The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-09-20


the Government or party in power by
so meanly and basely misrepresenting
the condition OF its finances. We have n
large debt, and whose fault Is it. i
wonder these Democrats, when they
get up TO talk about this debt, don {
feel as ifthe whole weight Of that debt
was crushing them to the earth It
seems to me il had acted the part they
did, whilst this debt was saccumulating,
would feel every time l got up TO
make speech about, ,itthAt Twas weigh
ed down by the blood and sinews of
this people that are TO be worn out to
raise the money TO pay 1t. If there had
been no Democratic party there had
been no heresy OF secession, and If
there had been no heresy of secession
there had been no secession and revo-
luton in the South, and il there had
been no war on the part of the Govern
ment, and il there had been no rebellion
for the Government to crush there
would be no debt for US to pay. i
want TO know whether anything can be
more clear than that this party which
had control and possession OF the Gov
erDment when this secession move
ment occurred, and which was the
strong and interruptions fTieI.d of the
rebellion whilst it was battling against
the country, is not responsible for
every dollar expended in carrying on
the war. Yea, more than that. Before
the great Tribunal of the universe the
leaders OF that party stand convicted
and responsible for the shedding OF
every drop of blood spilled during the
fearful conflict through which we have
passed.
The blood of your 100000 fallen
braves that amid the smoke and CON
f1fct of battle went down to death 10
preserve the unity of your Government
all clings to the skirt OF the Democratic
party-every drop of it; and If the
ghosts of your fallen braves could come
back to earth haunt the authors of their
premature death, the Democratic party
would experience an eternity of unrest
on earth.
But say these men, your country is
going to ruin under this Black Repub-
lican party. High taxes are crushing
out the life of tho people. Taxes nIe
relatively high, In 1883 in the State OF
Ohio we paid 50 cents on the hundred
dollars. In 1867 we pay about 81 10.
When we paid eighty-tive cents l was
acting Auditor of your county and
once every year / advertised for sale
one whole page OF a newspaper OF
/ property on which the people were I'M
able TO pay the taxes and in 1866 in the
! same paper the property offered at tax
sale did not amount TO one-fouth of n
column. The people in 1858 were una
BILE to pay eighty-tive cents on hundred
dollars. Now they have plenty OF
money and are able to pay much easier
81 40. The people of OHIO are are less
/ oppressed with taxes to day than they
ever were since this Government WIS
organized simply because they have
the money TO pay the taxes and at
no time before were they able TO raise
it without sacrifice. As I before re-
marked, in 1860 the laborer got 625S
Genus day, while now If he is willing
l k.E.F aNa = n A nd IN Iuh
ing men in this audience understand
me very we'll when 1 say you are better
fed, and clothed and have more money
! to-day than you ever had as the pro
| ceds OF your labor in the history of this
Government before.
| The Democratic party proclaims itseli
In favor OF equal taxation. DID you
ever stop TO think what that means
1t means every dollar in the country
shall pay its equal share of the amount
necessary to cnrry on the Government.
/ The theory of the Democratic party
would tax every dollar of property in
| the Republic for the expenses Of the
| Government. The theory OF the Re-
publican party is much more benitcent.
| In the first place no man in OHIO pays
| any tax at all Tor either State or Ma
| tionaI purposes who has property worth
more than $50. The extremely poor
are exempt from all taxation We
! nave no hH u pun Ld0. w
man whose income does not amount TO
more than 81 900 a yearipays income ia K
/ to the General Government. Under
that rule how many poor men OF this
| country are taxed. Yet this Repubh-
| can party under so beniticent plan Hs
this are able TO collect the money ne
| cessary to carry on the country, to con-
| troll the Southern States by military
government, to pay the interest on the
| public debt, TO prosecute war against
| The Indians, TO pay 500, COG, 600 "A yenr
| in pensions 10 the widows and orphans
| of fallen soldiers, S75, 100000 to equal
| ize the bounties of soldiers who have
returned and pay $500 600 of the
I debt contracted TO carry on the war.
I And yet we don't raise a dime of that
tax off poor man, except what we get
off his coffee and sugar and tea A. Il.
| Stewart, of New York, pays more in
come tax than all the tax payers OF the
Sixteenth district together. That Is the
policy of the Republican party-to
| make the prince nabobs pay the ex-
| pense of carrying on the Government
| and the interest on the debt and aFpOr-
| tion OF the debt also. The Democratic
party would have equal tnxation-
have the Government lay its strong
! hand on every child within its jurisdic-
tion. Are you in favor of that kind of
\ equal taxation?
4 But that Is not the point they are
| most anxious about. They cry equal
taxation for the purpose of reaching
the bond d-holders. They say you are
building up a bonded arlstocracy In
this country. Did Democrat ever tell
| you why these bonds were not taxedY
AT the time the Republican party came
into power the Government was in
! debt $40, 900, 600 and there was
not money enough in the
| treasury to pay the interest
We borrowed enough for that as soon
as we came in. But not one dollar OF
| tax had ever been laid on these seven
! ty-six million bonds. Why did not The
! Democrats tax these bonds then out
| standing, or the bonds of the war of
| 1922 Because the Supreme Court OF
| the United States decided there was no
| power. In 1919 the city of Charleston
| undertook TO tax United States bonds.
| The case was carried 10 the Supreme
Court Of the United States and decided
| against the right of a State to tax United
| states bonds. The reason Is obvious.
/ II State has righL to tax these bonds
the right is Unlimited and they may
make the tax great enough to take the
bonds TO pay II and thus deprive the
General Government of all power to
| borrow money, and prevent it thereby
from administering the affairs of the
Government. That is the ruling of
the Supreme Court on that question in
the case referred TO. And that decision
has been sustained time and again.
the last time by Chief Justice Taney
in 1852. Why do not these Democrats
say they cannot tax the bonds
of the United States, instead OF
saying the Black Republican party
exempt the bonds from taxation?
Simply because their whole course has
been one OF misrepresentation and
falsehood, and they persist In 1t be-
cause the truth would neutralize all