Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-09-09
General GarAeld ON the Democratic
Platoon. -,.ls

General G1F1el0 on the Dem0c EarlC
- Flssfom' 1,,s.- q. 7'.-G
Last week we published General Gsrfield's
unansw. rable argument on the National Bank
question. Below we give his review OF the
other planks in the Democratic platform:
kEPUDIATIoE.
FIRST, we find them attacking the public debt
Everybody knows they hate the debt. They
hated it from the beginning, not so much because
it was a de I, but because II means the war |;
because it means restored liberty; because it
means a crushed rebellion; because it means
slavery abolished: because it. means free men
every whre Decausei 1t means all the suffering all
the heroism, the honor of The war, expressed in
the form of a national obligation, and it is the
most natural thing in the world that the DEM
ocracy should hate 1t. They hate all who pro-
duced it, and the product itself; and SO the first
resolution is this: "rhat the exemption from
tax of over two thousand five hundred millions
of dollars in Government bonds and securities
is unjust to the people and ought not to be toll
Grated, and that We are opposed to any appro-
priation for the payment of interest on public
bonds until they are made subject to taxation"
Think Of that for moment wish the DEM
ocratic party would not make it necessary for
us to dispute with them on matters of fact.
Why do they say twenty five hundred million
dollars OF bonds when they know perfectly
well that with the bonds of all sorts, and the
volume Of greenbaeks currency added, the
whole debt does not reach that sum. Why do
they say this when they know the bonds of the
United states are five hundred million dollars
less than that sunni They think the mass of
the people are not well informed in regard to
these things, and that this exaggerated stats-
ment will carry more force than the truth
Their platform begins with this reckless mis-
statement, which they know to be such every
month, when they read the official statement of
the public debt.
They are opposed to paying the interest on
the public debt, until the bonds are taxed; yet
every intelligent man of them knows that the
Constitution of the United states makes 1t i'm
possible for the States to tax these bon S. They
know il has been decided, over and over again
from Chief Justice Marshall down to Chief
Justice, Chase. that it cannot be done. Ifevery
State in the Union should pass laws to tax the
bonds, not one cent could be collected. They
know this. and yet they say they are not will
ing that the interest shall be paid until that un
constitutional and impossible thing shall be
done. This absurd thing our Democratic Legis-
lature of last winter attempted, and that, too
with o full knowledge of its absurdity. But
some one, perhaps, will say they mean that the
General Government itself shall taA them
Ianswer that the Government does tax the in
come on these bonds, as it taxes incomes on the
products of the manufacturer, anu other in
dustry. t.-s- a. .ai7F y "a
Look a little further. In that second resolu-
tion they still declare that they indorse
the old Pendletonian plan of paying of the
bonds in greenbacks and IL their payment IN
gold is persisted in, it will lead to reputation
They know perfectly well that that issue was
tried last November throughout the Uniteo
States. ard decided against Mr.. PendIeton and
in favor Of the honest payment Of those bonds
and they say that decision is going to bring
abort repudiation. This resolution is, in my
judgement, the forerunner Of proposed repudi.
alton, and can mean nothing else.7 u