The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-05-02

tried TO state 90 you what they were. They
relate TO the encroachment by the Federal
government upon the rights OF State and
local governments They relate TO amnesty
and 10 securing the equal rights of all--the
great principle lying at the foundation OF
the Republican party. They relate 70 n re-
form in our revenue system by which taxa
ton shall be reduced and so arranged as to
bear equally as far as possible upon all
branches of industry, withou, increasing
one branch for the bendfif of another.
(Applauseo They relate to the publication
of the civil service. and the administration
of government, by which plunderers shall
be driven from power-(cries of Good,
good" and the position placed in the
hands of honest men Now. why cannot this
be done? l had hoped. fellow-citizens, that
all this should be accomplished through the
instrumentalities of those now having con-
troll of the government. But the experience
of the past session has satisfied me that these
reforms cannot be accomplished through the
agency of the ruling spirits now controlling
them. fApplause.) Protesting to be for ana
nesty, they defeat every amnesty bill that is
offered by Limitations and homogeneous
amendments. Protesting to be for civil-ser-
vice reform, they will do nothing practically
20 accomplish it. (Applause.) Protesting
with loud voice to be in favor of the fullest
Investigation and the correction of abuses,
they appoint committees contrary to all
parliamentary precedent-(applause)- and
all common sense. if the object is to find out
MDtIntT aDustc tAi-l 50 As 10 DE
controlled BY the friends of the accused.
and from which every person is carefully
excluded who believes that abuses exist aud
wants strict Investigation lApplause.)
Why, fellow-citizens, before this war began
the ordinary
EXPENSES OF THIS GOVERNMENT,
excluding payment of interest and pensions,
were less than $60,000,000 per year. What
do you suppose they were last year? More
than Sl40,OO0.000. Is there any reason for
this? Why, it will be said, perhaps, the
country has grown and business has in
creased. True; but has the population in
creased in that propOrtion-has it doubled
within the last ten years Have the neces-
sary expenses of the government doubled -?
Do you pay any more, or if more, is it not
very small sum, to your ministers of the
foreign service than you paid before the
war? Do you pay anything more to most |
of the officers of civil life? Do you pay
anything more to your judges? Perhaps n
trifie more, but very little. And the eX-
penses of the civil service system, so far
from being doubled, should not have been
added 20 30 per cent. in my judgment, the |
government. economically administered. |
need rot expend $9O,OO0OOO year now
exclusive ofwhat it paysiR interest and on
the public debt and for pensions. Fifty mill !
ions OF dollars year ought TO be saved by an |
economical administration of the govern |
ment. But, as L said, we have been unable to |
bring this about, through the instrumental |
ties now exercising control. And why? Be- |
cause the machinery of the government, the |
machinery of the Republican party, is in |
the hands of the 10000 office-holders of this |
country. They control the Republican |
party by packing conventions. and other |
wise through the fundamentally of MEM |
bers of Congress and others cooperating /
with them, To whom they owe their places, /
and to whom the mem bers in tarn, many of /
them, owe their seats in Congress. How,
then, is a remedy to be obtained? Must the /
people submit? Are these encroachments
upon the rights of the people TO continue
this collection of taxes to be sqVandered /
among the hirelings of the party to go on |
until the people find themselves bound hand |
and foot to n central power at Washington, /
that taxes them at win and squanders mo-
ney among its favorites as it pleases? Yet, |
there is "A remedy. But that remedy must /
come from the people. You cannot obtain
it through politicians. Why? Politicians |
are proverbial towards. They are afraid of /
denunciation which will be hurled at them |
by this controlling party machinery; and /
il to-day the public men of the Republican |
party would talk out openly they will |
talk with you privately, in regard to the |
abuses of the government and the existing /
state of things, correction could be spec
Oily obtained. But they will not do it. 1t /
can only be accomplished. as | say, through /
the people, and it will take bold, energetic /
and resolute people to accomplish this OBJ