The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-09-21

and will remain settled until overthrow
by such arguments as he had Just heard
These men should not talk about the
Constitution and its sanctty. They had
violated it themselves often and in many
ways. They violated it in 1861 and
would do so again. The Democratic
platform adopted at Charleston, by its
declared hostility to these constitutional
amendments, had done the same thing.
These amendments embodied the fruits
of the war and the people would not
submit to lay down all that their arms
had gained.
The speaker then reviewed the 18th,
l4th and 18th amendments and de-
manded to know what outrage upon
the people they contained Are we
never to get rid of the "nigger." Ten
of the original States provided for negro
suffrage in their bills of rights. 1t was
so in Virginia when it was declared that
"for commendable conduct negroes
might be enfranchised. Now when it
is a measure Of right and justice they
claim that it is degrading the suffrage
In support of its claim to public conf
dence, the speaker said that the Radical
party had suppressed the rebellion.
The Democrats had denounced every
financial measure which had been pro
posed but had offered no substitute but
one, which they have now abandoned.
They simply ask reputation of the
debt. o. every occasion when bills for
the relief Of the people from taxation
have been proposed the Democrats have
voted against them. The funding bill
which is so bitterly assailed would save
between eighteen and nineteen millions
of dollars annually. The Democrats
charge that the public debt is larger
than at the beginning Of Grants ad-
ministration: This was denied by Mr..
Davis and an explanation made to the
effect that Boutwells report showed a
larger footing on the LIST of July, 1870,
than at the same time in 1869. Mr..
Golf, resuming, said that the sinking
fund and money expended in the pur-
chase of bonds had not been deducted.
The debt had been decreased Sl39,OOO,-
600.
He then referred to the land grants,
and said that large donations of public
lands had been made by the Democrat
ic party and that the Homestead law
was a Republican measure, the former
one having been vetoed by President
Buchanan.
General Golf then spoke of the public
debt and said it amounted to only SO
upon each individual in the United
States while that of Great Britain
amounted 10 $lj3 and that of Austria
to'$63 per capita. This debt was being
reduced at three times the rate of re-
duction in any other nation.
His allotted time having expired,
General Gof here yielded the floor to
Mr.. Henry S. Walker
MR.. WALKERS SPEECH.
Mr.. Walker first turned his attention
to the financial statements contained in
General Goff's speech, and showed that
nothing was gained by comparison of
the debt OF the United States with
that of any other nation. In proper
ton to the value ofthe property and the
ability Of the people to pay, ours was
heavier than any other The funding
bill was calculated to perpetuate that
debt and give to these holders of untax-
ed bonds perpetual immunity. Should
it pass and become law, the time will
never come when the people can say
their property is their own. The time
will never come when the footsteps OF
the tax-gatherer will cease to be heard.
Mr.. Walker then preceded to con-
slider the charge made by Governor
Stevenson concerning Democratic hos
tility to internal Improvements and free
schools. He cited the States Of New
York, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania,
in all of which public Improvements
and free schools had received ample
protection and encouragement from
Democratic administrations. In West
Virginia he said, the Democrats are
prescribed and prosecuted, but Radical
rule has failed to destroy their public
spirit. In the town OF Charleston one
of the most magnificent buildings the
State capitol now nearly completed, is
the free gift almost exclusively of the
Copperheads and rebels ofthe Kanawha
Valley, to the people and government
of West Virginia. Applause. And
as if anything were wanting to com
plete the refutation, one of the few Re-
publicans who did subscribe to the
State House fund, Hon. Greenbury
Slack, lately allowed his stock to be sold
to the highest bidder, though ahund-
antly able to pay for it, his reason being
that the Ku Klux Democracy seemed
likely to take charge of the State and in
that event, he cared little whether West
Virginia had capital or not This is
an example of Republican public spirit,
and there is political prophecy from
which Gov. Stevenson is welcome to ex-
tract all the comfort he can. { Loud APP
plause). As to Democratic opposition
to free schools, it is possible that ten
years ago some men then acting with
the Democratic party did make such
opposition. Possibly the Maxwells and
Browns and Bees, and other old Demo
Gratis did fight the free school idea, but
they are in the Radical party to-day
the burden of their political crimes Is
an their own shoulders and the should
ers of the Radical party the Democracy
cannot he made the scapegoat for their
sins. Ohio county, the leading Demo
cratic county of the State, has the bes'
supported and best conducted free
schools in West Virginia. She had
them when men like Senator BoremaT
were teaching the doctrines from whlcl
came secession, and when other prom
inent Republicans were embryo rebels Il
She had them when one wing Of tht
Radical party was winning nOtoriety b!
circulating Helpers book and lncltIn'
negro insurrections, and when the othe