Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-10-08
'.s'0''szNUMBERa"32.

load of debts and taxes. There is no ne.
cessity for it. 1t is kept up simply for the
purpose OF forcing upon the people of the,
Southern States new Governments based
on the very thing that has been rejected in
every Northern State in which it has recent
ly been sutmi ted to the people-negro suf-
frage. And what are these new Govern
ments which you are paying, to establish?
What Is the character of their Constitu-
tioas? In Alabama they hive Constitu-
tion under which the great majority Of the
people of Ohio would, If they went there,
be disfranchised; for the people of Ohio
voted by majority of $4,000 last fall
against conferring the right of suffrage on
negroes, but in Alabama no one Is allowed
to vote without taking an oath that
he accepts and always will uphold the civil
and political equality of all men. So any
one of the fifty Thousand Republicans. who
defeated negro suffrage in Ohio last year
q say Republicans, because while the
amendment was defeated the Republicans
elected their State ticket), If he should 90
to Alabama, would be edisfranchised, though
he served in the Union army all through
the war. In many of the new Southern
Constitutions-nearly all, I believe-I re-,
member certainly as to Arkansas and the
Carolinas, and think Alabama also-a
system of schools is established open TO
both white and eOlored children, attend-
ance on whichis compulsory. Every man
is to be compelled by law to send his chill
dren to these schools, unless he is able to
educate them at his own expense. Is this
the Kind OF State Governments you want
to pay for keeping up? 1t was one of the
strong arguments used In favor fthe war,
that we had an interest in the territory of
the Southern States, and had right to en-
igrate to them if we wished. Are thes e the
Governments you wish to emigrate to and 3
live III der? SO rrr,- roy
A similar saving of expense might be eff
fected in the Navy Department.. 1 hazard
nothing in saying that with pr. par
sanSrea nioSs sssing Of Of dosrs nsa msns ns
be made annually in the War
and Navy Departments alone And like
retrenchments might be made in the ex-
sravagant expenditures of other branches
of the Government.-Now-w we have seen
that the total expenses of the Government
for the past year were 435 millions Tin cur
rency), of which about $50 millions was in
terest on the pubic debt. But if 800 mil.
lions of the $40 bonds were paid OF in the
manner l have referred to, this interest
would be reduced to about 125 millions
year Stated in currency Then, as to the
other expenses of Government, they should
not exceed l25 millions at the most. The
only legitimate item OF increase of any i'm
portaEce since the administration of Mr.
Buchanan (when the expenses, as we have
seen, were 60 millions in gold, or less than
80 millions in paper), is the pension list of
the late war, and that was reported about
ayear ago at only about l5 millions. The
total expenses OF the government, then,
including interest, should not exceed
250 millions year. Suppose
we raised in addition 100 millions more
each year and applied it to the redemption
in legal tender notes OF the 5-20 bonds. sIus
less than ten years they would all be paid
and the immense amount of gold Interest
upon them stopped, and still our expendt-
lures WOULD be So millions less than they
are now. The debt would then be reduced
to such small compass that its payment
in very few years-even those portions of
it which are payable In Soin-would be
easily managed. And as the interest by
these successive payments would be, .de-
ereasing every year, the amount paid on the
debt might be increased, or the taxes di-
minished, as might be thought best.d Now,
which is the better course-to pay off in
this way these $40 bonds now, as rapidly,
as possible, or to go On paying interest in
gold for thirty and forty years, and then
pay two dollars in gold where we received
one. iA4l5 .sll tHa luf8IlJ ~ OF has
Ihave thus attempted to give you, gentle
men, briet outline of the financial ques-
tions before us. The details and figures
may be dry, but the facts are worthy of
our serious consideration. As / remarked
in opening, the matter is. entirely in your
own hands. II you wish to perpetuate the
present high taxes and extravagan' expei :
ditures, you can do it. If you wish to con-
tinue to pay taxes, as have endeavored to
describe, on the clothing you wear and the
tea and coffee you drink if you want to
continue to give every third pound of su-
gar you buy for taxes, you can do so by
your votes. Judge Winans and General
Grant, if elected, will continue in substance
the policy of the party now in power. But
if you wish sometime to see an end of this
oppressive taxation; if you don't want to
have this debt entailed on you and your
children, go up to the polls this fall and
elect Democratic Congress, and Horatio
Seymour to be President of the United
States. 0ati-i- -'7-D II s-Et sI 80 sR EsH