Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-09-17

the progress Of the war, when 1T was
necessary 10 provide for extraordi'
nary expenses, it became necessary
TO levy taxes upon many things; Dul
| these ievieB have been 80 far repealed
that now almost everything IL eX'
cepted save liquors and tobacco
This is by so much reduction o.
tho debt or the burdens OF the PEG
pie; not only that, but the estimate
Of the expenditures the last year re-
duces them twenty-oeven millions,
and still, according to our friend,
there IL 10 disposition to save and
cconomize.
We will pass that to something
else. Reference has been made Y
what is called the back-pay steal. =
don't know why. / say | don't
know why, for every Republican
member from the State OF Iowa war
opposed To that law, and fought il
with his utmost power; and / done
know why the Republican party in
this State should DC charged with
that. 1t appears 20 me that If you
look at that closely, you will say the
Republican party Is no more TO
blame than the opposition. AS l
said, every Republican member
from this State fought 1t with his
utmost ability, determined, IL posi-
bic. 10 defeat II. 1t Is tree that there
were Republican members enough in
Congress 10 have defeated it, and 1T
is also true that there Wefe enough
Of Democratic members there to
have defeated the measure. The
fact is supported by the history Of
the affair, both parties, all parties,
were alike to blame for its passage.
IL IL with pride, however, that l
have 10 say with full Republican
delegation in Congress, Iowa east not
vote for the measure. ] am in
favor Of making an amendment To
the Constitution that no Congress
shall pass upon its own pay, that IL,
il should be put beyond its power. /
believe it can be remedied III that
way, and in no other,-that is the
kind Of provision we have in the
state Consultation I'll thiak the evil
can he remedied.
But suppose you had been elected
from the state Of Iowa by the Anti
Monopolists suppose you had been
there suppose my friend himself
had been there-cOuld he have done
anything more than 10 talk against it
and vote against it? What could he
do +? That Is all that was In the pow
or Of our members to do. lie could
have done no better than the Rppub-
lican members who were there. Now,
fellow-citiZens, my honorable friend
speaks Of ofiice-hoderS, and that is
the howl, Oilice-hoIaers ~ / don't
look at 1t in that light. This Is a
howl Of the men who want the Office
holders out and to get in themselves.
Now, what the people desire to
hear is something about the vital
questions Of the hour; 1t is that
which is of interest to us oil, and
to the people Of the West.
We are all interested in the question
If transportation. How can we Sc
cure to the people Of the West, this
agricultural people, the benefits OF
cheap transportation ? That is the
question OF the hour, and that is
what the people want to know SOME
thing uboiat, and that is what he has
said very little about. As ! under
stand the position of the two par
ties, the Republican party stands in
Il position where it can be Of more
service than the opposition. Why
You remember that, no longer ago
than in January or February last, at
the Autobiography meeting in Des
they voted down, as / under
stand it, q resolution saying that Con-
gress had the power to regulate com
merce between the States. Well,
the Republican party before that had
taken the position that the Transport
tation of freight by rail from State
to State was inter .State-cofnmerce---
that was the position. We know
the provision of the Constitution Is
that Congress shall have the power
to regulate commerce between the
States, and IL only could regulate 1t.
But they were not willing TO say
that. say now that the opposition
To the Republican party are not will
ing To subscribe to that doctrine, al
though they, in their platform in
this State, have passed a resolution
saying there should be the necessary
legislation by Congress and the
States. But what power will the
one or two men they may elect from
this State have there? They will be
either with the Republican party or
the Democratic party. Ii is in Con-
gress where the fight will be; il will
be between the great Democratic
party and the Republican party.
There is where tho contest must be,
in the Legislatures halls Of the ma
ton and how do they stand there?
Are they in favor Of tho regulation
of Interstate commerce by the Uni
ted States ? / wish to refer to their
position on the question. Here is a
resolution offered in the House of
Representatives on last February
9th /:
Resolution read declaring trans
portation of freight by railroads to
be Interstate commerce, and inter-
State commerce should be regulated,
md the citizens of the several States
should be protected from unjust dis
and that legislation to
that end waits necessary.
cI hnur did thn x,nfn ctan1 m,