The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-08-30


DESIRE FOR USELESS RAGS.
Why, gentlemen, it does not re-
quire any amount of argument to
satisfy you that it is a more device
used by him, careless whether the
Constitution is maintained or broken
it is a mere device on his part to
afflict this country with circulating
medium entirely beyond the wants
Of the people, SO that it will be, in
the Language of Judge Ranney and
Judge Thurman, SO much useless
rags-that is all. There are at least
eleven husdred millions of these
bonds, described in his speech, which
have run their five years, and which
the Government may, at its election,
redeem; and it is his disposition that
you should issue an amount of legal
tender notes sufficient to redeem them
at once, and thereby, as he says, re-
lieve the people of the interest accru-
ing upon them. This would. as you
see, add eleven hundred millions ol
circulating medium to the eight hund
red millions of bank currency and
legal tender notes. making the enor-
nous amount Of nineteen hundred
millions of circulating medium
When it shall come to that, it will re-
quire about q peck of legal tender
notes to buy bushel Of potatoes.
/ said in that contest what repeat
to-day, that | would not vote for the
issuance of dollar Of paper money,
or OF single bond to be taken by
the people, and for the redemption
of which the whole wealth of the ma
ton was pledged, except with the
distinct understanding that at some
future time or other the same should
be redeemed in gold and silver. It
was so understood at the time all
over the land; and l propose. for one,
to maintain, so far as in me lies, the
pledged faith of the nation. j admit
that there is nothing in the law-and
that the honorable gentleman has
stated it truly, touching the 5 20
bonds-that there is nothing that
would preclude the Government OF
the United States from providing for
their redemption in something else
than gold and silver; but the paper
in which you would redeem them
must be fairly convertible into gold
and silver, or they would be abso
lutely worthless.
My cOuntrymen, 1t requires no
further word from me to satisfy you
that this is a mere trick by which to
cheat the grounding in the interest
of that rebellion which was over
thrown by arms, and which is now
attempting to overcome what was
lost in the field of mortal combat
A Government that won't discharge
and honestly its contract,
in letter and spirit, cannot hope long
to have faithful and true defenders.
Honesty is the best policy amongst
nations as amongst individual men
1t is as binding upon nations. for
the reason that nation at last is but
a combination of persons, who carry
with them into the organization OF
The State the same obligations OF
and integrity which ought
20 control their dealings in private
life. [
EQUAL TAXATION.
This brings me to make further
'emark, that these gentlemen who
Ire asking for this expansion of the
currency. for this first step toward
'epudiation of the pledged faith OF
his nation, take this step further,
md call upon that Simon pure Dem
,crat, c. L. Vallandigham, to an
lounce the proposition for them, in
heir State Convention last January,
hat they are for equal taxation.-I
They are against an aristocraey OF
'ond holders. They propose, OF
curse. to subject the bonds issued
" the Government of the United
,tates to the people of the United
'tates, upon the pledge that they
hould not be subject to State or
taxation-they propose to
ubject them to State and municipal
axation. That is, they propose q
node of making secession easy
they would strip the Government OF
he United States, in other words,
f the means of self-defense; for, let |
he ask you, as intelligent, reasoning
len, to answer how the Government
t the United States can raise money
pom the credit o: its bonds if it be
4 the. power of every State in the
TniOn, after they have pledged their
onds to the people to be exempt
'om taxat. on On the condition that
le people accept them, and loan
heir money, to subject them to State
nd municipal taxation? South Car
lima could tax every bond, tina;
'ould pass by any possibility into
,e hands of any citizen resident III
lat State, out of existence in a year,
nd could tax it out of existence for
he very purpose of reimbursing the
loney that South Carolina spent in
lie. unholy work Of rebellion and
lsunion.
They are for equal taxation. They
re for taxing the poor by the same
Ile under which they tax the rich.
hey are for taxing the men who
weep away our forests, and scatter
ie seed, and gather in the harvest
nd give bread to the nation, by the
anne OnerOus rule that they will tax
le millionaire in New York, who
cunts his income by the hundreds
f thousands. Well, I am not. The
alton is not. That is not the rule
f taxation that has been adopted.
m willing that every man in the
md shall bear his reasonable pro-
ortion of the burden to extinguish
lis great debt contracted in the holy
ar for the Union; but / am not viii
ng and challenge Democrats to
le issue, to strike down the exemp-
on that, for wise purposes, has been
laced on your statute book, which
eelares that the humble mechanic,
le honest farmer, whose earnings
0 not exceed q thousand dollars,
lall be subjected to the same taxa
on that Stewart is subjected to up
q his income over a thousand dol
rs l would not have the farmer {
ny his Eve per cent upon the thous-
I'd dollars he earns. as Stewart
pes. Whyl Because he is able to
} il; because he is willing to do il, 4