Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-09-18
.0bio:I. StatI|el,s,:ll.aI':llrl. an
sPEECH
{ Hon. e. Charles Reemelin
Delivered at Wooster, Sept 18th
Repeated at Columbus, Sept. 18th

II had the honor to address the people ot
nOhio, at the several meetings appointed for
me, upop,thc momeptous issues then.pend-
tng before the country. L never failed to
impress upon those who were kind enough
TO listen to me, that all the troubles they
then ;labored under, and all which were
sure to follow, arose from the lamentable
fact that demaeogues,. both of the Demo-
cratic and Republican parties. had succeed
ed in exciting Our-Hoters upon the abcrrant
issue otsstduery whereby the public mind
BECAME deaf to all the Legitimate, questions
pie, more completely led zastray. Three
paramount questions deserved their pub
die attention: First, the transit across the
-. .dsthmus of Tehuaatepec, second, the tariff
third n the abuses in Federal patronage
through the prevailing prescription of pet
tycfiques! These truly Federal topics were
4gnortd, and the regulation ofthe politics of
STATES and territories were agitated
before the people. Civil war came as an
inevitable result and il was used as coy
er for all kinds of false legislation. Not a
single public evil; has been satisfactorily
removed, and every public disease has been
aggravated, for the old mischieyous ten
sdency still prevails. The people are still
Ina passion on false, fictitious issues, and
This, their passion. is used as q means to
their own lf-enslavement, Seeing this,
and c0mprehen6ipg all the mischief which
lies in it, feel it my duty to repeat, even
at the risk of your displeasure, my old ad-
monition, as well as my former instruc-
;tions, by refusing to- discuss the nigger
questions, and by, presenting to you sub
ject-the tariff-in which the freedom and
the interest of all this people, both white
and black, is most vitality involved. NY
love of liberty embraces all. Hence the
subject l have chosen. In answer to this
we shall be told that white men are free in
this country; the very assertion which
i deny and the very point which mean to
subject to considerable inquiry Tonight.
IS What is freedom? A question, admit,
easier asked than answered.. The Romans
Thought they were free in the days of Mar
lus and Sulla, but a foregn king, brought
TO Rome captive. said ofthe naughty me-
tropolis, 'Proud city you are for sale /!
You viii be purchased the moment the ma man
appears rich enough to buy thee!' The
Grecian people believed in nothing SO much
as in the fact of their public liberty. but
Socrates knew them to be slaves to sordid
passions, and that their vices, though COW
cred by great superficial appearance of
prosperity, were the means used by their
rulers to lead them captive into the
scnemes OF the ambitious; and we, social
ed free americans, are as blind to-day to
our ualcondition as the Romans were
Two, thousand Years. ago. Eand as the Gre
clans were. to theirs when Socrates was
made to drink the poisoned cup. st. Paul
claimed that he was free in prison; and
so any virtuous, intelligent man may be,
putawe are yassals in the open, free land OF
america, and seem not to know it. Under
stand me ! do not deny our license to
hang our banners upon the outer wall
provided it be an American flag; nor do Il
gaibsay our liberty to vote, SO it be pro-
seriptive party ticket ,,astiH less do l. ques-
sion our freedom to elevate to public honor
1fnrrI<
with the reservation. thatthe man be loyal
in the estimation of the Grand Army OF the
Republic, and least of all do doubt our
free right to plow, harrow, sow, reap,
house and thrash our grain, conditioned
always on our Willingness to support with
itIthose Of our wealthy citizens, who would
rathsrl not work on farms, nor do outdoor
work. sv5ssn3 7sghi ssi i5s..s.'a-. flad .isi'
.stThe fathers of this Union went to war for
stamp act, and a penny a pound on, tea.
Theyseried,: eMilli0Ds for defense, not one
cent for tribute.n What are we doing?
What are we saying? t-H
Thesrevointionary ancestors called their
oWa FaGe and ndkihdredEoppressors and made
them public enemies, because they support
ed aParlisment dandla King in attempts-to
tax illegally and un fairly the American
Colonies. What action do, we take toward
menniR odrniidst,l engaged in precisely the
same business? 1SWe kiss the hand lust
raised to shed our blood" .s'ii5
I'VE are tOsday undera meaner stamp-act
than ever Great Britain attempted in I776,
and oursystem of taxation degrades us far
lower and despoils usimore effectually than
any tax ever levied by a King. In other
words we are no longer free! That people,
whose production Is taken away from them
uDJustlyp and they submit, are not free.
-oThe inquiry then arises: Does our Con-
gress take from us our earnings unjustly,
or what is the same thing, does it empower
others tosdo SO ?r5s5F - Ftfs isfE stk
tWeihaye two classes of tax laws-tfe in
ternal revenue(and the tariffs. Greenbacks
are the means of payment in the first; gold
IN the other. Please bear in mind, as we
progress, this double measure in value.
Two faced at the start, we meet with other
duplicities. In all our revenue measures,
ther sare official salaried public tax collect
ors, and alongside of them, the semi official
unsalaried. They first collect the money for
the e1GOvernment,, the other do it for them
selves and. their own pockesslo The same
revenue system through which our public
officers, the army, the navy and the debts
paid, provides layishly for the smuggler,
the cheat, the ,undervaluer, the. manufac-
tGTer and those hanging around them. All
this we must take into account, if, we wish
to understand our true relation to the fiscal
affairs of our Federal Government.
The official reports inform US that the
Secretary of the Treasury estimates the
receipts into the public Golfers as follows
From customs. 500 200 900 OF
Internal revenue. 275 600 900 OF
Lands ...ss.....-............. 200 900 o.
Miscellaneous 10000 900 q
Total r,.s.. .e3e6 600 600 OF
From these receipts he expects to pay a;
follows: -
Civil service. ~ l65 $50 a
TMensiens Ms lens and Indians. Iatoe $50 2
-. :.
Navy DepAitmsnt..- 4S 982 .45z s
interest on pubic debt. IA, ,542 068 s.
Total.-................. e2s4 sly lsl 8
Leaving surplus of Sill, ,6S2s1S II.
We know that the facts never correspond
with estimates, and we may safely assert