The Van Buren press., 1868-07-31
Opening Of the Campaign in West Vir'
NlllI eilia. IH..' IL

Hon. ALLEN u. luIkNANtlH SohhVINl'i
with Hon. GHo.aH H. IbSpIEros, addressed
Democratic State Convention, at Graf
ton, W. V, on the 18th. The following
is an extriet from the speech OF Mr..
Thurman which is reported in the Cih-
cinnati Enquirer.
lie said he did not design making
systematic speech, The people of West
Virginia had business Of importance to
transact. He would simply take up the
points necessarily passed over by Mr.
Pendleton. He would proceed Mt once
to speak Of r,r
TIE PCRLlc DEBT.
Judge Thurman said, the public debt
amounted to s2,500,000,000 What il
was exactly at this time was difficult to
say, from the fact that the Treasury De
partment was quite dilatory in making
its monthly statements. Perhaps this
neglect arose from the fact that the last
monthly statement, the debt had increas
ed about nine millions of dollars in
single month, and that the next month
will show an increase of $40, 900, 900, 3
monthly expenditure sufficient in the days
Of Jackson to run the government for six
months in all its departments, while this
ia simply the increase of the public debt
in the short space Of one month. The
speaker read from the printed report of
the Secretary OF the Treasury to prove
the correctness Of his estimates.
TAXATION THEN AND VOW.
What a contrast this condition OF Ma
uonal finances presented with that which
existed at the time Jackson made his
proclamation that the United States owed
not a cent in the world! We wonder
these Radicals sought to avoid the issue,
and declared the only question before the
American people was, whether we should
have another civil war; This cry might
do to frighten a fcw-the speaker was
about to say Old women, but he would
not-it might do to frighten few wayer-
ing men, who could be frightened out Of
the country by few old women with
broom sticks. This terrible second civil
war was put forward now to divert atten-
ton from the public debt. 4
Compare our debt with that of Great
Britain. Our debt was two thousand
eight hundred millions; that of Great
Britain four thousand millions. But
while our population was only 81, 900, 900,
the population Of Great Britain was $780,
100000. The rate of taxation in Great
Britain was ninety cents on the hundred
dollars, while the American people were
taxed at the rate S3,93 on the hundred
dollars More than three times as much
rs the taxes imposed on what we had
boon in the habit of plying as the poor
tax-ridden people Of Great Britain. Some
one might say, "you are mistaken, Mr.
Thurman, do not pay 1898 on the hun
drcd dollars 1t might not be the case
with individuals, but such was the rate
Of taxation on the people in the aggregate
upon their personal and real estate
WHO PAYS THE TAXES. .......
It might be claimed that the laboring
poor paid ne taxes, That was n great
mistake Labor paid all the taxes Ire
AhVhuouS epptaUoc' *'.H
How was it that labor paid the taxes 2
The problem was simple. 1t could be
proved from the Sctip pture: In the sweat
of thy face shalt thon get thy bread" 1t
was the mandate Of Heaven, that nothing
was produced without labor, Not q par
ticle Of wealth was created except by la
Dor. The little poverty stricken boy.of
Western Virginia who followed the plow
contributed more to the material wealth
OF the country than did the richest bond
holder who rolled in luxurious ease
Applause. The grain ofcorn dropped
by the little boy would grow and benefit
the world, but the man who did nothing
but live on the interest of bis bonds add
cd nothing to the wealth of the country
Suppose some ambitious young Cop
pcrhead should take it into his mind to be
the owner Of six shirts-but if this Radi-
cal Government continues iuuch longer,
you won't be able to make so extensive
an investment Applause This am
bilious young Copperhcad goes to the
store and proposes to buy eighteen yards
or muslin, for which the merchant
charges 81 +" How is this says young
Copperhead, 81 used to buy eighteen
yards OF muslin for S2?'' If the mcr.
chant answered trutbfully, he would say,
D." 1t is true we now charge you 81 for
the same quantity of muslin you used to
buy for s., The reason is this: There is
tag of three cents pound on the raw
cotton. The manufacturer who buys
must add this to The priceof the manu-
facturcd article Then Uncle Sam comes
20 him and says: Dear Mr.. Shoddv.
bought shoes of you in Massachusetts,,
which lasted my soldiers only few days
YOU sold me cloth to make them panta.
looms, which were not whole any longer,
after they had stopped to drink water
from the brook the first time. | must
put little tax ON your business" Mr..
Shcddy puts that little tax on the manu-.
factnrcd goods, and charges it on the
merchant. Then comes Uncle Sam to
the merchant and says, my dear fellow,
/ i,,,I T.. IL.