The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1868-07-15
The voice of Seymour, the voice of the People!


son and the chosen standardbearer of the Democracy
addressed the Jackson Central Association, young
mems democratic association in the great hall OF the
Cooper Institute, New York city.
/ His opinions were not expressed with any view to
influence the nomination. which he did not seek, but
which was afterwards forced upon him by the persist
ent and unanimous choice and determined Will OF the
convention. His position candidate will probably
prevent that personal active participation in the can
vass which was part of his declared intention had
another been nominated. In this view of the case
his last public effort before bis election and Inaugural
ton an interest which induces US to repro
duce bis declared opinions in lengthy an abstract as
our space permits.
/ The distinguished orator, commenting upon the
widespread change in political feeling and the ndica-
tons that the best of the Republican party are
being driven from its ranks because is party which
tramples upon the judiciary, usurps power and I'M
hinges all The business machinery of our land remarks
that the ficuty consists in arrayng, BY proper
policy, this vast majority of Democratic ana Con
servative voters to drive out OF place the ois
ciplned and desperate horde OF offlce-holdefs VINO
now misgovern our country. The problem is to make
out policy which will uniteEthis majority. This can
only be done by thoughtful forbearing and unseltsh
course Discord in our ranks is the only hope of our
opponents The election will be controlled by bust
ness and laboring men. --
"No party can gain their support unless its tone
and temper shows that it seeks to get our country out
of its troubled condition Appeals to prejudice ana
passion will have no weight. The financial condition
of our country forces itself upon attention Among
the evil results of moneyed and tax polcy, the
1 IL. L.. - hoe, 10 1fpna n
sections our country 1t has divided our Union into
debtor and creditor States It builds up favored In
erests and brushes out the industry OF other classes
1t taxes toll and let's some forms OF wealth go Tree
from the cost of the Government. 1t gives to labor
and business debased money, and to the untaAeu
bondholder sterling coin"
This is not the first occasion on which he, speaking
for the Democracy has discussed these subjects, and
enunciated these views-both in the convention of
1862 and in his message to the legislature in 1868 and
1864 We quote his opinions as then expressed:
| "The national debt is held where many of the
Government contracts have been executed and where,
in some instances gross frauds have been practiced
1t is held largely where the Constitution gives dis
proportlonate share Of power"
Our dishonored financial condition is due to ex-
travagance and corruption which violations of the
faith pledged the public creditors 1t is worse that
government should be overturned by corruption than
violence. "a virtuous people will regain their rights
if torn from Them but there is hope for those who
suffer corruption to sap and rot away the fabric of
their freedom" These are positions we took years
ago in the darkest hours of the war; these are the
positions hold and they cover all tee questions
of public and party agitation. The Democratic party
saw the evil from the beginning they the party to
cure it.
ain vain we warned the East and West against an
unwse policy. The East and West upheld the policy
of the administration, and have now to deal with
the results. What some of them? All OF the
States are heavily taxed, but of them get back
as much, more than they pay out while others
get but little In the of the heaviest item OF ex
pense-the military and naval systematic Western
States get nothing back except the cost of Indian war;
while large spent at the South. The next
heaviest item is the interest on the debt The West
gets but small sum back; most of it is paid to the
I North Atlantic States. The Indirect taxes tariffs
still more hurtful to the West they practically
premiums given to Eastern manufacturers. The d.
vision of the favors Of Government in distributing
banking currency is startling in its injustice But the
offensive distinction is that of having two kinds
of currency-good money for the bondholder, and
bad money for the laborer, the pensouer, and the
business man. Every paper dollar put out is
Government falsehood for it claims to be worth more
than its real value, and it goes about the country de-
faudng the laborer the peusioner, the mechanic, and
| the farmer"
We do not set forth these facts to indulge in in
vectves against the party in power but to forth
the Democratic policy and remedy for our ills.
The labor of the West puts its earnings in large
degree into lands which are tax-burdened. The East
in moneyed investments. Thus they deeply in
teresed in government bonds The number of bank
depositors million eight hundred thou
sand-nearly five hundred thousand in New York
State alone Life insurance is general. Banks
and instance companies hold an amount of govern
ment bonds which would ruin them if the bonds are
not paid, or if paid in debased paper. There is a
policy which will harmonic the West and the East
and enable them to enter the contest with compact
ranks, and battlecry. 1t can be shown that the
evil springs from an unwise conduct of affairs, and
will be remedied by clear and honest policy. We
must have a uniform currency for all classes-and
it must be uniformly good
"There are two ways of making our paper money
good as coin. One is to contract its volume by
calling in the legal tenders. This will make them
scarce, and will force specie standard, but it will
carry ruin and bankruptcy into every part of our
country. 1t will bear down the prices of property
and of labor 1t is policy which cannot be carried
through, for the country will not consent to it, There
is another way of lifting up our greenbacks to par
bring back confidence will revive business and
PRISE will tighten taxation, will give to labor honest
money, and will do justice to the public CREDITOR and
that way to give to all the world full faith in the
honor and wisdom of the American Government. Our
paper money is not its par in CON- because the ma
tiona credit is dishonored How the notes of our
government, which pay interest, be worth their
face in gold silver when the bonds of government,
which pay six per cent interest," worth only eighty
cents on the dollar? You cannot make the notes put
out by banks worth than the bonds which
these notes. 1t is sad thing to say that credit
is dshonored in the markets of the world, but it is
true, and it must be said, if to find remedy"
"Why is our credit dishonored and tainted? Be-
cause of corruption and extravaganza. But for that
our paper money would be good, and gold and silver
would glitter in the hands of labor But for that
fact there would be question how the bonds are to
be paid and should have heard of the green
back ISSUE But for the national discredit business
men would not be perplexed and the disquiet and
fears which disturb the public mind would not exist
Now If this dishonor cannot be helped must bear it
in the best way we can, and must go or with the
sectional and social and political troubles growing out
of it until time and shall bring some cure But
if it can be shown to be the work Of those in power
then all sections all classes and all interests should
unite and turn them OUT
Their own official statements convict them. Com
of drr;p tbo ri