Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-02-09
SPEECH.

DEIlNEtsED BY SOlJ. "A. II. hIDE-
MORE, IN THESENATE OF VIRGINIA.
The question being upon substi-
tute TO Senate Bill, No. 5, which sub
stitute gave salary of S4OO per year,
and the original bill was for 400 per
diem, and five cents mileage, Mr..
Pridemore spoke in favor Of the origi-
nal bill, as follows:
Mr.. PRESIDENT:
/ have no confidence in my abil-
ity to urge a measure before this house,
unsupported by reason, justice and
right, but with these upon my part, l
do feel a confidence in urging the
adoption of the provisions of this
bill. The reasons in support of this
measure may be considered by first en-
quiring, who are to be paid, and who
| are to pay them and if we shall an
| swer impartially and disintererstedly
| these enquiries, then we will have the
| whole matter before lis.
In answer to the first, Mr.. President,
if we look only at the first class, or so
! far as this house is concerned, the
grave and learned senators before me,
whose intelligence and well-stored
minds render them SD eminently fit
for every duty devOlving upon them ;
look only, Mr.. President, at their in
| terminable labors, at the zeal and fidel-
ity with which they pursue them. III
we look to their deprivation of home
and family, the neglect Oftheir domes-
tic affairs. five consider the expense
and cost of high-styled or even ordina-
ry living at hotels in this city; then the
answer would follow, that six dollars
per day would not be more than an
/ adequate compensation for these
| deprivations and services.
2. But if we answer the second en-
/ quiry, who are TO pay them? / tlatteI
| myself that we will arrive at differ
ent conclusion. The farmer, mechan-
/ ic laborer and producer, are the great
! sources from which all taxation il
drawn, and these classes have been
shorn of their ability TO pay by the
devasting ravaees of cruel war, and
/ are now poor from no want of indus
try or proper management on theil
4 part. They, sir, are writhing beneath
! the burthens of private and public
! debts, contracted upon the credit ol
! property wTenched from their hands by
| force of arms, welded by cruel and
| uuCeneTous foes, are compelled now
TO draw from their scanty supplies tC
FIJI the Golfers of this treasury, to bt
again dealt out to us and other higl
salaried offices, as | shall endeaVol
10 show. 1t is q fact known, wei
known, I may say, to every senator
| that the taX-paying, the farming, the
| mechanical, industrial, laboring class
es of people, are now and have beer
groaning under the weight of taxation
extorted from them by unwise, impo
litic, erroneous and unjust laws. Yes
sir, wrung from the hands of the com
mon people; the government sup
porting, thrifty, producing, substan
| tial classes in time of peace, the sol
diers i'm time of war. They are th'
, men that are continually called on tt
| contribute of their hard earnings, K
/ pamper, i'm ease and luxury, higt
salaried functionaries. These are thC
men, / repeat, who, when the tOesir
Of war sounded; who, when calleC
by this loved and glorious elC
State TO meet her foes, left alsC
their homes, endeared TO them by tt,
| G1lil liluii tits VI uAIStabti h0bAhAN a.
they may have been they were scarcet
to them, by the recollection. ofehild
hoods happy dreams, by the recollee
tions of maternal affection anC
kindness, by early love, and consum
mated conjugal felicity. These, say
they left, often with the plow standin;
in the field, the harvest ungarnered
amid the walls and cries of sufierin!
families. And for what? To saw
what? l answer, for Virginia-t'
save Virginia. Are their services for
cotton? Are their wants TO. be neg
iected? Many Of them left, sir, neve
to return, never again to behol'
Home, sweet home.n But thet
widows and orphans demand at you
hands the careful consideration
their wants and sufferings. Can VI
: refuse the reasonable requests OF mel
who, for four long weary years OF wa
and suffering, with unpreeedente'