Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-09-29
SEPTEMBER 20, 1868.

was, Congress which refused their ad
mission as. solution of the problem
and proposed dilatory, .monstrous, in.
consistent, - proscriptive ban against
amnesty, Union and peace. Now that
chaos has come from it, the country is
tickled and tainted in. a Republican
platform with gratulatians on the mar
velous success of reconstruction. 1t is
between this plan of Congress, which
settles nothing permanently, and the
plan of the Constitution, which is a
settlement in form and fact, that fur
nishes the theme of political debate
Which plan shall be the election Of the
people ? do not ask an impassionate
or biased opinion between them. The
only question is, 'What is best, not for
parties, not for soldiers. not for General
Grant in gratitude for martial services
rendered with rare ability--but what is
best for the country. 4"~~ n..'' -'@ "'.'
Discussing from business point the
causes of Southern discomfort, and find
ing no relief in Radical rule, which had
caused it, Mr.. Cox repudiated the idea
that the same causes which produced
could cure. He proceeded -'' "1''
Now, gentlemen, we all know that our
business interests will not be preserved
unless there is production, consumption
and exchange in the country. Trans
portation, railways, sea-going ships, ev-
erything must grow. We must have,
however, peace and contentment in the
country. As natural deduction from
that premise, allow me to say that it is
almost impossible, under the present
state of taxation, with our immense and
growing debt, for us to have that pro-
duction and consumption until we study
economy. As Governor Seymour said,
and said so truly, that when we can get
peace, economy and union, then we may
calculate to lessen our taxation then
we can do justice to the bondholder, and
do justice to tie tar payer; and then
then only can we bring up our green
back currency to its proper value in
sterling coin, and make that miserable
currency redeemable in the legal tender
of the Constitution. (Applause and
three cheers for Horatio Seymour
Have our Republican friends studied
economy? Did Congress2 Why did
they not commence the practice of econ
omy right in the halls of Congress p
The expenses of the last Congress, about
100000 per annum, were double those
of three years ago. The taxes of this
nation, in the last three years, have run
up to over $l,50O,O00, ,O0O-equivalent
to nearly all the taxes of this Govern
ment from its beginning in 1777 down to
1861, lacking only 100000. This
year they tax the people about S4oo,
100000 S13O.0OO.OOO go to pay
the interest on the debt; $3.50,
100000 go to sustain an army
and bureau which to me seems a
domestic soupladle that they run dowr
South (Laughter.) This makes $500,
100000, equivalent as any man will tell
you, to nearly the value of all our wheat
raised in this country enough to build
two railroads to the Pacific, and the re
mainder goes toward the contingent
expenses of the Government. We
have raised enough in the last three
years to have paid great part of tht
national debt! And where has it al
gone to Some one told me that it wen
into the carpet-bags travelling through
the South |! Laughter. Mr.. Grow
of your State, told the people of Penn
sylvania that nobody paid the taxes bu
the rich men who had money, and thai
the poor man paid none. Now it strike:
me that the great bulk. of taxation il
this country falls upon the poor and in
dustrious man. You can buy nothing
the food that you eat, the clothes tina
you wear. or the tools with which yot
earn your livelihood-without being
taxed. The sugar plantations have beer
devastated. The people pay millions
for imported sugar. The Radicals tel
you that they do not tax your wages
know they don't, but theytax all you
wages buy. You cannot make as mucl
off $3.50 and $3.50 day now, as yor
could off $l.5O and So day some years
ago; and all because of this burdensom,
tax, want of economy, and that unpar
alleled extravaganza which has de
stroyed the nation. If the bust
ness men of Philadelphia want t.
get at the secret of the depression
of business, let them go to the founda
tion and see why it is that labor doe:
not pay as it used to pay, and then they
will see why it is that transportation
and sales have so largely fallen off il
the country. have just returned from
a trip to Maine, where the Democrat
have made the noblest fight that eve
was made! Great applause. Ant
where, on fair fight made on nationa
issues, and not the fight made last yea
about the liquor and constabulary, tn
Democrats have gained enough, that
| with the same ratio, and the same in
crease in the Presidential election, Main
will bear her issue with Seymour ant
Blair. [Great applause. While was il
that State, l had occasion to learn man,
things which interest you, for Philadel
| phia once was, if not now, great com
mercial point. ItelI you. that from on
end of Maine to the other, blessed as i
is with its magnificent open forests an,
harbors, five times as great as all Eng
land can boast, with twenty five hun
\ dred miles of sea coast, with shipyard
from Passamaquoddy to Kittery, wher
they used to make ships. by the hun
dred, now, from one extremity t.
the other, there is business depression
There are but three or four little bark
building upon the stocks, and all tn
shipyards are deserted and idle tn
stevedores,, builders, mates and shipmel
are all either idle or gone, and the oil
art for which Maine prided herself is fall
ing into decay, and the commercial bust
ness of our country is departing from
our shores. There is nothing done il
! the foreign business with our own bot
toms, whereas ten years ago we carried