The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1867-09-12
OUR DEBT AND TlXATIoN--.THE
FACTS AS THEY ARE.

nal of the 9TH inst, 1t is to the point;
"Our national debt and taxes are bea.
vier to-day than they have been q! any
period of our history. Thus far the
Democratic party are right, aGd We have
/ no desire to conwoyeIt the truth. Our
aim al all times is 10 give the people the
facts as they are. But when the Demo
cratic party 60 further, and charge the
responsibility of this debt aud these tax
es upon the Union party, and allege that
il has arisen out Of cur extravaganza snd
corruption, then we must empbatically
dissent rom them because they assert
that which is not true: We have a ma
tional debt, because we have had re-
beIion and civil war. And we had
war and rebe ion, because the Demo
cratic party encouraged ihn Sonih . be.
iieve that he fikg,h %ouit. subs,it to
peaceabIe secession. Prominent rebels
everywhere throughout the South, now
tia; the war is ove-, hare sgcia and
again declared, that they vent into the
war with the expectation nnd express
promise of assisance from the Democ-
racy OF the North. Without il they
never would have attempted secession,
These are The pfaia facts in the case,
facts %hioh hevs become matter Of his
tory and are noa beyond controversy -
The Democratic party stand convicted
as the cause OF which the national debt
and our present high tates are the legit.
innate effect. We admit with them. that
our toxolion is heavy, but we place the
responsibility foI that taxation where it
belongs, upon those men who encoura.
ged the South 10 rebel and made the
creation ol a natiopaI debt in the sup
preston Of that rebellion necessity,
And not onlywas the Democratic par.
ty responsible br that debt in its incip-
iency, ,bu, by lie course they pursded
during the warthey added largely to its
amount. Their. can be no question
that the rebellion would have been sup.
pressed at much earlier day than it
was, il the Demp pcratic party a the North
had come up Prpmply to the support of
the government, The obstacles thrown
in the wOy Of the government by Nor
'hern Copperheads and peacemen, By
discouraging eslistmcnts in the. army,
by resisting the enforcement Of the draft
by denouacipg the war aid the admins
tra'ion, By reheatel and renewed as
surances Of nidto the South, by eoun-
ter rebciIion at the North, these gave
life and strength ID the rebellion long
long ,aClsEfi hld stall vitality al home,
negalived The eifect'of our Victories. pro
Ioogcd the war and thus increased our
debt TO dodbIe'the amount il otherwise
would have searched They a'so are the
same men who cried down the govern
ment loausi when lhey were upon the
market denounced greenback, as worth
less, advised the people not 10 invest in
government bonds, and did all within
their po@er to imFar the credl. of the
nation both at home and abroad. Their
clamor sent gold up, and the bonds and
currency Of the United States down, and
thus broteht about condition of things
that forced the government 10 borrow
money at far higher rates Of interest thaQ
it otherwise would have been compelled
70 do, Thus they aided to the nation Il
debt. That has been from its commence.
ment creature Of Democraic growth.
They cannot now deny their own off
spring. True. Congress of loyal msn
voted the appropriations, but the treason
and disIoyalty of the Democratic party
made those appropriations a national
necessity, and left to the people no alter.
native but submission to secession OF the
creation OF the debt.
Thus much for the origin and respon-
sibljty Of our debt and consequent tax
alton. A word now upon the more
pracrablp question, ,rhat shall be done IN
Me premiSesP The debt is here, II was
INCREASED to preserve our common coun
try. What now will the people do with
it? One Of the two things they must
do-thcy must pay Il or they mus rpaai
ate It There is no riddle ground, Il
we pay it, we must expect and viii have
heavy taxes this year, next year and for
years to come. That also is a matter Of
fact. But as the debt diminishes and
The wealth and resources OF the nation
increase. the burden will grow lighter
and 10 the end the people will have the
proud consciousness Of having KEEP, the
faith and honor of the county sacred
and unimpaired in peaca as IN war
That also Is matter OF TACT. 1--we re
pudiate, We bankrupt the capital and
enterprise of the country, strip the poor
man ofhs hundreds at the same tins
that we take from the rich man hi,
thousands, create scene of funncaI
ruin and commercial disaster unporal
in the history of or anv other neonIe