The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-09-10
A PARTY on HITMRTIG

4 lew years ago when Democratic
principles were upheld by the bayo.
nets of Lees and j Johnson's veterans,
hat party had something tangible as
a basis for their faith.
That memorable conference under
the Appomattox apple tree knocked
the last sound plank out of the
Democratic platform, and what oI
stock and trade remains TO that par
ty is SO glaringly inconsistent ant
so arrantly humbug that they dar'
not themselves carry their sophistic
al theories into practice. That con
ference was the last act in the great
drama which made the negro a mar
instead of a chattel, yet the Demo
cratic party fail to recognize his
With the energy born oI
this new freedom, the negro, with
the spelling-book in one hand and
the Bible in the other is climbing tc
a higher intellectual existence, while
the Democratic party is still hum
bugging itself with the thought thai
his neck is yet beneath their heels,
They denounce the present policy o.
the government and eulogize the
days when slavery was the chief cor,
ner stone of governmental policy
yet. if they had the reins of govern
ment 10 day, they dare not reenslave
d single man freed by the Proclama,
ton of Abraham Lincoln.
Again, taxation and the unequal
thereof, has been q
standing complaint with Democracy
"The poor are ground down by tax
es,'' is stereotyped Democratic
phrase. Who taxes them ? No man
who has not an income of over 81 ,00C
pays one cent of tax to the General
Government, unless he pays it on
whisky, tobacco, or foreign goods
consumed by himself, and it will be
admitted that an income of over
81 900 ia not indicative OF cer5
poor msn. The General Government
does not levy one cent of tax or
lands, houses, or property. The
State Of Ohio does, and this is the
tax, If any, which grinds the pool
man. The Democratic party has
had control of our Legislature for the
past year, yet they have not tried tc
run the State government without
taxation. Quite the contrary. They
generally conclude this whine abou
taxation with q demand that The
bonds be taxed. This is more hum
bug. which does not even decelv,
They know full wei
that the General Government cannot
without q direct violation of the con
trsct under which the bonds were
levy 9 sent of tax thereon
and they know fully as well that nc
court in the United States would
recognize any State or local taxation
upon the bonds. Why does not the
Democratic Legislature of Kentucky
levy q tax on these bonds Simply
because they know the theory ol
bond taxation is humbug-dishonest
that their pretense of believing
such a thing practicable is fraud
upon its face, and that they dare moi
attempt a practical application oi
such Q theory.
So with the payment of the bonds
in greenbacks. Any school boy
could tell that such payment would
simply be a change in the form OF
the debt, and would not affect either
the amount or sacredness of the OBJ
legation. Is not the government as
much obligated to redeem the green
backs as she was to pay the bonds
Will the same amount
be any easier paid to one class OF
creditors than to smother Certainly
not.
When the Democrats controlled the
Of this State they did as
'gnpe to put in practice their the
Dry OF taxing United States bonds.
They are entitled to no credit for
consistency on this score, however,
as they well knew that the law would
remain q dead letter on the statute
book. 1t was all buncomb-humbug
and was so intended by its au
,hors.
Nor would they, il they had con-
,rol of the national finances, dare dis
,reditthe nation by paying her bonds
n q deprecated currency. tits all
lumbug, and we end as we begun,
With the declaration that, the Dem
'cratic party is party of humbug.