Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-10-02

NCOAAJ OhA COuNhCAA n6NO
uniformly refused such things, even when
you propose internal revenue in the South,
they refuse to vote for it, because they
cannot see it in the Constitution. South
ern politicians, from the organization of
the Government to this time, have had
this strict Constitution in their minds, so
that they cannot vote for anything that is
not in the Constitution.
The next is:
Resolved, That the practice of the
government in the enforcement of the
revenue laws which authorizes the seizure
and conhscation of the property of the
citizens and their imprisonment, aided by
the bayonet, without trial by jury and
conviction, is subversive of the rights of
the people and in contravention of the
Constitution, and should, therefore, be
abandoned"
Yes, and IN another one of these resO-
lutions they declare that Grant is inef-
ticient, and that his administration ia a
failure, and yet, when he is enforcing the
revenue laws, he should not do it, and his
course should be abandoned. How are
You going to get revenue, unless under the
revenue law and the tariff? That. the
general government, if it could not get
money in any other way than by revenue
on incomes and licenses, on dis
tilleries and such things, it must
stop the wheels, and let its creditors
go unpaid or resort to direct taxation.
Are you going to sustain the public credit
in this way One of the planks in our
platform says that the credit of the Ma
tiOnal Government must be sustained.
Strangers may say that President Grant,
who, without an increase of taxes, with
out increasing the burdens of the people,
has collected some $75, 900, 900 or $780,
600, 900 more than was ever collected
from the same sources in the like period,
before he came into power, but he saves
thereby S., 100000 annually in the way
of interest. He does it by enforcing the
law. That is the way it should be done,
and that is the way 1 shall do,
if 1 am elected your Governor, L
will enforce the laws. If the laws are
bad, and think so, l will ask the Legs
lature to repeal them, but so long as they
are good | will enforce them.
The next resolution is as follows:
Resolved, That we denOunce the
prO1igacy in the present administration
of the Federal Government; the cOnup-
ton which has entered ali its official sta
lions; the fsvOIitism which, overlooking
fitness for office, has appointed to posi-
tons of public trust friends or tools of
those who control public patronage; and
the imbecility which directs the destinies
of the Republic without an apparent pur-
pose, and manages its affairs with such
embarrassment and disaster to the mutual
interests of its people at home, and with
such disregard of the rights and liberties
of its eitizens abroad
By this resolution there is not single
Officeholder under Gen. Grant, from the
chief TO the humblest, that IS clear of
corruption. This platform was adopted
on the 18th inst, and on the 18th, the
day preceding, the newly elected Supreme
Court met at Knoxville, and
among the first official acts they
did, after declaring Hon. A o. P. Mich
olson, Chief Justice, was TO discharge al
old and efficient clerk, and appoint the
brother of one of the Judges in his
place, and a brother-in-law to the other
Judge assistant clerk. That looks some
thing like favoritism.
read again from the Democratic plat
form
-'ResOlved, That we regard the act re-
Gently passed by Congress to enforce the
fifteenth amendment as unconstitutional,
unjust and oppressive, an invasion of the
rights of the States, subYersive of the
best interests of the people, and there
fore urge its unconditional repeal
In that l suppose they are sincere. l
think they ought to want that law re-
| pealed, for if it remains on the statute
book it is known that Gen. Grant will en-
force it. l am certain to be your next
| Governor. If were at their standpoint,
] would want it repealed.
Mr.. WIsener then read section 5 of the
fifteenth amendment in regard to inflI-
encing of colOred and ignorant votes by
| brides, threats and intimidation.
You let our Democratic friends know
that if that is attempted they will be in
dicted in the Federal Court and made
to suffer the penalty; then on the
Sth of November next you may call me
Governor WiseneT. [ don't blame them
for wanting that law repealed When
anything does not suit our Democratic
friends, it is always unconstitutional, and
yet they have done more TO destroy and
break down the Constitution than any
body.
l read again from the Democratic plat
form:
Resolved, That the power of the Fed
eral Government to assess and collect
taxes on the bonds of the United States is
clear and unquestiOned, and we demand
of Congress that share of taxation equal
to fair average of the amount levied
IN each State on money loaned, shall be
assessed and collected from all invest
ments in bonds"
Whilst our friends are talking about
this and that law being unconstitutional,
why, here they are for taxing the United
States bonds, which, as a tinancinl ques-
ton, presume no sane man, who is not
prejudiced by party, ever urged before.
do not know how they would tax all of
them. Il so happens that our German
friends, who are trying to whip France,
have some $500, 900, 900 of those bonds.
Are you going to bring them across the
water aud levy tax on them! How alb
surd is the idea of taxing government Sc
curitiesl What is the object of issuing
bonds 1t is to borrow money, and it is
the case with all governments that when
they engage in war, they have to resort
to their credit. The United States, pressed
for money, says ''take these bonds, you
can have them without taxation, and
the investment is made. After awhile
the United States Government comes
along and says, 81 was only joking when
let you have these bonds without taxa
ton; so now | will tax them" So if
war was declared again against tho gov
ernment, and it would go into the market
with its bonds to borrow money, the |
capitalists would say, '.NO, we cannot |
loan you money again. You promised US |
that you would not tax our bonds when |
we loaned you money, and you did not |
keep your promise" It Is q national dis |
grace for Congress to levy a tax on her
bonds. 1t is talked about by some who have
more honesty than discretion, that if we
can get at you again we will whip you.
don't say that opinion is entertained by
every body. 1t is not for that object or
purpose, but it has that effect. Outside
of political economy, it is folly for you
TO tax your bonds. If you do, you at
once cripple the future credit of the Gov |