Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-28

labor in its relations to capital. He stands
squarely on the Shelby county platform,
and triumphantly vipdicates it from the
aspersions OF the enemies OF Democracy. In
the course of his speech, which was nearly
two hours in length, he said:
COL PATTERsoN's SPEECH.
dy InsS s9i in the coSntrs that there was no power
In the government, either State or national 70 re-
lieve them from the obligation OF honest toll and
workingmen do not fully realize this fact or that
they are so silly to believe, or any one is 50
be relieved by legislation from this obligation.
There is no honest, manly rest from labor except
that which results from the enjoyment Of its pro-
ducts If there is principle better established
than any other in our American system, 1t is the
fundamental doctrine that government was lnsti-
tuted by the consent OF the governed and ior me
equal protection and benefit of all the people. 1t
is from this doctrine Of equahty that the
Democracy draws its vital breath, its noolest in
spirations. 1; is from this standpoint that 1t de-
nounces and sturdily opposes on the one hand all
rich at the expense of labor The poor have no
better right to the palaces of the rich than the
It is honorable and commendable to
accumulate wealth by honest mean To do SO
should and il does inspire laboring men not only
with respect, but with a manly purpose TO emu
late and initiate their more fortunate fellow-cit-
zens such examples have the effect TO produce
the happiest results in developing our national
character. Where the race OF life is open 70 all
that il is his own fault that he does not keep up
with his neighbors, while he who takes the lead is
dignied and inspired by the consciousness thar he
has achieved an honest success in the honorab e
exercise of his own manly powers. what man
has done, man can do again, is the motto of men
accustomed to toll in a free country. The toilers
do not envy the rich distinguished. and neither
do the rich or distinguished despise them While
the toilers look up with confidence to the hight
which honest effort may attain, those who have
attained the hight look back with pride 10 labor
the means by which they aScended. II is
obvious that in race like this, where government
is equally just to all men, that none will become
so rich and none SO poor as to endanger the we'll
being OF society or the general prosperity to all
The diffusion of wealth in such state of society
in obedience to law of nature will seek its level
In government like this the common people
would reign, and the disintegration of the middle
class, the stay of all free countries would be i'm
possible. 1t is here where society finds absolute
monster begotten by oppression, and which France
wfs incubating for thousand years. The law of
compensation Is apparent everywhere, not only in
nature, but IN governments The excuses OF the
red-handed commune in France were only equal
to the cruelties and atrocities by which it was
brought about Il was a fearful protest
which humanity made against oppression.
While we recoif from the social monsters
us not forget the frightful exacuons on the labor
of France which made these monsters possible.
For two years we have been RECALLED almost daily
with an account of the excuses and wrongs of the
people of Ireland. If these excuses have been
which produce them are extreme. The enlight-
ened judgment of the world can come to but one
conclusion, and that is that all the dis
been produced by the wrongful exactions
to fill the Golfers of the privileged few. Convert
Ireland into State of the American Union, and
apply to her social system the doctrines incul-
Gated by Thomas Jeffais3n, and there would 9 an
would be impossible in the very nature OF
like social disorder to exist ST., in , a
country OF equal lights snd equal Laws h
bedrock doctrines of Democracy, that all malad-
ministration of government, aud that all privi-
ment any class OF citizens, is inherently wrong
and pernicious directly tending to social dis-
measures OF reprisal and retaliation When aggre-
gated capital Influenced Congress to donate the
public domain, which was the property of the
people, to privileged corporations it became the
unrighteous instrument by which capital was in.
creased in the hands of the few at the expense of
the many. The gain made by capital in the hands
of the fsW was compensated by corresponding
exection on the labor of the many, which took
upon itself burden exactly equal to this unnat-
ural increase OF capital. Exemptions from taxa
cbalters Of incornorated companies Sonsiitute
SO many exactions on labor. They are exRctions
are not so fortunate. The expenses OF government
must be paid, and just in proportion as aggregated
capital is freed from its share of the BURDEN Just
to that extent is labor which produces all values
compelled to make up the deficit Railroad incor-
istence is a privilege conferred by the people.
They quasi public institutions, and exist be-
cause il Is supposed the privileges conferred in
will do the public. When justly managed they
are profitable to the 1ncorporators and blessing
10 the state. But when they pass into the hands
of arrogant pitaists, who run them exclusively
for their own interests and damn the public while
doing it, then they become extortioners and rob-
bers, and the labor OF the people should be re-
neved from their unholy exactiSns by wise legis-
laton. Why lis it...that the people OF Memphis
were so lothe TO pay TO pay taxes the old city
government? Was it not a kind of social disorder,
ES deef W % shn gea asf Mr md
that the taxes levied to pay it were so many ex-
who have purchs sed these bonds on speculation ?
Does not this inquiry apply with renewed force TO
minds of the people of Tennessee a tendency TO
commun gun, what would contribute more to such
which Inspired the passage of the one-hundred-
three bill and the sixty-and-six settlement in de-
take root in this republic, it will because OF the
methods by which within the last twenty years
the few have been made enormously rlch and the
many have been forced TO struggle for existence.
Who ever heard of such vast accumulatons of
wealth in the days of Polk and jackson? Whe
ever heard of the discussion of the commune in
reference to American politics before the war? 1t
is impossible for such ideas to take root in the
minds of Tennesseans or anybody else as long as
the truths of Democracy are taught and enforced.
Is there any one in this latitude who viii serious
legislation in the interest of corporations has not
contributed and greatly contributed to the abnor-
NAL wealth we see on the one hand and the abuor-
NAL poverty on the other? Is there any one here
who will seriously argue that the protective tariff
same result7 Interest could not be made
on money in the latitude of Tennessee
to iegstees and distributes. and even guardians
from accounting for war interest TO orphan chill
dren. Where is the man who will face the public
conscience with an argument that it was just 10
bonds bearing six per cent Interest? was this
not exaction on the part OF the capital invested
in these bonds upon the labor of our people?
Where is the Tennessean who will say that it was
right in 1863 to pass law at the instigation of
LOBBY 0rgsai1ea ~ Ine b by the0
the State in bonds issued by her unworthy agents
is the product of labor does 1t not follow night
follows the day that here is wrong done to
labor2 1t is obvious TO every rejecting mind
State or national, is fruitful of exactions which
go to the unrighleous increase of apial at the
pense of labor. Having reached this conclusion,
we are prepared to see the wisdom of the Shelby
Democracy when it went back to first principles,
and in direct language declared in favor of
shaping legislation to protect labor against those
exactions. If an equal chance in the race of life
diffuses wealth ANA has tendency to produce that
state of afhirs where none are too rich and none
are too poor" which philosophers well states
men re5ard ss most conducive TO the happiness
and W,li-being of society," then why should not the
Shelby Democracy denounce those methods which
haye for twenty YEARS Impoverished and disheart-
issue false the repeal of the four
mile law should be rendered at this crisis to the De-
mocracy by pretended Democrats, who are bent on
its defeat. The summary manner in which that
issue was disposed of not only here but elsewhere
other pFetezt for opposition in this county. The
fact that two colored men were placed on the
and the charge that the Democracy had made an
Hnholy alliance with the Low tax Republicans
H2s rang all over the State. The more this ALI
apoe was ventilated, the more apparent did it
become that the ALLIANCE was grounded on pTinci-
pie, and that il met with very general approval.
The result was that the two polorad men hAve
become the fayorites of our opponents, and on
Tsfection they discover that it is the white men
scratch. The colorline having been abandoned,
they are driven 10 the alternative of attack
ing in some other quarter, and
our platform, after passing unnoticed
fer three weeks. looms up as the Pandora's box
containing all that is evil and pernieious in poll
tics We are glad that, after a careful scrutiny,
these guardians of Gould and Vanderbilt find that
chief among our shortcomings is the sin OF having
expressed the opinion thai society is better Off
when s,none are too rich and none are too poor"
Sccompauied with the declaration that We are in
favor OF projecting labor from the exaotions of
capital" 1t Is gratifying to know that IN race
Isaieaisna in Chiefly gOzIty, its allies from
our own household can ind no better pretext for
barking at our heels.
south Carolina. Democrats Are Opposed