The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-04-03
[From the La Crosse (Wis.) Demo0rat.l
Hear us for the Truth.
God cursed Egypt with lice,

themselves OF a Dr0lneT, Win idlHlnO'
He cursed Job with boils.
He cursed America with Republican
ism, from the black and bloody depths
of which fearful curse the land is slowly
and surely emerging as the sun appears
from behind the sombre current-driven
cloud which floats over its face and is
gone forever.
When the country was prosperous. mis-
chiet-workers could not be satisfied, aud
advised flying from endurable evils to
those which have brought death, blood
shed, waste tears, desolation, taxation, be.
yond endurance.
To release a few blacks from labor, mil
lions of white people were made slaves to
debt-a more memorable master than ever
existed in the South.
The party lately wholly, now thank
Almighty God but partly in power preach
ed r~etrenchment and reform while it filled
the Offices of the land with a set Of
thieves, law breakers and %plunderers
greater than any country has ever before
seen.
Presidential tyranny and u~surpation of
power, official extravaganza, open corrup-
ton, the most wanton debauchery, the
most gigantic swindles-the greatest dis
regard of laws-the most reckless and
foolish expenditure af the peoples mon
ey-the most careless pledglng Of the
public credit-the g~rossest n Injustice in ma
tional legislation-the wickedest slaugh-
ter of human life-the greatest imbecili-
ty and arrogance in official circles-the
blindest President this country ever had
has characterized the past four years Of
our national history.
Had any one told us ten years since
that the people of America would have
submitted to the insults expressions ,usur-
pations, and extravaganza heaped upon
them, and stood like fools to see their
earnings mortgaged for generations yet to
come, the world would have called him
mad and spat in his face.
But the shuttle Of time carried the
wool of corruption and partisan extrava-
gance through the warp of dishonest am
bition till the land became spotted with
blood and ruins, and the earth filled with
the victims of meddlesome fanaticism.-
Our entire national debt FIVE years since
would not pay the interest for three
months, on what We now owe!
The young men of America lie dead on
a thousand battle fields, victims Of Abo-
%litionism.
The plantations which furnished the
North with materials on which to expend
labor are now in weeds, and the houses
which were open to hospitality are now
in ruins.
The black population of the South, in
stead Of by we'll directed labor, helping
to add to the products OF the country,
have been freed from slavery, to die of
want or made to work as before; when in
the mood.
The element in the land which once
raised rice, sugar and cotton for northern
men to eat, is now supported by men who
cannot support themselves as we'll as the
slaves were supported before the war be-
gan.
And to these evils-the fruits Of Re-
publicanlsm-there is added the greatest
of all curses, protection to aristocracy by
the exemption of United States bonds
from taxation.
Two-thirds of the entire wealth of the
country is to-day exempt from taxation,
and the Republicanism which was to have
so many blessings in its train, has singled
out the wealthy to be supported by the
poor.
The holder of government bonds sits
in his easy chair, his sllppered feet on
silver plated fender choice cigar in his
lips-the finest liquors on his ~sideboard
the richest dress on his person. his
pocket p,ethoric with interest bearing
bonds. Every three months he goes to a
bank and draws his interest. His notes
are against the poor-not the rich.
The tax-gatherer passes him by with a
smile to return and empty his tithes into
the rich mans pocket. By wicked, un
lawful, unconstitutional, act of a repub-
lican congress, sanctioned by a weak.
trucking President. the rich man is pro-
tected in idleness-the poor man is made
his slave. The bendholder does not have
one cent Of taxes to pay on money invest
ed. He holds his millions, and the day
laborer, the widow, the mechanic, the
farmer, the consumer pays him high in
%terest.
The bondholder pays no taxes.
The b~ondholder builds no churches.
The ~bondholder builds no school
houses.
The b~ondholder builds no roads.
The b~ondholder does not directly or
indirectly support the government that
thus favors him.
The b~ondholder does not McAdam;ze
or improve the streets.
The ~bondholder does not help to take
care of the poor.
The ~bondholder does not help to pay
the officers Of the law which protect
him.
The b~ondholder does not help to pay
the thief who tried to steal from him, or
the villain who tried to take his life.
The ~bondholder does nothing to build
up a country, but like a great sponge,
absorbs the earning of his non-bond-
holding neighbors all over the country.
Think Of these things. brother working
men. Think of these things young men
of America. The Republican party by
fraud, deceit, and wickedness came into
power. 1t toyed your liberties away. 1t
added to your taxes. 1t run the country
in debt. 1t exonerated the rich from
taxation. 1t has left a legacy of debt