The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1865-11-04
OILY CANNON ON THE ABOHI-
TION PARTY.

papers thus hits off the deception and dis
honesty, the Inconsistency and unconsti-
tutionality, of the policy AGED upon by
the party in power:
We have accomplished a great work,
but much remains t0lbe done. before we
can establish firmly the great principles of
our party. We have made slaves of six
millions of people who have always been
our enemies, and we have made four mil
lions of freemen, whom we must make our
friends The first thing to be done is to
drop the name of Republican, and take
the name of Union. The present popu-
larity of that name may last long enough
for US to fix ourselves so firmly in power
as to defy allopposition. 1t is true, we have
never been able to retain any name long at
time, because some how or another our
principles aud our measures have always
soon rendered every name we haye taken
unpopular and thrust us out Of power.
We began rs Federalists, then National
Republicans, then Union men, then Free
Soilers, then Native Americans, then
Know Nothings. then Republicans-and
now we have come back to Union men.
Allthese names we have, by turns, brought
into contempt with the MASSES. Now.
while our name is popular, We must man
age so to secure our power that the masses
shall not have power to turn us out. We
have the purse and the sword in our
hands; we must manage to keep them
There are several subjects which must
be managed with great care and adroit-
ness to secure our success The FIRST is
the question of negro suffrage. They
must have the privilege of voting, or
rather we must have the privilege of vot-
ing them. They are entitled to vote If
anybody is, because they are the men who
have enabled us to crush the rebellion.
aud secure the great power We now pos
sess. Did not our great. good and lament
ed Lincoln declare that . to dispense with
the services of the negro troops would be
TO give up the contest ?'' What our
white soldiers could not effect our negro
soldiers most gloriously accomplished
They are therefore entitled to vote But
it is not so much what they are entitled
TO, as what we want and must have, that
is to be considered. We want and must
have their votes to set off against the
votes of the poor white men We can
make valuable use Of it, too, in another
way. We can use them as a base to in
troduce property qualification for voters,
and if We can effect this, we disfran
ehise the poor white trash who always
vote against US.
But We must not commit ourselves to-
this now. 1t might prevent US from be-
ing able to accomplish it. 1t might drive
off many who are now supporting us. We
can make nothing by it; all who are in
favor eff it viii vote for US any how, be
cause they know they have nothing to-
hope from our opponents; they know it is
our interest TO adopt that measure when
we can, and they know we do not hesitate
to deceive anybody to secure our interest
The negroes can't help us by their votes
now, but when we get the power, We can
adopt it, and their votes viii make up for
what we lose by it.
There is another question which will
give us great trouble. and upon which.
unless we manage it with great skill, We
are in danger of shipwreck. 1t is fraught
with danger and difficulty / allude to
the exemption of Government securities
from taxation. It must be saved at all
hazards. One Of our greatest men said.
q let the Government take care of the
rich the rich viii take care of the poor
This is the doctrine; We must impress it
upon the people. We must especially
ring all the changes upon the horrors of
repudiation. I fnd there is strong and
growing aversion to this exemption, and
the people have feelings and opinions that
| it is very hard to answer [ heard the
other day very plain looking man talk
ing very strongly against the injustice of
it, and as there were several listening very
attentiyely to him, [ thought | would put
IN word in its defense. So I said to
him, My friend, don't you know that
4Congress has passed law that these secu-
rites shall not be taxed by the States Z"
He replied, g Yes, I know it; but know
It is unjust, and it is the first time ever
heard It claimed that the Constitution
gives Congress the power to say what
property State shall or shall not tax. If
lit has the right to say that State shall
not tax one sort of property. it has right
to saw it shall not tax another. If there
is any property it has the right to exempt
from taxation, it is the Government lands
vet it has never claimed that right, but
has always made bargain to that effect. =
] = But if you tax these bonds they will
be sold out of the State, and that much
capital be driven out"
{. Well, [ suppose they will get the
value Of them in money or some other pro-
perty that viii pay taxes, and even if
they don't, [ see no good that property
does the State which pays no taxes.
But, my friend, you will not have the
pIighted faith of the country violated, and
besides, you know the Government could
not have got as much for these bonds if
Congress had not promised that they
should not be taxedF
The faith of the country is not plight
/ ed to this iniqaity. Congress had no right
to pass such Law, and nobody is bound
/ BIZ 1t either in law or 1orals. I know
that all yeu people that stayed at home
and speculated upon and made fortunes
out Of the misfortunes of the country,
make a great fuss about the plighted faith
of the country, and talk mighty loud
about the disgrace of repudiation, but l
never hear any Of that sort except where
it is to help the rich and privileged class
les. There are thousands of men IN the
army who entered it for the war; the war
/ is over and has been for months, the men
want to go home to their families, but
they dare not do it at the risk Of being
/ shot as deserters. / don't hear any OF
yoa complaining Of the violation of the