The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-10-05


[coNcLUbED FROM FIRST rAGE.l
was SO much needed, the men in pow
er began TO contract and reduce the
volume of currency, and are doing so
now. And at this moment the amount
of currency is S400, 100000 less than it
was in 1866. In 1867 your wheat fell
to 81 So bushel, and in 1868 it fell to
81 IS. In 1869 and in 1870 it came
down to 81 03 10 81 o., which is about
its present value. But while they
have struck down the value of your
products, reducing the price of them
more than one-half, the taxes eOntin-
ue to augment.
Who gained by reducing the curren-
cy? The bondholder-every one else
suffered. In 1866 you got 81 30 for a
bushel of wheat; now you only get
one dollar for the same amount. On
one hundred bushels of wheat you lose
$50, and on 1000 bushels of wheat
you lose 81, 800. What the bondhold-
er? The value of his bonds have
more than doubled. He bought. a
100000 bond for $4,000. Now, by
law of Congress you are compelled to
pay the bondholder two dollars. His
fortune is more than doubled. while
yours is reduced more than one-half.
A reducing of the currency doubled
the debts owed by the people and
reduced one-balf the debts owed by
the bondholder. 9zifi
Now let me contrast the state of
things with the condition of the coun-
try in 1860, when the Democratic par
ty was in power. Then the relative
proportion between the taxes paid by
the people and the currency was as
one to three-three dollars of curren-
cy to one dollar of taxes. To-day, in
stead of having three dollars of cur
rency to one of taxes, if the people of
the United States were compelled to
pay all their taxes on the same day,
there is not sufficient currency by
$15O,0O0, 900 to pay them. The whole
amount of taxes paid by the people of
the United States is estimated at about
SS00,000,000. told you in my OPEN
ing remarks that the annual profits of
all the industries of the United States
amounted to about SIG, 600, 10000 The
amount of taxes; Federal, State and
local, is equal to One-half of all the
profits of all the toll of all the people.
One-half OF all your gain, instead of
going to your families, instead of GO
ing to your children. instead of making
your homes comfortable and happy,
goes into the hungry NAV of the tax
gatherer. ~ f9f Hf
Let me for a moment further call
your attention to q fact in relation to
the difference between the state of the
country now, and the state of the
countryin 1860 Democraticru
In 1860 the public debt was less than
S6O,O00y000. To-day it is nearly ST.
4O0,OO0,O00. In 1860 the whole amount
of the Federal revenues was only $40,-
100000; to-day it amounts to S400, ,000,-
600. In 1860 the people of the United
States paid fewer taxes than any other
people on earth, while to-day the
American citizen, imagining that he is
a freeman, pays more taxes than are
paid by the people of England, the
people of Germany, the people of
France the people of Austria, of
Russia, or of any other land beneath
the canopy of heaven. Then, citizens,
we must prepare for one of two things
viz: the total overthrow of our free
institutions and our exchange from
the condition of free citizens to become
the subjects of a vulgar aristocracy or
arouse to such manly and determined
action as the conditions of the country i
and our own condition demands. "A
The trouble is, my friends, the dam
ger in men sufrendering the indie
pendent character of freemen. and ex-
tending their neck for the yoke and
their arms for the shackles of their
would-be masters. How absurd it is,
in time tike the present, to forget
country, and only talk of party !; to
forget liberty, and for the sake of par
ty, become slaves JEslf allf sF f4i5st. 4
Is it not time that the people, the
men of toll, the farmers and neehanics
the laboring men of the land, should
make common cause against their
common enemy !? In a government
like ours, its free institutions can only
be maintained through the organiza-
ton and instrumentality of parties,
but the only true rule of action tor the
people is that when those in power
become corrupt: when they trample
upon the fundamental principles of
the Constitution; when they seek to
aggrandize themselves at the cost of
the liberties of the people, then, If ever
the people must combine in their own
defense, of their rights and liberties
are gone. It has been we'll said by
one of our most distinguished states
men, in speaking of the history of
other people: You can no more
keep free people from destroying
themselves and overthrowing their
own liberties, when no longer worthy
of being free, than you can keep a
man from committing suicide, If bent
upon it. You may watch him tonight
YOU NAV guard him on the morrow,
but the next day you will find him
hanging on beam, or with his brains
blown out through the instrumentalf-
ty of a pistol gBiuoioFab se6a 81 y
There is yet time to- secure your
rights, and rescue your liberties, but
every day lost by you is a month
gained by those who seek your ruin.
Your only hope of relief is in Your
selves. You cam save yourselves if
you will. Z our rights and your lib
critics are all in peril, and tits for yoni
to say whether or not you will become
serfs, or remain free. s5Q gnz cb ts
Then, my countrymen, call upon
YOU, not in the spirit of partisan,
but as citizen, with rights and inter-
ests likeyour own, to unite with GuS.
in the cause of our common country
and our scemmo institutions, and
drive these tyrants and plunderers
from power. Cheers Do this, and
when the click Fof the telegraph ari-
nounees that the Democratic party is
once more restored to power, the en-
tire country win shout" the glad tid-
ings of great joy. bonfres and illu-
mInations will be kindled throughout
the land, and a prayer of ihankfulness
will go up from the heart of great
people to the throne of Almighty
God Loud and prolonged cheers. ]
5itf = 20 -----ss 80 =: ---=s'tzr !
81 The Farmer Pays for All. 80
During the third session of the
Forty-first Congress, one hundred and
.;vtx1 f;va r,aiJIions of .7o1IaPrs yvta,.as an.