The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-09-07
Mr.. PendletOn-His Opening Speech.

u
Hon. Geo. H. Pendleton made his
opening speech of the canvass at Love
land, Ohio, on Tuesday, the 22d. He
commenced by paying glowing tribute
to the memory of Vallandigham, and
denounced what he termed the crusade
against the South. He said the Govern
ment took credit for paying two hun
dred and thirty millions of the public
debt, yet admitted that they had done
so, they had unjusti6ably wasted twen-
ty-fve millions, besides paying twenty
millions more, each year, rs bonus to
the banks OF the country, while labor
groans and trade stagnates under the
exactions imposed upon earnings. Is
there prosperity Ask bankers, railroad
men, merchants, manufacturers, farmers,
laborers, all v i'll tell you mol No coun-
try in the world has a system so oneYous
as our internal revenue system. 1t is
unequal, unjust, iniquitoUs, it has held
out temptations to dishonesty.
Rewards to dishonor has made perjury
and bribery common, has filed the land
with spies and informers. He said the
government insisted on paying bond
holders not only the debt, but q bonus
of ten, twelve, and fifteen per cent. for
receiving it. In the meantime taxation
had been kept up to more than $4OO, ,000,-
900 per annum, currency has been de-
creased $300,000,000, and the bonded
debt of the country, though nominally
reduced $22O,0O0,000, has been actually
increased in weight and oppressiveness.
The earnings of the country are sixteen
hundred millions, while the taxation
equals twenty-five per cent. of all the
earnings Of all the intellect, all the inge-
nuity, and all the labor of every man,
woman and child in the country. Moth
ing could have saved us from ruin by
this policy except unparalleled fertility
of soil, and the wondersul energy and
activity Of our people.
He said: 1 cannot portray the enor-
mites of the tariff. 1t is tariff for pro-
lection, not for revenue-tariff for the
benefit ofspecial interests, at the expense
of the whole people. The Legislation of
Congress on taxation, tariffs, banks and
railroads, is controlled by rings, infu-
enced by mOney--on political questions,
on Ku-Klux bills, on San Domingo trea-
ties, by the interference of the President,
and by bribery Of his patronage.
Public offices are bought by presents,
or awarded to needy relations Defalca-
tions are frequent. Neither is restitu-
ton enforced nor a punishment awarded
SO common is this that every official act
is believed to be in the interest of job,
and there is not in the government a
character so pure as not to be suspected
of participation i'll its profits.
He said the President when he desired
the annexation of San Domingo, did not
hesitate to take money from the Treasury
in defiance of law, pay it in advance of
the submission of the treaty to the Sen
ate, did not hesitate to stipulate that he
would keep its existence secret until 'he
had by personal and official influence
secured its ratification by tho Senate.
When Sumner stood in the way he did
not hesitate to eject him from the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations, and now,
while the Senate is considering the treaty
he secures from private persons the
money, and pays second installment
of the purchase. There is aparty in San
Domingo opposed to annexation. 1t be-
gins to make head there, upon which
Gen. Grant uses the army and navy of
the United States to protect his vender
in power. All this has been done by
kingly prerogatives without authority Of
IN act of Congress. Ifsuch transactions
can escape judgment it is difficult to say
what securities remain.
His chief quarrel with the Republicans
is that they have so belittled our State
Governments, and SO enlarged Federal
Government, that all questions of State
policy are swallowed upin national alissues.
Put the Democratic party in power
and it it will reform the aliases of the
present corruption, restore purity to the
Legislation, and honesty to the admins
tration.
1t will restore self-government to all
the States, and bring about an era of
harmonious union of real prosperity and
Of true liberty.