The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1868-08-15
the nation's protecting care. .

Col Thompson of New York, I would
say to him: Colonel, where did you
lose that leg of yours 7" "I lost it at
the Wilderness, in the midst of the thick
est and hottest charge" "Well, how do
you get along now 7" "It is hard life
to me- struggle along"
But will take a one.lcgged farmer
here, and ask him how he gets along,
and whether he docs not receive pen
sion. eyes, but am paid in greenhacks,
while Mr.. Smith, the banker is paid in
gold" But are you radicals in favor of
paying tho bondholders in greenbacks? !?
Some of them win say they are. Why
don't Congress do it, then? Congress
has had the power to do it within the
last six years, and they have the power
now Suppose tell these soldiers to
stand aside, and ask the purse proud ar
istocrat for whom these laws were made
The honest bondholder will ask no tax.
gatherer to go to another mans house
and collect money for the government,
when he himself is protected by the gov
ernment from paying any taxes. But |
will ask, Mr. Bondholder, who are you
for2 "0h, am for Congress, tho loyal
and patriotic Congress, headed by Ben
Butler, and that class of eminent patri-
OTIS aud heroes" Why are you so loudly
for Congress, my friend? "Why," says
he, {" am for Congress because Congress
is for me-fr me and my wife, my son
John aud his wife, us four and no more"
Applause aud laughter. "God bless
the patriotic Congress" says tho bond
holder. Why, says l, do you break out,
in such an effusion, my friend " Why"
says he, "Ill tell you how il is When
this war broke out, | owned great deal
of property. My friends in Congress said
that if would invest my money 10 gov
ernment bonds, l should not pay any
taxes; so l sold my property aud bought
these bonds, aud now wear purple aud
fine linen, fare sumptuously every day,
sit at church in . vclvet.lined pew, and
read my answers out of a golden. claspei
prayer-bOok. / don't pay any taxes, but
my neighbOrs do" | become Indignant,
and say, hold on do you mean TO say
that no tax-gatherer visits you, but does
visit your neighbor "Well, yes,
reckon he goes there"
But in tlat book which illustrates all
moral truth, We find Lazarus = soldier
rossibly returned from the wars, at the
bondholder Dives gate, for Dives was ey-
identity in favor with the government,
and of course bondholder. When Lag
arus came back he laid down at this rich
mans gate, and prayed for crust oil
bread, but Dives turned deaf ear to his
appeal. The dogs came and licked Lara.
rus wounds, aud al last he died, and il
the account had stopped there We would
have thought that the justice OF God
was imperfect. But we are bridged
across the gulf that divides time from
eternity, and we are enabled by tho lift
| ing of the curtain to see what took place
there. You see tho MANNED soldier at
rest in Abraham's bosom. aud the bond.
holder, Dives, lifted up his voice, accord.
ing to inspiration, in hell, and. always
thought he ought to be there. Loud
laughter and applause.) say il not ir-
reyerently, but when the Bible puts him
there | say it Is right that be should be
there.
But the burden Of indebtedness upon
this country is too vast TO be triaed with
The taxable property of Great Britain
am6unts to about $4,000, 900. 600
Ours amounts to Sl2 200, 900 900, vel
our debt is $4,000, 900, 900, taken alto
gether, while Englands is about 50, 800.
900, but little more than half our bur
| den.
But would pay every debt in tht
common currency Of the people. ! know
no castles In my view Of American citi
zenship. 4 bondholder told me thii
spring: 81 want the bonds paid of il
greenbacks because the gold interest
have collected has paid me back all tbey
cost me, and don't care to make spec
ulation off an impoverished people"
They say again:
81 1t is due to the labor Of the ma
ton that taxation should be equalizeC
and reduced as rapidly as our natiOna
faith will permit"
Now say to them, why don't Congress
do it? You have two1hirds majorit,
there why don't you do it :? But th
national faith with bondholders' conyen
tion means just what personal faith mean
with Shylock when he attempted to get
pound of flesh out of or near Antonio
heart.
| Again
as. The national debt, contracted, a
it has been, for the preservation of tn
union for all time to come, should be ex
tended over fair period for redemption
and it is the duty Of Congress to reduc
the rate of interest thereon, whenever
can honestly be DONE"
They don't say it shall be done, but i
shall be done whenever it can honestly b
done. That means never with them. :.
would read it thus: "The national deb
should be extended over fair period 70
redemption, and it is the duty of Con
gress to reduce the rate of interest there
on"
at. The government of the Unite
States should be administered with th
strictest economy, aud the corruption
which havt sen shamefully nursed an,
fostered By Andrew johnson call loudI
4 for radical reform"
(Mr. CraVens here said, "They need
ed that.")
My friend, Mr. Cravens, says the
needed more soap than they got. (Laugh
ter.) But the Radical Congress preach
es economy. Satan might as well preac
the gospel. No more profigate and i'm
proVident spectators upon the people
money ever assembled than these me
are