The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-05-06

press the people, cannot under
stand. A short time since, the
democratic members of congress re
fused to vote tins annual appropri-
alton until certain concessions were
made by the party in power; they
were forced, however, to yield and
the appropriation was voted, and
actually large portion of the
press of our own party took issue
with our members in Withholding
the appropriation. For my part,
L should like to have seen them
stand there as firm as the granite
that supports the capitol and new
er, never have yielded.
If it had gone to the extreme as
predicted by the opposition, and
resulted in the total disbanding of
the army, do not believe it
would have resulted as disastrously
as many supposed, whom l hold no
higher in the scale of patriotism
than myself. In kingdoms and EN-
pires, standing armies are essential
to the maintenance of royalty and
despotism, but in this free country
of ours the people are the power,
and in times of war they will rise
as one man in their might and
fight for their country.
In republic there is nothing so
dangerous to the rights of the peo-
pie as standing army, and nothing
SO essential to the aintenance OF
the government as a well organized
militia. The late war has demon
strated that both north and south.
the citizen soldiery are not lacking
in efficiency, hardship and courage.
Many blood stained battle field at
tests the tact that their supcriors
have never been known; no, not
even by the Old Guard of Napoleon,
or the chosen columns of the Iron
Duke which were never known to
reel in the shock of battle.
Had my vote and voice the power
to regulate this evil, L should never
permit the army of the United
States to exceed in times of peace
10000 men, md even then the sala-
ries OF officers should be reduced to
correspond with corresponding la
Dor and public service rendered by
civilians. The idea of a general in
the army receiving a salary of $l3,-
500 per annum. a brigadier Sc, 300,
and a colonel $4,000, when the av-
erage producer who must pay these
enormous salaries, by the exigency
and hardship of the time, is barely
permitted to make ST. per day or
$500 per annum gross earnings, to
my mind is an anomaly in true re
publics and only paralleled by mon
arches and despotisms, where the
people have 40 voice and cannot
help themselves.
The history of the states of
South Carolina and Louisiana for
the past few years, and the scenes
enacted in and around Washington
City during the count of the last
electoral vote, demonstrated the fact,
that the army of the United States
has become a power to subserve
political purposes, and an engine in
the hands of politicians and bad
men destructive of the rights of the
states, and subversive of the con
stiJutiOnal guarantees to the people
to say how and by whom they shall
| be governed and how and for what
purposes their property shall be
used.
Pause and reflect for a moment.
Since the war there has been no
time in Presidential or state
elections involving a close party
contest when actual or threats of
military power has not either in
fuenced or decided the contest.
Witness Louisiana, Florida, South
Carolina and the Presidential count
of re. Whenever the civil becomes
subordinate to the military power
of this government, the difference
between this republic and the
n.onarchies of Europe ceases, save
in the perpetuity of the tenure of
office, which may at any time be-
come extinguished. The remedy
for this evil is the reduction of the
army in numbers, SO that at no
time it can by possibility become
superior to the civil power.
FINANCE AND TAXATION.
The long promised goal of Re-
sumption Of specie payment has at
last arrived, and is now in oper
alton throughout the United States.
To reach this goal, however, the
people Of this country have waded
through panics and strikes, through
insolvency and bankruptcy, through
the darkest and gloomiest days
financially ever known ia this age,
until the country has been so far de
pleted that there is hardly strength
left to enjoy its fruits,if fruits there
be- l know In my own knowl
edge many men IN this county who
in crossing this barren desert have
exhausted their energies and for
tunes and are now unable again to
recover that of which their own
government has robbed them
This TO day is one of the boosted
achievements of the republican
party.
Although resumption is an &C
complished fact, yet it no more fol
lows that the volume of the curren-
CIV should be reduced below the de-
mands of trade and supply of the
channels of commerce than that the
human system, restored to its nor
NAL condition, should be impoverish
ed in it's supply of blood necessary
TO supply the veins and arteries that
reach the limbs and extremities aud
supply bone and muscle. | believe
firmly in the principle that small
Uolune of currency, a high rate of taS
alton aad lou wages go hand IN hand"
1t is a singular but true state Of
facts that the whole volume of the
currency in the United States to-
day is not sufficient to pay the tax
es, Federal, state, county and mu-
nicipal. levied for and during the
year 1880.
Can anyone contend that this
volume is sufficient II is certain
liz never sufficient when inadequate
TO furnish the means to- pay the
revenue which is the life and sup
port of the government, or to sup