The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1867-08-29

mcnt may enforce negro suffrage in the
Southern States. It may by the unlawful
exercise Of mere brute force rcdacc those
States TO negro communities. Shall we
open our doors to receive their super
abundant negro population, and thus re-
duce ourselves to their condition?
The Republicans tell us that slavery
has imbruted the negro-that it has de-
graded his nature-that it has infaned
his passions, deadencd his scnsibilitics
and deprived him Of the advantage of cul-
ture Would you thea invite him, thus
degraded by his OLD position. and thus IN
famed by newly acquired position, to
come.in and participate in tie control OF
our Government
What interest Of the negro in Ohio re
gures this change? Has the white race
oppressed him: His life his liberty. his
property are subjected 10 and protected by
the same laws rs yours. He is taxed in
the same manner. Ills rights are pro
tectcd b. the same courts, the same
judges, the same jurors. the same wit
nesses, the same rules of evidence.
never knew, | never heard Of case in
which injustice was done to a suitor be-
cause he was a negro
But this amendment not only admits
the negro, but it excludes the white man
1t excludes not only those who have par
ticipatcd in the rebellion, but those who
nave deserted or avoided the draft. By
its terms it would have excluded all those
who. having served till tie war was over.
left their ranks without permission and
dilemma. Many honest men, especially
many honest Republicans, wouil have
been thus excluded. There WAS not time
to amend the proposition. So the aid CT
Congress was invoked and it passed bin
which was called ihe Ohio Doserters'
Bill" 1t provides that men vino have
left the service as | have described shall
be considered deserters, 50 lar as to de-
priye them Of pay and em0umcnt but
not 50 far as to deprive them OF suffrage
That is to say, in the opinion Of Congress,
they performed their duty as soldier, too
badly to entitle them to pay, but well
enough to be good Republican voters.
But passing this view, is the proposition
wise and bcncficent! Snail We exclude
any Of our white citizens for Il political
ollcnse ! Shall we put such exclusion in
our Constitution, when we do not pat there
exclusion for any other crime? Shall We
say that the boy, who was just coming Of
age, who was TOO honest to lie, aud too
conscientious to bribe, and too poor 60 buy
J ..
cause he avoided the draft in order that
he might support his mother or sister, or,
pcrchancc, orphans younger than HIM
self
Shall we say to the men of Virginia
that Virginia which gave these five North
western States to tie Iaion-that those
wh) obeyed The teachings OF q political
philosophy which was universal among
them, or yielded 10 State pride. or see
tional feeling, or foolish prejudice, shall
be forever excluded from the suffrage, but
that the thief, the murderer. ihe robber, /
the forgcr, the perjurer, the burner, may
come and be welcome to enjoy ii =?
The tendency OF the world is to treat
political oilenses. Shall we here
reverse the order. and add the vindictiYc- 7
ness Of vengeance to severity Of punish /
ment? Shall we repel the intelligence
and wealth and energy OF The white man,
and invite he ignorance and incapacity Of
the negro?
The Old World shamcs us by its exam
pie. The Emperor Of Austria has paciIied
Hungary has put on The crown Of st.
Stephen. On that day he granted am
nesty for al political oilenSeS. And the
last steamer announces that kossuth-thc
arch traltor-the great rcbcl-the cor
~pirator against the life of the Govern
mentis elected to 4 seat in the first
parliament
An astuto observer and 4 great historian
has said: The wise ruler never treats
the discontentS Of Il great party as he treats
the conduct Of Il mob which destroys mills
and powder rooms. The neglect Of this
distinction has been fatal to Governments
strong even in the power of the sword"
hear it said that some Republicans !
will vote against the amendment, and yet
vote fer the Republican ticket This is
folly or hypocrisy This course will de
feat the amendment Of our State Consttu- /
ton. but if an amendment were proposed I
to the Federal Constitution, Republican
legislature would adopt it; and if NJ
Summers bin should pass, imposing negro
suffrage on All the States by act of Con
sress, Il Republican State government
would hasten to enforce 1t here
STATE FINANCES.
DO you ever hear of the tax-gathercr in
Lima
In 1896 the taxes levied for all purpo-
ics In the State were eight million nlne I
thousand five hundred aud thirteen dollars /
md ninety three cents. In 1866 they |
we're sixteen million eight hundred and /
,ixty-cght thousand iour hundred and I
-hirty-scyen dollars and thirty four cents,
more than twice as much, and this amount
was Increased by the abstraction of nearly
| million OF dollars from the soldier relief
'und. aud Its application to the current ex-
oenscs. In Alien County alenc the taxa
ion for State purposes has run up from
eleven thousand three hundred and forty
wo dollars in 1856, TO twenty-five thou
and one hundred and eighty dollars. In
1860 the taxes for all purposes were up
ward of twenty millions. In that year
more than two millions were raised for the
Soldiers Relief Fund. The next year,
caring to lay additional taxes, even desir-
ng to appear to reduce them they took
he money thus levied, in direct violation
If the Constitution, and applied it to the
Sinking Fund.
They boast of reducing the State debt.
let US see. La ten years they have paid
I'll one million nInetN-SiX Thousand two !