The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-28
THE LION OF MASSACHUSETTS,. =
ADDRESS OF JoaN QUINCY ADAMS
A Broad and Stout Platform.

At the Democratic State Convention OF Mas
sachusetts, held at Worcester, on Tuesday
last, to nominate State ticket, MIR. j. @.
Adams, who heads the ticket for Governor,
made lengthy address. The following e1'
tracts are sufficient to indicate the spirit Of the
address:
As things actually stand to-day, what mea.
sures will best serve the general welfare
This, gentlemen, with great Difference OF
opinion, seems to me the only course open to
us. 10 oct otherwise would resemble the Wis
dom Of general who, beaten IN battle
which he had joined, in order to cover certain
points, should, after the vlctorlo1s passage o.
hls opponents, and occupation OF the disputed
territory, rally his army anew, on the battle
field, and there fight an imaginary foe, while
he leaves all behiud him 10 the unopposed pro-
gress OF his antagonist.
Let us leave such strate gists to bang OF
their big guns at empty woods and waste their
ammunition upon the debris Of battle-teids,
while We press on to assume new position null
In the enemy's front, VIII re, when we have re-
stored our lines anu reunited our ranks. sue
cessfu battle may yet be fought and redeem
ing victory won. In this spirit We would say
to our former fellow-citlzens in the excluded
provinces: "Come into the Union; stand not
upon the order OF your coming, but come at
once; when you are in, and we can act as 1el'
low-citizens once more, we will meet to.
pether and consult upon future measures "
This, gentlemen, in brief, ls the spirit
which, as it seems to ME, should animate our
action uIon past issues; for the present and
the future are very important in these days,
and will allow US scant tl!ue even to ceieprate
the funeral rites over our dead past Eternal &C,
hvity is the price OF party living, ana tne toso
| behind is strewn with carcasseS OF the factions
which could not see that in politics dead prin-
ciple is mere prejudice, nauseous to the peo.
| ple, Vague defamation upon natural rights or
wrongs, whether white or black, female or other
wise, no Logger delights people that ls being
gradually taxed out Of house and home. The
man VINO finds it daily more difficult to fnd his
children bread, will relax his anguish that the
| negro has vote; the most passionate lover OF
his colored kind may recognize fellow-crsa-
ture in planter, il they both agree that the
price OF coal s an outrage, the duty on iron
swlndle. and the tariff an abomination to be
abolished. In truth, it is high time that. after
some twenty years OF refreshing season for
the national soul, we should take short term
Of attention to the public body-Which needs
it badly enough.
I undertake to say that there is no nation in
the world which is taxed as We are taxed. No
| wonder that the men who work for wages grow
desperate, as they decline IN we'll being and es-
tate. No wonder that the air Is full OF strikes
| and labor mOven nentS AMI as5oclatlons anu ue-
mands and protests of wolkingmen and women.
| hey are in tho right i'll then. unrest and up
rising, although the practical measures pro.
posed as remedies are sometimes unconsider.
ed and unwise; for it is true that the system ct
| taxation they endure ls not only onerous, but
practically operative in the interest OF capt. j
alone. Itis true, as the very able and candid
commissioner OF revenue sIya and proves, that,
although the aggregate wealth OF the country
is increasing, probably as rapidly az at any
former period yet it does not follow that there
is the same increase in general prosperity:
The laborer, especially he who has large
family 10 support, is not as prosperous as ne
was in 1850; his wages have not increased in
proportion to the increase in the cost Of his
living. There is, therefore, an inequality in
the distribution Of our annual product which
we must refer to artificial causes. and he asks,
whence comes this unnatural distribution OF
the results of laborp" And he tells you, and
not he only, but every man who ever was sup
posed to know my thing about political eoono-
my will tell yol,, that it must be the, result Of
an enforced uso of unconyertiole heaps oil
paper money which involves most oppres-
sive tax, which falls heaviest on the laborer
and lightest upon the owner OF capital. In
one-signifcant sentence, he sums it up; 1.-The
rich become richer and the poor poorer"