The Hazlehurst signal., 1885-10-29
MAI. BARKsDALE'S SPEECH .
The Courthouse Crowded With latent and
EntLusisstic LlstencTs.

hear him. We are sorry that we did
not get tie speech in full, a. IL de-
serves the widest circulation. We
can merely give synopsis Of the prih-
cipal points touched upon.
lie was introduced by 10 Purscr,
Esq. chairman Of the county cXecu..
tive committee, who made especial
mention OF Mai. Barksdalc's defence
of the people OF Copiah when unjustly
and falsely assailcd 10y her enemies.
Mai. Barkslalc in commencing his
speech, said that N defending tine
people of the county from tire malig..
nant assaults If her enemies. hc had
but performed n grateful duty, and
hoped that his right arm would forget
i,scunningand his tongue cleavc TO the
roof Of his iaouth ere &c proved so
faithlcss 10 his trust rs TO remain si.cE'
when he should speak ir their behalf.
He congratulated the people Of the
county on the establishment Of good
government, and sGid that 'hc seasons
might be ever ~ proriti0us, The people
ever so Industrious and tie soil cvcrso
productive, but there could he no gem
uine prosperity unless heir local gov
crnmcnt was ,urc and honest.
lie cpoke o; the questions with when
nc would be required IL deal in his
capacity NJ Representative, aHd Of the
issues upon which the sovereign people
had rendered judgment in their prcsi
dental election. They had decided
that the sectional agitation which had
bccn kept alive tor sd nany years by
thc republican leaders ahOGld cease.
The democratic parry lad planted it.
sell upon the broad nationn. doctrine
that IN IA common country, tl'erc should
DC no North nor South except as geo.
srarhical designations, and was
pledged tc lcgislatc Ter ,ht good of all
sections. II tho colCrcd people had
been Lrludcd into tie belief that their
right, had been impcrillcd by demo
cratic success. that dcluSion had been
lispcllcd. lie alluded especially IT,
the emigration cf the colorel people
soluc Years cgo under ihc dclusion
tlct they were the victims ci some
.rcat Imaginary wrongs, but when
the arrived in Kansas among their
pretended friend, they were received
coldly and NO, given office. but were
even denied the poor boon of employ
mcnt 10y which 10 earn their living.
MANY OF them had found graves in the
land of the stranger and oilers had
returned To Mississippi convinced that
their best homes and their best friends
, were in the South.
lie alluded to the scheme of the re-
publican leaders to keep alive sectional
strife despite the popular verdict. and
to their threat io reduce the rcprc>cn-
,ation of Tie Southern States in the
electoral college and in congress. ana
said il was madness of dc,pCra,ion:
that tie southern democracy would
not be- driven from their pr0priciy,
but wOuld continue 10 know nothing
but the Constitution ard their duty aS
true aud faithful citizens Ofa common
country.
/ l.r ,ai;l the election was Il decision
that the oppressive taxes collected un-
/ der the war tariff should be- reduced.
Tint the intcrnu, revenue taX--ihc tax
on spirits and toharcu--yicldS more
than slpp Geo. yuG Ui revenue annually;
that 10 repeal it wDU!l ncccssi,sir the
continuation oi the t'IN on the ncccs>il-
rics OF life, and th,i hr was in,,vor Of
"A reasonable tax Oh >acii "luVurir>'
as spirits, etc, and the lowest pos
siblc tax on SIcl. ncC"ssarics IL cloth
ing, tools, machinery, etc.
He said the election wiS Il decision
in favor of the democratic doctfiuc
that legislation should tend 10 The
equitable distribution of property aud
the prevention Of monopoly. Thai tlc
national platform which the people
had endorsed, declared in favor o! the
stric, enforcement of individual rigii:,
against corporate aggression, and
cited the State platform, that cOrpoin.
tion, are supcrviSahlc by legislative
authority for the protection e! the pcO-
pie. lie defined the difference be-
tween State and Interstate conf
mcrcc, and spoke of the measures that
had been introduced in congress Ia
carry into execution the authority
conferred upon ii 10y the Constitution
To regulate commerce among the
States. He said that in consequence
of the failure ol ihc two houses Of con-
grcsS io agree. the question was still
open; and expressed the opinion that
in the combat between the people and
the corporations, the people would
win; that their course was just and
the Constitution had placed II weapon
OF defence and assault in their
hands.
lie explained the provisions of what
j. known as the Blair educational bill
and referred To it, endorsement by the
State democratic convention aud it,
resolution requesting the Senators and
Representative Of the State To sup
port it. and that his Judgment taught
him that he should do 50; with the
distinct understanding, however, that
the exclusive management Of the fund
should bc contided TO the State as in
the case of the State University and
the \. IL NJ. College, both of which
were founded upon donations by the
federal government.
lie regretted the determined effort
that IL being made to cOntravcnc the
democratic platform declaring for
''hOucst money consisting of gold and
silver or paper convertible into coin. y
II was scheme to eliminate the silver
dollar from the monetary system of
the county. IL was sprung on the eve
OF the adjournment of the last congress
and was rejected by decided vote.
Silver, he said, was dcmonrtiscd by
the act of 1874. Ii was restored To
its legal tender functions in 1878; and
though the law of 1873 had been fol-
lowed by the most bcncicicnt results,
making the resumption of special pay
ments possible and preventing the de-
probation Of grcenbacks; and though
all the predictions of evil that its OPP
pOsers had indulgcd had been falsilled,
agitation for the suspension of it,
cninnWn Ind hnen renewed. and that