The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1871-06-01

are thinking now, and will think in the
future. As proofof the i0rmer, tic ideas
of Socrates wore embodied in the Con-
~stitntion OF the United States.
George Washington was once a county
surveyor, but afterwards led armies and
helped to form the Constitution which
defines our liberties, or what little liber-
ty tho country had left. Franklin, the
philosopher, printer, and editor, also
helped to make the Consultation.
Roger Sherman helped to form the
Governmont-a shoemaker. Daniel
Sheffey, the peer of Randolph in repair
tee, was n shoemaker, and when asked
jeeringly what he had done with his lea
Their apron, replied that he had cut it up
to make Pocahontas a night cap. New
ton Cannon, Governor of Tennessee and
a member of Congress, was asadler. If
they could reach those exalted stations,
what ought the present generation to do
when our opportunities now are better
than they were then. 1t was not I'M
modest to speak of himself. He was a
tailor, and had seen wedding suits re-
Gently that he had made.
I" Worth makes the man,
The want of it the fellow"
His trade never degraded him, and
the happiest days of his life were spent
at work, especially on Saturday, when
his customers came for their garments.
He would tell the trnth-ho had told it under
more trying circumIances-and was proud of
the mechanics of ~ country. Could he add
any mementO in th9 cornerstone Of q mechan-
les building it would be the proudcst act of his
life. lie had seen mechanics set Oft highly re-
spccted, and even courteJ and fattcred, and
seen them go over to those who cajOled, while
they despised them, instead of bringing them to
their sphere. AT one time he was despised but
had since made others respect him, rs all could
do. Mechanics should be protected and made
respectable by thoir own merit. Capital was
frequently necessary, but small quantities well
managed were better than too much money.
The happiest people were those of whom few
were poor and few rich-a home for all, hOwev-
er humble, was highly desirable. The middle
state waA preferable, lie would dispense with
the pcnitentiGry in improving man in appear
ance and mentally. Two classes ought to be
punished, and he would hang one and deprive
one Of the POWER of prOpOgating species. \ few
hundred or a thousand years hence there,would
be Il different class Of men to those now living.
In his situatiOn-perhaps his last speech, Icries
of " hope not "l-he had begun with mechanics
and it would be good to end with mechanism,
lie had tried to do his duty, had violated no
pledge, broken no promise. Having run the i'm.
pOrtant race-hc spoke not in egOtism, though
proud of it-G race few had run, he thanked
God that his march was not paved with human
skulls, or the bridges he had crossed not cause
waved with bodies Of cOmrtrymcn slain. No
GOlgothas or pOttcrs' fields we're on either side.
lie would rather his brow was furrOwed with
the cares of public life, or his coat dusty with
labor, than wear the glittertng tassel or gaudy
epaulet of the soldier gained in civil war.
Remembering his past public life, hO had no.
thing to reject-events proved their correctness
no desire for gain. Whom had he d~efraudedi
What hribes rcccivedi
His thoughts were on peace. Rally around
the banner of our country with the constitution
and aws-on and inscparable-On its folds Us
the watchword. On the subject Of manual labor
he would be calm. lie would rather effect Il
~lodgmcnt of one idea than speak Il week and
leave only faint impressions. lie knew it was
hard to argue the labor question without hurt
ing some one, but he had been invited to speak
OH the subject and should do SO. What Is tho
condition, he asked, OF the capital Of the cOun-
try Locked up in bonds. The debt was ST.
500, 900 900. The interest Mt 6 per cent amount
cd to $l5O,0OO 900. The labor of the country
paid this interest. No nation had u right to
create II debt for future generations to pay. 1t
is claim d we could leave the property. What
property We found the country uncmbarrass-
ell md should leave the same heritage to our
children, We had no right to make a debt per-
manent, lie desired the attention Of the labor
ing mcn-runding this debt was u step towards
its permancncy. No nation was froe with II
large financial burden. 7
+, Congress was now almost an article of mer-
chandise. Manufactures aud labor paid the
bOndhUldcrs' interest. Ills highest ambition
was to have his Qamc Inscribed among those who
love their country. (llere he read statistics re-
garding in%terest.)
Bonds and National Banks were exempted, but
the people were taxed to death. Our credit
should be preserved but u due regard for the
masses should make the early reduction of the
principal of the public debt imperative. This
was to be done by ignoring the interest, and he
remarked that by insisting on his bond ShylOck
lost his debt.
Capital that is idle made no nails, used not the
chisel, welded no hammer-but the workman
paid iatcYest OIL this idle capital that consumed
the sweat and life Of the country. A
We should have greenbacks instead of National
Bank currORcy, and save II per cent on bonds
No, but they wanted Ia fund the debt. Y Bond
holders were willing to take q less rate of inter-
est, if for longer time Like the horse lcech,
/" give, give, - was their cry. a military despot-
ism would compel the people to labor at the point
of the bayonct- The monopoly Of capital was
more injurious than the want of it. Money is
like mnck--Of no valse unless scattered. By
the paymcRt Of the interest on h0pds as part OF
the loan the debt could be cancelled in a fraction
less than seventeen years. Capital and power,
like the sexes, affiliated, and wanted q strong
arm to lean on. Capital, in time, will control
the entire production Of the country and in few
years would control the Government. BY sub
shutting grccnhacks for National Bank currcn-
cy they could resume specie payments.
The laboring men Of the country ought to be
and doubtless are opposed to the present system.
This is a matter of principle, not party. This is
fer the interest Of working men. lie went into
and CANE out of public lie the advocate of the
tailoring masses. They needed advocates.
lLe thanked Coz lie was not n rebel or q radi-
cal. lie loved his country. Had all the States
equal rights this would be the best government
in the world. The fate OF Paris was the result
of arbitrary aad UNJUST legislation, destroying
the labor Of artisans and architects. Emperor
William vauntingly asserted that he received
the crown of empire from the hand of God, anil
not from the people, where all power sprung 1t
was ~ injurious for . nation to be too wealthy
as an individual, and cited the cases of Tyre,
Babylon and other ancient cities, whose glory
had departed centuries age. The fate of Paris
would Is similar, aud was the result of conccn-
tratei corruption and power. Lsboring men
had to pay all, work all, fight all and should
losk into the subject. Gratitude, like disinter-
estcd benevolence, was severe. Now it was mo-
dernized to mean a lively sense of favors to
come, not those that had Ltcn granted. lie had
violated no promise to his cou%ntrymcn, and his