The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-11-25
Democracy Unmasked.

. fE ffEfs o. 40 Jirlf NEa. ll.
At q great Republican meeting held at
Cooper Institute IN New York. on tho
evening Of the Sd inst, Hon. Roscoe
Conkling. of the United States Senate,
made speech Of great power. Of which
wc horo give few passages: ol ra
q What has the national administration
done 70 incline the. people 70 change?
1t has been In power eighteen months,
and its frugality has exceeded that OF any
administration for twenty-six years. With
the data In my hand. I will. not dotain
you with particulars. but affirm that tho
running expenses" 50 70 speak. OF tho
Government under President Grant, be-
Ing $l.G Is per capita, are less than
they have been since Andrew jackson
left the Presidential chair. BY faithfully
collecting and faithfully accounting for
the revenue, It has been increased $751;
2l3,765 Gu beyond tho sum rendered to
the Treasury during tho preceding l8
months-and this upon annual taxation.
Stl 200. 900 less than previously prevailed.
By earnest economy, expenses, compared
with the preceding eighteen months, have
been reduced s82, 1858, ,060 az. This hon.
est rendition of revenue, and this honest
saving Of revenue, make, clear gain OF
Si70. 0.066, 1876 81. These gains have been
applied to the payment of the debt, and
It has been reduced, up to Nov. /, Sl83,-
678,90l 46. This saves of interest annu-
ally about $4,000, 900. The payments
have been at rate which would pay of
tho whole debt In ffteen years. Wise nd.
ministration has made the currency in the
pockets of tho people worth S60,0OO,O 900
more than It was eighteen months ago.
Wise administration has raised tho valuo
of American securities everywhere---l2
per cent in London, and corrospondingly
In every money centre of the globe. Wise
administration enabled Congress last July
to strike from annual taxation at q single
blow $73,84S,827 33-s55,2 ,2l2, 900 from
Internal revenue. S23,636,827 "A from
the tariff. This dismissal of taxes added
to those dismissed before makes the re-
duction of annual taxation since July l2,
1866, $25l ,84s,S27 33. The number of
articles previously taxed. and now free, Is
moro than 10000. ...r.-
The Democracy cry, "Down with the
taxcs;' but they cry In the wilderness
better than they vote In Congress. When
the bill reducing taxes WAS passed In
July, not Democrat voted for II In Oh
ther House. Whyp We are told be-
cause the Tariff reductions were not upon
thsre articles most used by the ''masses."
/ will not speak Of spices or iron, or other
articles, but call attention to the fact
that S2l, 100000 was lifted from tea, coffee
and sugar, and now the tariff on tea and
coffee Is less than 1t ever was under Wash.
ington, Adams, Jefferson. Madison, or
Monroe. Will some one point out articles
moro largely consumed by "the masses"
than tea and coffee? If he will, those who
are demagogues, and those whoare not, will
unite in exempting them. lndiscrimin.
ate opposition has become the be-all and
end-ali of modern Democracy. As they
opposed every measure aimed Mt tho re-
bellion, SO they have opposed everything
since.
We passed Mt tho last session bill to
refund the public debt at lower interest, 80
rs to save 6,500,0O0 annually; but not
q Democrat in Congress gave 1t his vote.
Having raised the cry Of repudiation when
the war was over. and tarnished our cred
1t, and postponed the time when we could
borrow money Mt cheap rates, they seem
unwilling tn desist. Whether the effort to
fund ut low interest shall succeed. will de-
pend much upon the noise our opponents
keep upover schemes of repudation. such
rs were again repeated the other night vt
Tammany Hall. They have SO far been
quite successful in soaring foreign capital
lists, but when they have been repudiated
themselves ut one more election, their hue
and cry will pass for only noise.
But our opponents are very versatile.
They appear of late In new and attrac-
tive role. They announce themselves rs
champions of the homestead policy, and
the defenders Of the rights of settlers on
the publio domain. They denounce us for
giving land grants to railroads. In warn-
er weather this would be refreshing. l
will not argue the policy of devoting pub
lie lands to aid In building railroads In tho
unsettled West-a word Ofhistory will do.
This policy was initiated by Stephen A.
Douglas, in the grants 10 the Illinois Gen.
trail. 1t was'adoli ted and repeated many
times bya Democratic President and Con-
gross. Mr.. Buchanan vetoed the Home
stead bill. We could never get home-
stead bill till It was signed by Abraham
Lincoln; but Mr.. Buchanan signed bill
after bill, giving away vast tracts for rail-
road purposes. These grants made no
reservation Of rights to settlers. but the
Democracy approved them all, and at
their last National Convention declared
expressly In favor Of aiding railroads with
the public lands, the resolution saying the
lands should be sold and the ayails paid In
money to the railroad companies.
One of the crimes of the Republican
party is that II built q railroad TO the Pa
cilic. aud bound San Francisco to New
York with iron bands. The Democrats
had tho power to do It In years of peace
the Republicans found time To do 1t In
months of war. The policy of land.grants
To railroads has been carried n good way.
no doubt, and needs watching. but for the
Democracy 70 bride up about homcsteads
on the public lands Is rs benevolent rs for
Satan to appear In one of Mayor Halls
new election districts and put on the over
coat Of Mr.. Bergh, and GO into spasms
over cruelty to animals. That mistakes
have been made by Congress and by the
Administration II matter OF course.
The defect of all human government Is
that II must be administered by men. and
all men arc weak and E,llible But human
and fallible rs our agents. have been. the
condition of the country Is surprisingly
good. The nation was never more pros
porous than now. No other nation was
ever so prosperous. labor was never
better rewarded. The wages OF labor
never purchased moro Of lies lux,Iries
and comforts. Honest enterprise and In
dustry thrive everywhere. Some indus
tries not 50 honest do not languish-grum-
bling, for example. Steadfastness Is all
VIC need, anda destiny Of greatness Is In
store for our country. reserved for ms alone
among the children Of men. We shall
reach specie payments without shock or