state of equality"
Thus were the plundered portions Of the State
made 10 believe, that they would receive back, in