Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1874-10-03
TO THE PEOPLE
JEFFERSON COUNTY.

| when YOU Will be called upon 10 CAST
your sut!rages tor Congressman, a
State Senator, and two members 10 the
! House Of delegates OF West Virginia.
You, the people, armed as you are with
sovereign authority in your collective
body, are the only true soyereigns in Il
republican form Of Government. 1t Is
not only your right, but it is your sol
enn duty, to take care that that author
ity while it remains with you, Is eXer-
cised with judgment, wisdom apd dis
cretion. Rccollect that in the present
unhappy condition Of our country,
threatened as it is by financial ruin, cor
ruplion and fraud unwhpped of justice
in every department of the adminstra-
ton, the rights Of the States subverted
by Federal authority, rs III the case OF
Louisiana Your social liberties threat
ened to be destroyed, and the sacred
rights reserved to-you by our fathers IN
The constitution OF 1897, endangered by
Federal legislation, now pending i'll the
form of Summers Civil Rights Bill, and
IIoar's National School Bill. Remem-
Der then, that in the coming election.
by the exercise OF your sutfrages you
are to sanction or condemn the measures
that nav ruin or redeem the liberties of
your country. Remember too, that this
is no idle appeal to yourg good Judgment
and sense Read those Bills carefully
and reflect for yourselves. am no
alarmst or politician. | am an humble
Individual of your number. | feel an
equal share with you OF the burthen
you have been carrying for the last sew
en- years in the form OF oppressive taxa
ton and exorbitant interest demanded
and received by the capitalists and the
moneyed interpretations. The most
humble member of society has an equal
right with the most cousiderate person
ace to raise his voice il the control OF
the Government of his country, as he is
equally called upon to contribute to its
support, and if the weight of an lily all
ministered Government falls heavily
upon the wealthy, it falls with a more
deadly weight upon the mechanic, the
farmer and the laLorer These indus
tries are sisters and hand maids Of
prosperity, that must keep pace with
each other. If the one languishes the
other trio must perish, Cripple the
farmer by imposing upon him with your
sufrages every species CT oppressive
and burdensome taxation, deprive him
by bad legislation of the advantages of
his industry, and with him you involve
the merchant, the mechanic and the la
borer in one common ruin.
View this matter in its proper light,
reflect well upon every part OF this sub
Iect, and an impartial decision will lead
YOU to the conc fusion that this has been
the studied purpose of the majority Of
those by whom we have been governed
since the war.
II the Federal Government has passed
law, granting a liccnSeto incorporated
bodies, or to individual capitalists to
loan their money at ten per cent. to
borrowers and spectators, every article
Of your necessity Or consumption, hand
led by them, is taxed with that interest,
and You unconsciously pay it for them
on the increased COS; OF the articles yon
use or consume, while they are only the
fduciarics OF the banks or capitalists
who collect the intcrca; Of yon and hand
it over to the money lenders.
If your State government in the
framing of its organic law, has failed to
engraft a provision in its constitution,
(as is the case with West Eirginla,)
prohibiting the losning Of money at
usurious rates Of interest, and lett that
question open to the temporary discre-
ton, and the fluctnatng integrity of the
legislative body, while the state is a
borrower at ten per cent. you uncon-
sciously pay that interest in the tax the
State leyies upon your industry, and
you pay to the banks through your
merchants like interest of ten per cent
upon the primary cost OF every article
consumed by your family. These are
topics for your reflection.
You will be soon called upon to indi-
cate by the exercise of your ballot,
whether this state OF affairs shall be
longer continued, with your consent OF
not; whether you are willing to continue
longer in office those who have hereto
fore SO grossly betrayed your interests,
those VINO have made your hard earn
ings tributary to the wealth Of the mo-
MED cormorant; those whose treachery
ana corruption have so far escaped that
condign punishment so justly due them,
and who now propose by the sanction
OF such laws to which | have just refer
red, and the suggestion Of third term
of Office for the President Of the United
States. in violation Of the virtuous ex-
ample set for us 10y the Father of his
country, to chain us four years, and per
haps longer, to the intiexlble will OF a
relentless tyrant, Those things too,
may serve as topics for the reflection OF
those in the solitary hohrs of domestic
retirement, whom your SURFACES prop
erly exercised, may recall from the be-
travail of the trust you confided to their
keeping, In the enjoyment OF domestic
obscurity, and their countrys contempt,
they may find solace in the reflection
that that country, their corruption and
their protligaey had carried so near the
verge of ruin, was likely to be restored
to prosperity again by more virtuous
examples than they have set. they may
find it too, in the memory of the depart
ed souls their bribery and corruption,