The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-07-05
hland,O ednesday Morning July5 No

t behind. The bondholder sues tn
a mechanic on his note, but it is tn
mechanic who is taxed to pay tn
: salary of the Judge who rendered tn
+ judgment against him, in favor of tn
/ bontlholder. That is called Republi-
can justice.
In the sea, one big fish swallow.
whole shoals of little ones. So will
the big bondholder. The fifty, ont
, hundred, one and two thousand dol
lar bondholders swim in the sam,
current as the whale, cheating them
selves into the belief that they are al
whales together; when all at once the
big whale opens his mouth and guz
zles down ton OF little fish at sin
gle swallow. My good friends if you
small bondholders were taxed, so all
the big ones would be, and you would
be greatly the gaienr. The tax on
tea, coffee matches and scores of other
things, would be taken off, and you
would no longer have to work to. pay
the big bondholders' taxes.
Citizens, avow at once that the
great majority of Republicans are not
responsible for this evil legislation,
which taxes the poor, mans labor to
pay the tax on the rich mans bonds
but they will not only be responsible
if this wrong continues, but their chill
dren are certain to become slaves,
even if their fathers by chance die
free. Is it right that this wrong con-
tinue? The bondholder says yes, be-
cause he loaned money to the Gov
ernment during the war-he forgets
to say that he received Government
bonds two dollars for one when he did
so. Granted-the .bondholder did
loan his money to be repaid two to
one. Was his the only sacrifice? p
Look over yonder. Do you see that
one legged man? He was a soldier
and had his leg torn off at Shiloh by a
cannon ball-he is taxed on his little
home and all else he owns. If the
bondholder is exempt from taxation,
why not the soldier? On the contra
ry the soldier has. to help to pay the
bondholders' taxes.
| Is not this mean, citizens? Is it
not an insult to every man who bore
arms in the defense of the Union
IF this is to be, ought we not in COM
mon decency to blot the words justice
and gratitude from our language !?
We are patient people, citizens, or
these wrongs would not have been so
long endured. There are some things
1 would like to forget but cannot. At
the very moment the war was at its
heat, a Republican Congress fixed
three hundred dollars as the value of
of the life of husband, father or son.
II the rich fell under the draft, he was
released for a paltry three hundred,
while some poor fellow who could not
take that sum from the support of his
family, was taken out to be shot in
place of the nabob whose skin was of
two fine texture tn be punctured by
piece of lead. And when men got
scarce and orphans plenty, Congress
continued to legislate against the'poor,
by receiving substitutes, and the rich
bondholder was excused, provided he
could buy a man for thousand or
fifteen hundred dollars, to fill a grave
intended for himself.
THE BONDHOLDER CONTROLS THE
| 1hEASOh1 AO w
| CONGRESS.
The pamphlet I hold in my hacds,
my fellow citizens, is "the statement
ofthe public debt of the United States,
by Jay Cooke, the government agent
for the sale of its bonds. 1t is pre-
pared with care, and is reliable. He
says: "The United States notes
greenbacks were issued under acts Of
February 25th, and July 18th, 1862,
and March Sd, 1868, and are a legal
tender for all debts public and private
except duties on imports, and the
interest ON The public debt" This
extract from the law is printed on the
back of every greenback; the Court
has declared the law constitutional
and such was the understanding be-
tween the bondholder and taxpayer
when the 5-20's were issued, But in
violation of the law in breach of the
contract between the bondholder and
taxpayer in contempt of the de-
cision of the Supreme Court of the
United States since Grant became
President, on the payment of bonds
that were by law payable at par, on a
little over two hundred million dollars
of bonds, he has caused the bondhold
ers to be paid twenty-five million six
hundred thousand dollars more than
the law entitled him to receive. This
seems almost incredible, but here is
the proof. This paper is "thc state
ment of the public debt of the United
States on June 1st, 1871" and is
signed George T. Boutwell,, Secretary
of the Treasury. 1t shows the amt
of bonds paid from May, 1869, until
May II, 1871.
The amount paid was 1885,, 1926, ,204
w was IS N' VI ~ $500, SOC, $50
| Amount paid more than owed S25,519 454
1 take the figures from this official
statement They are no doubt cor
rect. Here it is admitted that this
Republican Administration has made
gift to the bondholders, who is eX-
empt from taxation, of twenty-five
and a half millions of money, wrung
, from the people in tie shape of taxes,
without one dime of consideration in
return.
These bonds were made payable at
par in five years at the option of the
Government, or in twenty years upon
the demand of the bondholder. If
the Secretary wished to pay the bonds,
it was only necessary to designate
them by number and amount, and
name u day for payment, and if
not then presented, interest to- cease.
Shall this robbery be tolerated? ? Are
wrongs like these against the people