The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1865-10-21
PLEnaEs ro d KEpr.

true of nations as it is of men, 1Hon-
esty IS the best pOlicy.n Men that will
not, keep their obligations and pay
their debts, according to their ability ut
least, have no credit, and deserve none,
amongst their fellow men. Nations
that will not do this have no credit and
deserve none amongst the nations of
the earth. = gTls -ls7sil :.
One issue then before the American
people to-day is whether we shall keen
faith and pay our Obligations. They
are all sacred, but some of the most
sacred character ever entered into by
any nation on the face of the earth,
We are under a very heavy obligation
to the dead defenders of the republic.
We nre under a very heavy obligation
to the surviving defenders of the re-
public, deprived of their limbs in the
great struggle. We promised them,
amongst other things, when they. went
out, that If they fell blythe way side,
or orperished amidst the thunder and fury
of the great conflict, the little children
they LETT by the fireside watching for
the morning when the fnther shall
come up home from the war, should not
be forgotten by the nation. That is one
obligation to be kept. 81 r5 ;1.zg -a
we sn1d 10 the old grRy-hatred mother,
upon whose hend time had scattered
the trosts of five and eighty winters,
when she gave the prop of her old age,
the last child of her affections, TO the
common country of herself and her
son, that If he fell by the wny, she
should not be forgotten. The question
is whether that obligation shall be kept
. ---. REPUDIATIoN. liAu
There is party that proposes to re-
pudiate the obligation of the country,
If they repudiate it in part they may
repudiate 1t in whole. What do You
think of man who comes TO you, has
the means to pay, and says he intends
to pay onezquarter of the debt2 / see
1t here in West Virginia presented to
you in the most cowardly form. Well,
that is not Unusual amongst thieves.
i LLaughter.l l have read in Holy Writ
that 1t is only the righteous who are
tbrave as u Hon." understand yery
well that thieves and robbers and cove
nant breakers, who, we nre told, de-
serve death, are always towards. The
great poet of nature has said, "COn-
science makes towards of us ALL"
These poor devils, il they have nothing
else left, have the last remnants of a
conscience left. So they are towards
Mt last. is ai
EQUALITY OF TAXATION.
was handed the platform of 4 this
democratic organiZation-or rather this
party that proposes to reorganize the
democratic party in West Virginia
grave. have read this platform, and
see these fellows very softly resolve
that they are in favor of equal taxation.
understand that they dodge The quets-
tiOn when you come homo upon them
bnt understand that they are in flVor
of equal taxation. Well am not. i
am not III fnVorOf taxing that brave
fellow who lost his limbs on the nights
of Gettysburg or Port Hudson, ms /
would tax my honest friend who is
sound in mind and body and now sits
before you, and am sure he is not /
am not in favor of taxing him on his
bonds, in whiclIS he lias invested tho
little earnings he has saved in these
grent battles for the Union-to pay any
part of the debt we contracted either to
him or amy of his brave comrades, or
any part of the debt we contracted to
the true and patriotic men in this land,
who risked everything in the way of
wealth for the salvation of the country,
who poured ont their money like water,
and said-'"Fike it for twenty or for
forty or for eighty years, and If you
want more, come bnck, md so fir as
God gives us the means we will give
IL to you, nll." We said to them, the
States and Stnte corporations shall not
tax your bonds. We did not say the
Federal Government should not tax
your bonds, for themanitGst renSou thnt
the Federal Government cannot divest
itself otpower essential toits existence,
which 1t cannot cast of ut all without
committing suicide, and TINT is the
power TO lazy not only all the wealth
but all the life of this country under
contribution, if need be, for the defense
OF the nation. But we did saw, the
States and municipalities should not
tax them either in the hands of the re-
turned soldiers or the widowed mother
or tile orphan children of the fallen
brave, or in the hands ofthe great cred-
itOrs of the government. ads -.
OPINION OF CHIEF JUSTICE SIARsHA1.1..
You aro in favor of equal taxation,
are you? am not, in that direction. /
nm In fnvor of keeping faith. know
and upon moments reflection Won
will perceive that this is the most dan
gerous form of secession that either
man or the devil himself, the father of
secession as he is the fnther OF lies, can
invent. Applnuse.l The idea is not
original with me; it was uttered from
the supreme tribunal of America fifGvl
years ngo by that great man who hon=
ored his native State of Virginia and
did honor to the human race-than
whom a brighter, nobler or profounder
spirit never wore the judicial ermine.
Goponder on that grand argument as
we'll as judicial opinion of Chief Jus.i
tice Marshall, reported in the case of
Mccullough against the State of ALnry-
land-and see how he demonstrates the
fact that the Federal Government cam
not exist IN safety and perhaps cannot
survive at all If the several States Of
this Union are permitted to tax the
Federal securities. am disposed to
follow the lead of Marshall.
Now what do you say, my little gem
Heman DemocrntR Do you suppose
you know more on this subject than
II
was that 1t was essential, absolutely to
the maintenance of the government
that it should have the power to protect
its own securities against either mU-,
ntcipal or State taxation. / undertake
10 say, more convincing, more con-
elusive argument never WAS Issued.
from the judicial bench of any country.
II was worthy of his great nme. And
1t does not surprise me ut all when [
refer TO IT that the moment the last SYl-
liable of 1t had dropped from his lips.
Ptnckney arose in his place and said: I:
After this decision of the highest tri!
bunal of the land, the Constitution of
my country ts immortal" And to-day,
after such decision, we are TO be told
Dyi these paltry demagpgues that they
are In favor of equal ltaxation-running Ia
about among the people attempting to
excite the laboring and productive
classes everywhere against fhe wealth
their papers in the state Sa Of Vest Ss SeSn Virl
ginin, bat in the State of. Ohio 1
notice, captions like this: teThe monied
ed a.TTistocracy exempted nom taxa
have said am not in fJivor Of .edtiti
taxation. Nor is any man at ali, who
has reelected 1.-The subject, in favor of
money is to be rnfsed. The truth Is!
nations on this subject, follow literally
the direction of Holy Writ, that to whom
much Is gIven, much Will be required. :.