The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1868-07-15
Speech of Governor Seymour of New
York.
EXTRACTS.

EXTRACTS.
If $500, 100000 had been duly aud
honestly used to pay our debts, to-day
the tax payers would have becu rclicv.
ed, tho mechanic. laborer pcnsloncr,
would be paid in coin or money good as
coin, and would not be cheated out OF
onc.quartcr Of their dues by false dollars.
The holders OF bonds in saving banks or
life insurance would be better of as
their securities would be safer and worth
more. There would be no question
how they should be paid, for this ques
tion grows ont Of the follies Of those in
power, and will disappear when they
disappear from the places they now hold.
The bondholders would no longer stand
in an odious light. Ho would not be
charged with tho taxation which has
been used to hurt, not to help, his claim.
IT wise, an honest use of the public
money wonld have done this good in the
past, it will do so in the future. But the
Republican party at Chicago. pledged
'tself by it's nominations and resolutions,
TO keep up its negro policy. 1t is i'm.
possible to give untutorcd Africans at
the South uncontrolled power over the
government, the property and laws Of
the people Of tho ten States, by exclud-
ing white votes, without military dcs-
polism. You cannot give to three
millions OF negroes more Senators than
arc allowed to fifteen millions of white
men livngi in New York, Pennsylvania,
OHIO, Illinois. Indiana, Wisconsin,
Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri and Michi.
gan, without keeping up great standing
armies. Without n general amnesty,
and the restoration Of the suffrage to all
the whites in the South, great stand.
ing army must DO permanent insitu
tlon In order to curse tho South with
military despotism, negro rule and dis
organized labor aud industry, they cursed
the farmers Of the North with taxation,
the mechanics with more hours Of toll,
the laoorers and pensioners with dcbas.
cd paper. tho merchant with IL shifting
standard, and the public creditor with a
dlshonorcd aud tainted national faith.-
Are these classes TO turn and sec how
each can push the burdens upon each
other, or arc they to make common
cause and do away with the curses of a
bad government? If the Republican
policy prevails, this struggle mast begin.
Either the laborer or the ca"italists
must go down. Both cannot liz { under
it, and men must choose between. If,
on the other hand, the policy Of selfish
ambition and Of sectional hate IS put
down, our country will start upon a new
course OF prosperity, and all classes will
reap in common the fruits Of good gov
Crnmcnt.
We say to tho bondhollers and to
the labourer who has put his money
into tho saving bank "Wo do not
wish to harm you, we do not seek to
give you bad money. but 10 get good
currency for all. 1t will not help us to
break down the credit Of your bonds
it hurts US; it keeps up our taxes by
making ns pay high interest; but We
ask you to help save us, as tax payers
from the cost Of negro and military poll
cy at the South. 1t is hard for us to
pay # you let men IN power take the
money we give in taxes to reduce your
claims aud use it to uphold military dcs.
potism. We see clearly that state OF
affairs which will compel you to ;ake a
debaaed currency will force evory la
borer, farmer, mechanic and creditor to
take debased currency as well. II
your claims were all wiped out to.mor.
row by an issue Of grccnbacks, it would
not relieve the fear of patriots; labor
would still be cheated by false dollars,
our standard Of value would still be
shifting. Taxation would bo kept up
by the reconstruction policy, for it is
despotism moro than debt that makes
taxation so heavy. Nothing would be
settled. The Judiciary would still be
trampled under foot. the executive
would still DO manacled 80 that it could
not punish crime nor protect innocence.
But strike down the Congressional poll
cy, and all will be set right. Since tho
war closed in 1865, the government has
spent for its expenses, in addition to
payments on principal or interest Of the
public debt the sum of moro than 9l,-
O00,000,000. OF this sum there has
been spcnt nearly $soo,oOo,ooo on tho
army and navy, and for military purpo-
ses. This is nearly one.third of tho ma.
sional debt. This was spent in the time
of peace. The cost of our navy before
the war was about $l3,000,000 each
Year. S.nce the war, when our ship
ping bas been swept from tho ocean by
taxation, the annual average cost hao