The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-07-04

people.
Do you doubt the correctness of wha
l say! Think a moment. Why doe
the law give the bondholder COMPOUND
interest in gold, while you are made t.
receive paper? Why are you required
to pay the bondholdcrs taxes, and you
own into the bargain? Why does TIT
law require that three hundred million
of taxes should be paid in gold for th'
benefit of the bondholder-one hundred
and eighty millions of tariff tax, ant
one hundred and twenty millions of in
terest tax on the bonds!
WHAT WE PROPOSE.
We say, let US do Justice to the bond
holder, but also justice to the people,
We arc in favor of making custom due
payable in greenbacks or gold at tn
option of the person making the pay
ment. This would at once bring green
backs up to the phT value of gold, the,
would perform all the duties of money
Gambling in gold would stop, and thu
sudden fluctuations in prices cease.
We are in favor of paying the bond
holder according to the contract, No
less, and no more. Greenbacks wher'
greenbacks we're intended, and gol(
where gold was stipulated. -,
At present the amount of currency ir
the country is not equal to the amour
of taxes, and were all the taxes to b'
collected on the same day, there is no
money enough in the Country to pay
them. Is it not absurd then to talk o.
there being too much currency? Th'
currency we have is diverted from trad,
and invested in stock and gold specula
tions, which is ruinous to the interes
of business. Allow greenbacks fai
chance-they are now deprecated il
value by act of Congress-let them bt
received in payment of custom due:
like gold, and the continual see saw il
prices: will cease.
EQUAL RIGHTS AND EQUAL BURDENS
The fundamental idea of our govern
ment is equality Of rights with equality
of burdens. But the oligarchs have Sc
controlled the legislation of Congress
that they have secured all the rights ant
privileges for themselves, and thrown
all the burdens of government on Tho
shoulders of the people.
Fellow-citizens, / wish to ask you ;
simple question. Can it be just to make
One man pay another mans taxes? The
law of Congress assumes to prohibit
States, Counties and Cities from taxing
federal bonds, and while such law is
held to be law, it has to be obeyed. Thi:
law was imposed upon the people by tht
express enactment Of Republican Con
gress, and you are called upon to per
petuate this wrong against yourselves
Here are two citizens. One of then
owns farm worth ten thousand dol
lars, and is taxed or all he owns. His
neighbor there sold all he owned fol
fifty thousand, and invested it in bonds
They live in the same school district. A
tax was levied to build o school house
the farmer was taxeG, the bondholdel
was not. A further tax was levied tc
pay teacher-the farmer was taxed
the bondhClder was not. When the
school was opened the children of the
bondholder and farmer entered together
The farmer was not only taxed to edu
cate his own children, but the children
Of the bondholder into the bargain. A
law passed by Republican Congress
compels the farmer who tolls, to pay the
taxes of the bondholder who receive:
compound interest in gold and does
nothing. Is this Republican justice p
Do men who made such laws deserve to
be retained in power? Here are two
other citizens who live in town. Tha
gentlemanly looking person, with :
bland smile and serene brow, owns {
cool hundred thousand in bonds. Not
far from him is brawny armed mechan
ic, the lines upon whose face tell the
story of his battle through life. Man.
hood sits upon his honest brow, but his
shoulders, though like those of Hercu
les, are stopped little from over TOLL
By hard work and through the econo-
my OF his wife lie owns a comfortable
home. 1t is his-his very sweat and
muscles are incorporated in its walls
The streets of the town are paved, and
the bondbolder rolls over them in his
carriage. The mechanic was taxed to
pave the streets the gentle bondholdel
was not The town is lighted with gas
"a post stands near the bondhclder's
residence, but the mechanic pays for the
gas light. Times become hard, and the
mechanic forced to borrow money ol
the bondholder at heavy interest The
mechanics children have been i'll and re.
quired his care, and thus he got behind
The bondholder sues the mecanic on his
note; but it is the mechanic who is tax.
ed to pay the salary of the judge who
rendered judgment against him in favor
of the b6ndholder. That, is called Re-
publican justice.
In the sea, ,one big fish swallows whole
shoals of little ones. SO with the big
bondholder The fifty, ohe hundred,
one and two thousand dollar bondhol-
ders swim in the same current with the
whale, cheating themselves into the be
lief they arc all whales together; when
all at once the big whale opens his
mouth and guzzles down ton OF little
fish at a single swallow. My good
friends, if you small bondholders were
taxed, SO would all the big ones be, and
you would be greatly the gamer. The
tax on tea, coffee, matches and scores
of other things would be taken of, and
you would no longer have to work to
pay the big bondholder's taxes.
Citizens, avow at once that the great
majority of Republicans are not respon
sible for this evil legislation, which tax
es the poor mans labor to pay the taS
on the rich tiiah's bonds; but they will
not only be responsible if this wrong
continues, but their children are certain
to become slaves, even if their fathers
by chance die free. Is it right, that this
wrong should continue? The. bond
holder says yes; because he loaned mon
ey to the Government during the war
he forgets to say that he received the
Governments bond two dollars for one
when he did SO. Granted-the bond