The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-08-26
GEN. PIATT, OF OHIO.
His Abandonment Of the bad
ical Party!

| Men, TN - VT S'tSs
His Abandonment Of the bad
icaI Party!
The Reasons for His Action.
Extracts from speech delivered by Gen. A. S.
Patt, at West Liberty, o., Aug. H.
PARTY TIES AND RELATIONS.
Ny Fellop Democrats and NeighbOrs: l
need not tell you how deeply | appre-
ciate this complimentary demonstra-
tion. l feel it the more from the fact
that it gives me an opportunity to say
few things l wish to say publicly. No
one knows better than l the strength of
party association. Next to patriotism
to ones country comes loyalty to ones
party, and the ties binding the last can
not be severed without attaching GER
tain amount of blame to the individual
who secedes. One is anxious, therefore,
to give his reason for such severance,
and justify himself, if possible, for the
course he takes.
In few words, then, let me say that
l AN disloyal to the Republican organi-
zaton because l seek to he patriotic to
my government. (Applause.) Under
stand me, attach no blame whatever
to my late associates. | believe the
great mass to be honest, earnest and pa
triotic, and that patriotism they have
asserted by their blood upon all the bat
tie fields, and their lives in all the hos
| ;in1o - lot m
follow, on that account, that, as party,
heated by partisan zeal, they are not
as dangerous to the republic as the men
themselves they went out to fight.
WHAT GEN. PIATT FOUGHT FOR.
left my motherless children and my
individual business, and went to the
field when South Carolina and her err
| ing sisters had thrown down the glove
aud stood armed to the teeth to battle
for the wrong. (Lons and loud ap-
plausc.) | did then what should do
again-and in my last hours, yea, in my
dying moments, believe, feel that |
shall find consolation in the rcmCm-
braGce that in the deadly hour of my
couutry's peril l stood in the smoke Of
battle, where deadly missiles carried des
olation to many households, and fought
for our flag and our Government. Re
newed and long continued applause.)
We were victorious, and flushed with
victory, we now swing over to the other
extreme. This is human nature, and
heated By partisan zeal and led by fac
ton, we hasten to do On the other eX-
trome as great an evil as that proposed
by the secessionists. The Republican
party is wiping out State rights and
centralizing uncoustitutionally all pow
er ut Washington. This is as fatal to
the liberty of the citizens as was that
other fatal to our independence.
WHAT GEN. PIATr NOW BATTLES FOR.
left the Democratic party and took
up arms against anarchy and disorder.
| now leave the Republican party and
take up arms against despotism. Zap
plause.)
return to you, my old Democratic
friends, to find still existing the old Dem
ocratic principles that once made us
powerful, and the same clear line of de-
markatisn that ran through the land,
dividing the two parties, yet exists. |
find still recognized the old doctrine that
the only use of government is to keep
the peace, and the better sort is that
which leaves the largest freedom of ac-
tion. 1t does not, therefore, seek to
interfere with the laws Of trade, the re-
ligion of the church, or the customs of
society. The Republican party, which
is the successor of the old Wing organi.
zation, that in turn came from the Fed
eral party of the Revolution, regards
the Government as the guardian, or,
rather, the parent of the people. Hence
the class legislation that has 50 disturb
ed US during the last eight years.
HOW THE PEOPLE ARE ROBBED FOR TUE
BENEFIT OF NEW ENGLAND MANUFAC-
TURERS.
We are not only made to pay heavily
for the support of an extravagant Gov
ernment, but we are forced to sustain
claims of trade that it is asserted are too
feeble to stand alone. Let me give you
one example: When this war broke ont
the Republican party, then left in pow
er by the secession of Southern mem.
bers of Congress, passed tariff law
that amounted to prohibition. Thus
protected, the manufacturers of New
England ran their mills at full time,
and realized vast profits. Now, at a
time of all times when we need cheap
articles, we are forced to pay high
prices, and while sustaining huge ar
mics in the field OH one side, we are
forced to sustain hugo monopoly on
the other. And it is difficult to tell with
accuracy which is the more expensive
of the two.
THE TYRRANY AND AIMS OF CAPITAL.
This system of class legislation has
continSed until it has absorbed all the
moneyed capital of the country, and un-
! ill it is combined into one great body
and forms the soul of the Republican
party. Each moneyed interest, thus
legislated for, plays into the hands of
the other moneyed interests, until all
combined make one powerful organi-
cation. You can not, for instance, at
tack the manufacturer without bring
ing upon yourself the bondholder and
the banker, nor assail the bondholder
without experiencing defense from the
manufacturer. Indeed, / believe now
they may be estimated as one body, for
as the manufacturer realized his profits
he invested in bonds, thus escaping tax
alton formed tempting investment,
1 while the banking system, the most op-
pressive of all the impOsi.ions, is based
upon the public securities.
The operators form one class of bond
holders, from which they gather the
gold interest, and Oh which they issue
their own indebtedness and draw inter
est on that. Thus, with ten per cent. as
the interest exacted on both, they draw
from their actual capital the neat sum
of twenty per cent, and in return thsy
get their actual capital back, asd IN five
years double the amount. Now, when
| we remember that this capital was pur-
| chased Of the Government in depreciat-
ed paper, so that its actual cost wonld
not be more than fifty cents on the dol
] lar in gold, we see what q precious sys-