Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-07-27

| say Mr.. Speaker, i'll were To address the
farmer thus, instead Of securing piece of
beef on the table, might get a touch of the
animals hide and that, with deep tonscous-
ness of deserving il. At least, sir, were the
brooms,ick, on a basin of hot water at hand, ]
imight get taste of those luxuries from the
farmers wife or daughter. Such is my. opin-
ion of the gratitude of Rhode Island farmers
and their wives aud daughters. But not ia
make light of serious things all this wailing
and amenlation for the farmers OF Rhode island
| is just so much--humbug. Blessings on the
man who invented that word what should we
do without it, in this year Of our Lord 1918
outstanding the old maxim, wonder at
nothing" in politics. there is one thing which
surprises me a little. The gentlemen who
chant so many doleiul dirges about The farmers
are gentlemen of unqucsioned talent well and
deeply read in the book Of human nature dc
they not see there, that their music may not
fall harmoniously on the farmers ear Or to
speak without fgure--do they think that il
can be perfectly agreeable to the farmers, to be
thus publicly exhibited like parcel OF ragged
scare crows in their own corn feldsi
! yet ask the privilege Of 'one word more,'
Mr.. Speaker and that mere truism. There
may be several ways of saying the same thing
and The effect of the thing said, may depend
much on the manner of sayingit. That is all
sir. Now, for example We go home TO
our constituents; we meet neighbor who asks
the question very often asked in such case,
NV hat has the General Assembly been do
I ing !"-We answer among other things,-the
State being somewhat in debt, and deprived of
its former sources Of Revenue, il has been pro-
posed to lay moderate tax Oh property of the
.iti uH pt of a.
ed.
| 1t has been suggested also, that it would be
perfectly fair and just, that as a general rule
the tax shall be proportoned TO the productive
ness, rather than to the nominal value of the
property. This sir, would be plain answer
to plain question. The constituent, whose
ever he might be, would underestimate. Every
man in the State would understand it, and
verify believe, that almost Q wish could say
quite) every sane and honest man in the State
would receive it cordially land say that the plan
is perfectly Just and fair.
\ Now suppose again, sir, we 90 home, and
meet the constlinent,- we will suppose him to
be farmer, in this case he asks that same
question, "Whai has the General Assembly
been about! " After assuming an air and an
attitude adapted to the alarming crisis, we re-
ply, ~ ii tell YOU what some OF them would
be about, ifthey could there are men in that
General Assembly, who are ready to. plunge
their hands i'll the pockets Of the farmers,
(no other pockets of course,) and when they
have plunged once, they will plunge again,
aud again, and never cease to plunge until the
very last cent is distracted, and your pockets
left empty and " desolate as the dwelling of
Norma" That, sir would be another way OF
answering the PLAIN question, I" What has the
Assembly been about"
\ | do not say, sir, that these Two answers
would be perfectly identical, in matter or in
manner. The difference would be this The
second answer would suppress nine-tenths of
the truth, and most grossly exaggerate the
remaining tenth. The first would be a mere
appeal To common sense and common honesty !;
the second to the Imagination and to seliishness;
and how different might be the effect of the
two Oh the minds efus plain, unsuspecting far
mers. The poetry of the second would call up
poetic imagery even in our dull fancies. We
should almost see and feel some insolent bank
agent in the very actoi " plungng" his rapa-
cious claws into our "pockets." spirit of
resistance would be aroused hands bn, we
should say I; none of your g piungng" here /;
go and plunge into the bank vaults, as deep as
YOU please 90 and shave the old women"
There may be several ways of saying the same
thing, Mr. Speaker, and it isa fact that we
farmers do sometimes get dreadfully gulled by
the politicians.
Mr.. Speaker, as have heard it said at some
the public gatherings in the Far West.-"l
did not rise to make speech, but as am up,
| will say one word more" )" and then sir, per-
haps they would go on and make speech
three hours long and how they would praise
4. al. linz
where they are all farmers but iew) | wish
you could hear them, sir, it would be such a
novelty for you know, sir, we have no dem
agogues in Rhode Island ; that is to say, none
but the Dorri,es. Sir, would not we like to
sec the man who would dare to say that such
good Wings as the Hon. Speaker and my
humble self and---and SO iorth--are
demagogues | now merely ask indulgence
for brief reminiscence. 1t is now almost a
year since ga respectable minority" Of the peo-
pie of Rhode Island had great glorfcaton on
Tiverton Heights and what was it about
Why sir, we went there and feasted (ratheI
abstemiously, from necessity and listened to
" song which charms the sense, and eloquence
the soul" We did all this, because having
once belonged to Massachusetts, we now be-
long Rhode Island. Well sir no doubt that
was all proper and ediiying. But this do say
in all seriousness. If fRhode Island is ready tc
adopt this system of ,lck,are bank taxation,
am ready to forget old times, and forgive all
the hanging of Mary Dyer, and the mol hang
ing of Cotton Mather, excepted. Herein the
Puritans erred. Yes, sir, if Rhode Island is
ready for this, give us the territorial line laid
down by Mr.. Burgess. ! shall look over II
without regret. know they tax in Massa
chusetts, (whcre do they not y but they tax
fairly, while the system here proposed, Is quite
too much like that Of France, which was the
precursor, and, to no small extent, the caus'
Of revolution of 1899 and 30, when tw0-thirds
Of he property was in the hands of the nobility
and the church, (that is to say the priests, }
while the other third, belonging to the people,
bore most of the burthens of the State. The
difference is, that under our proposed system,
one-seventh or one-eghth is TO bear the whole
And now, sir, ,oconclude, if the dominant party
of Rhode Island is ready to adopt such system
rs this, then welcome - Dorrism," whether II
be that monster, q" fierce rs ten fures, terrible
as hell, - and shaking not merely " dreadful
DART" but "thm Srord'' which fought in
Florida, and ran away from Acoio's Hill
h whether il be all this, or whether il be, after
ALL" more sinned against than shining" let il
come ; it oda't be worse, II may be better. II
/ the people Of Rhode Island are ready TO push