Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-10-16
IARGRsr 0Irr EQUALIZATION.
r,,r,s, from nr. Pugh,s spsseh.


worth attention. II would seem to indi-
cate something truly as to the identity oil
interest Of the South and the West as
we'll as something Of the future 10 be APP
pretended for the South. When such
arguments will not prevail with Western
men there is that controlling them which
is stronger. How is it that money has
been withheld, which should flow like
water for constitutional government Or
is despotism and taxation without repre-
sentation, with negro government and
consequent destruction Of the great mar
ket of the West, preferred in the West as
we'll as the south2 There is more COM
ing than we have seen:
Among the last things done while l
was in Congress, and when the Southern
States were seeding, was the introduce
ton Of new tariff. / told Henry WIZ
son, of Massachusetts,, that was not dis'
posed to justify these men who were Sc
eedipe; that had no sy mpathy for them
or their cause; that / was willing for my
self and the Democracy of Ohio TO swal-
low all our objections to the Republicans,
and stand fast in case OF civil war; bat
said 10 him, for Gods sake, Mr.. Wilson,
don't embrace this occasion TO steal from
our rockets BY another protective tariff
This tariff bill, instead Of placing an dd
yolorss, tax upon imports-that Is, tax
ing upon it the value Of the property
imposed tax upon the square yard and
cubic yard, and upon the square loot ana
cubic foot of articles. IL was nothing
lint downright robbery; and they passed
il because the Northern Democracy we're
left in a minority by seeding Southern
members. And that tax, infamous to
the last degree, has been doubled and
trebled by the Republican party, aud now
thew have added to it on the pretext OF re-
ducing the tax on whisky. They did re-
duce the tax on whisky, but they also
took occasion to abolish a part oil the tax
ON New England manufactures. Thus
while this tariff law keeps up a heavy tax
unon goods from abroad, the money
that is raised by this tariff goes into
the pockets of these New Eng
land manufacturers. And what l am
about TO say will surprise you, but 1t IS
true-the New England States are max
ing money to-day. The burden OF the
taxation is not upon them. II they pay
any tax, they get twice and three times
as much back. Where does the buroeu
then fall2 Upon the rich valleys OF the
Western States. If the Southern States
were in the Union, and we're again return
ing to the condition of their former pros
perity. they would bear q part OF 1t; but
they are not here, and the weight falls
upon us. Whereas, God has given us
blessings so great this year that we know
not where TO bestow all, yet all this
mercy and providence OF God is taken
away from us by the recklessness and
dishonesty Of these men in power: We
are the patient beasts Of burden, kneel-
ing down to carry the loads of men who
are our lords and masters, who toll not,
neither do they spin" but who fill our
ears with the clamor of their greatness.
They didn't go to war at all. The Mas
sachusetts regiments were made up OF
Irishmen, picked up in Boston, and
when they run out of Irish, they sent
over TO Belgium and imported Belgians
BY the ship-load, and that, too. under
false pretense. Applause. Thisis our
condition. ! know you have the most
fertile soil in the world, and you have
the courage and energy of great people,
but when you consider this pablo debt is
nearly as great as the debt of Great Bri-
tain, which used to be a by-word with us,
that whereas the debt of Great Britain
only bears three per cent. interest, the
greater part of yours bears seven per
cent; that while Great Britain has
robbed all heather countries by her colo
NAL policy, and has the amassed wealth
of thousand years to 20 Oh, we are
struggling to find the timber with which
TO build our houses; we have a debt
greater than any public debt that ever
fell upon any people. None OF 1t falls
upon the South, because the South has
nothing to pay with; none of it falls upon
New England, because she has been able
by her secret committees to shuHs 1t
upon the West
Suppose the Southern people were the
biggest rascals on earth, If we can get
them in to pay o part Of the taxes that
will be so much gained, won't it? They
have fertile soil and genial SUD. In
old times their cotton was so valuable
that they didn't coudescend to raise corn.
They put their land into cotton and
bought corn of us, AID paid US the money
for It. They did not trouble themselves
TO make their own bedsIeads, and shoes,
aud such things, but bought them of u.s.
Every horse, every mule, every rocking
chair, every grain of corn, every pound
of bacon, all these we sold to them, and
they paid the money for them. Aud they
sent their cotton across the seas, and kept
mn a steady balance between our exports
and imports, and kept our gold at home.
Now their cotton, their sugar, their rice,
their tobacco, all are destroyed. Now
those men, with their wives and sons,
only keep corner to raise enough to
keep them from starving, and over all
the rest of the country horde OF wild,
lazy, trifiing negroes, just emancipated
from servitude, run, with the Freedmen's
Bureau, ringing bell three times day
10 call them up TO feed on bread and
meat, for which we are taxed, and par
eel Of rich carpet-bsggers are hanging
around to get the negroes to elect them TO
Congress Would any Of you like to
work in the Southern States with this
state Of things2 The finest plantation
the sun ever shoue upon would be no in
dueement to get there and live, where
some agent Of the Freedmen's Bureau or
some stuck-up military satrap could
come and sweep all your produce away
from you. There can be no industry in
the Southern States, my friends, while
this conditionIof things exists. say let
US have peace. Will we ever have it in
the way We are going3 Issy that all the
power Of this government and Of all hu-
man governments can never put the
white man permanently under the
foot Of the negro. [Applsuse l
don't care il be is a rebel /
AL cara how had he is he ia n