Vicksburg weekly herald., 1877-10-12

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lslalive and the Judicial power separ-
ate and clothed with authority for Itself
for the frst time, I say, the tide
water which had set iD, was felt in the
presence OF that House Of Representa-.
lives. Applause. For the frat time,
too, when that House assembled, you
heard that The people, speaking through
their Representatives, demanded that
the officers Of the Government should
feel that they had 9 responsibility 10
the people whom they represented.
For sixteen years the great heads Of De-
partments ct Washington held absolute
sway with the millions Of your money
which had been appropriated 10 carry
them on, and though the country at
large labored under the impression that
great wrongs had been perpetrated in
these Departments, it was only when
the first session Of the Forty.fourth
Congress assembled that the Demo.
cratic House opened the eyes Of the
country to the great corruption which
had grown and increased and strength
ened until we felt that the rights of the
people were no longer consulted or
respected by their rulers. Applause. ]
We demanded 10 know what had be-
come of the great amounts Of money
which had been paid to the Federal
Government by the people Of the cOun.
try for, remember that, as great as
your country is, there is not dollar in
your National Treasury that does not
come from the pocket OF the taxpayer.
[ Applause.
| look in wonder and astonishment
at what has been effected in your re-
gion of county. Ours suffered by the
unfortunate institution of carpel-bag-
gers that repressed industry, the ener-
gies of the people, drove hope from
their hearts, and threatened 10 faston
upon US q system Of Government
which we never could get rid OF. Al.
though we have suffered, at last the
true, real people OF the country, the Ia
borers, the muscle, bone and sinews Of
the country, have arisen in their might
and driven them from power, and
once again our people have the Gov.
ernment of our States in their own
control.
That which affected us has also ef-
fected other Nations. II has been
iereshadowed, not by our own states.
men, but by those to whom am OPP
posed. 1t will be remembered that
Mr.. Dawes introduced bill proposing
10 lay $40,0O0000 more of Federal
taxes on the people, in order TO pro-
tect the credit Of the Government.
You will remember that fellow-Re-
publican, Judge Kelley, Of Pennsyl.
vania, arose in his seat in Congress
and said q people that are unable to
buy the necessaries of life are unwill.
ing to stand further taxation lap
plausel for the day on which he said
that, February 27, 1875, there was
million and a half of laboring men at
the North out of employment whose
labor is worth q dollar and half a
day. "Ohw said he, "on the first
five days of the week In which | spoke
TO you, forty-one strong, stout laboring
men applied for admission TO the
Work.house, in order to escape the
dreadful slternative of starving or
stealing" This was the sentiment OF
the Republican party upon the
proposition to increase the taxes
which had already become so
burdensome that, including State, coun-
ty, municipal aud Federal taxation, II
had swollen to such q magnitude as it
would, to express 1t as q reverend friend
of mine did, almost bankrupt the null
tiplication table TO tell you what 1t is.
Before the war, we knew not the Fed
eral Government in the shape of the
taxing power. All the taxes we ever
paid to the Federal Government, we
paid In the shape of income duties upon
goods brought from foreign countries.
But how changed the scene has become
Now, every single article Of consump-
tion is doubled, and the Assessor
meets you at one corner Of the street
and the Collector at another.
1t turns out now, by the admissions
of the Republican party, that this i'm
mense amount Of taxes, which for six
teen years ycu have paid, was not nee.
essary for the honest administration OF
the Government. The Democratic
Representatives OF the Forty.iourth
Congress reduced the appropriations
from sixty 10 forty millions, and yet we
have carried on the Government. Ap.
plaus j And so with reference TO 9th.
er Investigations. And you must re.
member when we commenced these in.
vesligations we commenced with hos
tile President in Office aud hostile heads
OF Departments. The Republican
newspapers, after we had been In ses-
sion three months, said, "They have
been in session three months, aud have
accomplished nothing" but yet little
while longer they sald we had been In
session quite long enough, and they
we're tired of the investigation. Ap.
plause. No wonder! Because, in ev'
cry Department of the Government We
found there had been illegal expendi'
lures of the peoples money.
say this legislation which has thus
fostered the bondholder you have been
called upon to sustain, and you have
been asked to sustain the authors OF II
In those extraordinary expenditures
which, by the report Of the Treasurer
have been wholly unnecessary, and II
| the FOrty-fOurth Congress could have