Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-10-08

gance desires, they will have the power to
take it. Thus, by enfranchising the ne
groes, the destiny of Ohio, the fate of civil
liberty, are confided to the keeping of the
Alricanl 1t is said that the ssigporant
Irish and stupid Dutch vote" and hence it
is claimed that the negro, "who is notyery
much less intelligent" should vote also.
This is the rub. The Irish and Dutch gem
orally know too much to vote with a GER
tain party in this country. They cannot
forget that party's hostility to foreioners
They cannot forget that the party which
noso claims suffrage asa natural right for the
negro, few years. ago insisted, that for
eigner should reside t.oenty-one years in this
country before he acquired this natural
right! This party now proposes to en-
franchise the negro. because thereby il
hopes to offset the Irish and German vote.
That party wishes to make tools of the Door
negroes to perpetuate tits political power.
This is the secret design of that party.
suppose for a moment that the slander
against our Irish and German citizens were
true, what does it prove? 1t were certain
ly desirable to have every citizen of a re-
public intelligent. The less Ignorance
prevails, the happier the people, the more
stable the government. But If some white
men are ignorant,s will our condition be
improved by. increasing the number of iqno-
rant Uoters If there is some bran in our
bread, will the bread be improved by max
ing it all 5ranP ~ % sTnt f5 - Z
FOR THE TICKET. AGAINST THE AMEND
| t4c .2-r- MENT.n suAtfr ia.i iEl'F =
Many honest 4Repablieans assert that
they will vote for the ticket but against
the amendment. This, to use very mild
expression, is supreme folly. Every man
on the ticket, the party itself, is committed
to negro suffrage, the measure which you
vote against directly. How can any sane
ct1nh nP,>
negro suffrage, yet vote for the men and
the party of negro suffrage! Vote for men
who, If they have majority in the Legis-
lature next winter, will ratify the negro
suffrage amendment which Congress will
certainly pass! Vote for measure to
which you are opposed Bring down upon
your own heads the evils which you seek
to avertl No, my fellow citizens, there is
no reason why we should vote for this
measure or the party advocating it. The
present Constitution OF, Ohio meets all our
requirements. 1t does not need amend
ment; suffrage does not belong to the ne
gro by right; experience teaches US the
folly of extending it to him. This is no
time for theory let US cling to experience
and heed its warnings. Disastrous would
be its consequences, wolul our fate. Should
this amendment be Incorporated into the
organic law of Ohio, we will survive the
Republic, the loss of liberty, of virtue and
OF honor. am reminded of an incident: !:
At the storming of Sardia Persian sol
dier, through Ignorance of the Kings per-
son, was about to slay Crooesus, when his
dumb son. under the impulse of fear and
astonishment. exclaimed: s'Oh, man, kill
not my father!' When large proportion
OF the people of Ohio, infatuated and mad
dened by the recent conflict, are about to
give the fatal blow to Ohio's Constitution,
cannot torbear exclaiming: Spare, spare
f,1fi0 l.
hands upon it; ''Shield it and save it, or
perish there too"
If a national debt is a national blessing,
as Radical statesmen assert, we are GER
taiuly the happiest people on the globe
The national blessing amounts at the pres
ent time to ten billions six hundred mil
lions of dollarsl To the man who thinks
the more he owes the more prosperous he
is, have not word to say. will not
dispel that Ignorance which, in some cases,
amounts to bliss. In proportion to our
taxable property basis we pay heavier
taxes than the people of England or OF
Fraucei
The interest bearing portion of the pub
lie debt amounts to twenty-five hundred
millions, and the annual interest thereon
to the handsome sum of two hundred and
forty millionsi T-- -. s''
bondholder draws his interest in gold and
does not pay one cent taxation on the prin-
c1pal. The poor man, the mechanic and
the farmer, enjoy the exclusive blessing of
paying not only their own proportion of
the tax but the proportion of the wealthy
bondholder alsol Well, you have no busi-
ness to be poor; poverty is not only mis-
fortune but crimel 1918
How is the burden to be lessened? By
distributing it amongst all the inhabitants
in proportion to the wealth of each. If ten
men are taxed one hundred dollars, the
share of each is ten dollars. If this same
tax were imposed on twenty men the pro-
portion of each would be reduced one-half
Then, If you would lessen the burden
which is crushing you, tao the rich man $
bonds as ,oeu as the poor mans ldbar. But it
is said, "this would be violation of the
faith of the Government" The Govern
ment had no right or legal power to exempt
these bonds from taxation in the first in
stance. The people never clothed their
servants with any such power. 1t is never
too late to rectify an error; never inexpe-
dent to do justice. To prosecute the late
war, the Government not only wanted men
but money. In that contest, as in all con-
tests, money was the sinews of war. How
did the Government procure men? By
force. You were drafted, and squad of
soldiers with fixed bayonets marched the
IN
matter if your wives were dishonored or
your children starved during your absence.
No matter if the conscripts never returned.
The Government wanted men, and go you
must. .r- -e- .r.rs r....- -..- ,
Thus the Government deals with your
brothers, sons and fathers. Now, I ask,
why did not the Government conscript
money as well as men? Other Govern
m ents have made forced loans from their
citizens in perilous times. This Govern
ment could have done the same thing. But
no; money was scarce! The Radical party
regarded the rich mans money as more pre-
cious than the poor mans k1ei i fail to see
the peculiar obligation which the country
owes to the bondholders. They invested
in loans because it was very profitable
speculation; they draw nine per cent. in-
terest and pay no taxes on the principal
Any shaver will lend money on such terms.
1t is very good Speculation-one which
generally ruins the borrower and enriches
the lender. These fellows took advantage
of the misfortunes of the country and drove
a hard bargain with the Government; coin
ed money out of the hearts blood of the
nation, while you were enduring the hard
ships of private soldier. There was no
risk in purchasing these bonds. They were
purchased with greenbacks. If the. North
was unsuccessful in the struggle, bond
would be of no more value than a green
DacK. Anu preenDackS WOulu In Cnat event
be worth as much as continental dollar or
as bonds of the late Confederacy. Hence
the contract is not legal and most certainly
not equitable. If shaver takes advantage
OF your straitened circumstances and
charges you ruinous interest for money
loane /, you can legally repudiate such a
contract. The bondholders charge the peo-
pie of this country nine per cent. interest
and besides this you pay at least niue per
cent. taxes for them on the borro wed prin-
cipal.
Hence you are paying these patriots
eighteen per cent. for the money which, in