The Placer herald., 1868-10-03

water to Shylocks, let them have bonds ever
so strong. Loud applause. Fortunately
we can fulfill our obligations without VIC,
ence 10 any provisions n them.
TAXATION.
There is a solution Of this bond question
now pending that will be, when it comes.
both startling aud unpleasant. l refer 70
our ability TO pay. II this reckless extrava.
gance on the part Of our government coutin.
ues, the question promises to be not whether
we will pay, but whether We can pay. We
may not repudiate, but We may become
bankrupt, and if any one will add to the
National Indebtedness. the State, town and
township Indebtedness, each one a. sacrsd
as the other, and then estimate the value Of
property by The worlds currency Of gold
and silver, to which we must come sooner
or later, he will appreciate my proposition.
With an inflated currency giving US high
prices for our products-we know how
hard 1t now is TO raise our taxes. What
will it be when on a specie basis-our cur.
rency is reduced and prices lowered. Bear
in mind that the tax remains tho same.
Our navy, the most expensive luxury .
Government can indulge 10, is kept up on .
war footing. Our army reserved to keep
the peace in the South and on the frontier
is five times greater than it eed to BE-. A
huge ams-ho is kept running at The
South for the benefit of indolent nepros and
hungry officials. AT time when our 10.
cessties call for the strictest economy, when
the Government ought TO be on . peace
footing, as it was in 1851, there is no limit
to the expenditures; and we find ourselves
the heaviest taxed people in the world.
can very well understand all this. Senator
Sherman, the leading financier of the Repub-
ican party, promised US to support the Gov.
ernment and pay the interest on the National
debt by a tax on whisky and tobacco. He
really believed this, and his party, 90 believ.
ing, has felt itself at liberty to make tho
most protuse expenditures.
The tax on whisky and tobacco has pro.
we'd failure. Instead Of collecting great
deal of money for the good of the Govern.
meot, we have collected vast sums for the
benefit of a corrupt few, and now, organized
as ring take a hand in the control Of
our Government. On the other hand, the
tax collector is ever at your door. II he
does not come in one shape, be is there in
another, and you scarcely compute your in.
come return before the State officials make
their appearace, and in their absencs the
stamp is in continual use.
CORRUPTION.
don't mean 10 assert that the Republi.
can party is corrupt. / believe it to be 40
pure and honest as any political orpanisa.
ton; but | do assert that it's profuss expen.
diture, unequal taxation and monstrous
system of bouniee have dem oralxed the
people and carried corruption into every
department of our government. One Of its
leaders, and you see quote only Repubn-
can authority, Laughter and applause had
frankness 20 say in a late publication
"Ihrough the unsettled condition of =
country suffering from civil wars we have de-.
veloped more rascality than any organization
ever called into existence. We bave filed
the Offices with thieves and their pockets
with stealings. We have organized rings
that in turn create officeholders and control
the Government. Men 60 10 poor and come
out mi|liopaires. For one dollar paid to the
Government from hard earned taxes. hun.
dreds stick to the dirty fingers of official
scoundrels. We have whisky rings, Indian
Bureau rings, manufacturer rings, National
bank rings, land jobbiDg rings and internal
improvement rings. From The lowest officials
up to Senators and Cabinet officers, the taint
OF corruption runs, until the people, dassd
and confused, confound the right and Iis.sn
with indifference TO the threats OF exposure"
If this continues, and becomes chronic. va
may bid farewell To Republican form Of Gov.
erument. Our fathers based their beautiful
structure on the virtue and intelligence of the
citizen 1t has no other foundation, and fail.
ing in that, it will soon be mass Of ugly ruius.
And money corrnptly used and factions blind.
ly led are sapping that foundation Thi:
moneyed power meets US at every turn, and
on every side. 1t can offer fortunes to the
greedy, and high Office to the ambitious.
Already we see soldier eminent in the field,
and strong in the councils of the nation, civ.
ing bis nameand influence to this power, that
in turn it may elevate him to the Chief Mag.
istracy, and CRAFTY his feverish ambition.
We are being sadly tried. All the stormy
passions engendsred by terrible war; all tho
blind prejudice built up by partisan strife; oil
the pride of section and the admiration for
the great are being appealed to by unscrupu.
lous leaders who have long since sunk their
love of country in their loyalty to party and
to selfish qualification Of their avarics or their
ambition. Appause. If We rise calmly
above those influences; it. as patriotic men,
we shut our eye to temptations, and only look
to the good of all, we shall have won for our
party great praise, and for our country 70.
newed strength and a long life. Loud cheer.
ing
CONCLUSION.
Again thank you for this compliment. I
am glad to be with you once more. l re.
urn after separation of nine years, to the
associates Of my youth, and breathe fresr in
he pure atmosphere Of the old Dsmocracy.
Let US be slow to forget all that is good in The
,ast, and quick to learn all that is true iu the
'uturs. As a party Of progress-a party Of
ntelligence-the party Of the peopla-tha rs.