The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1886-05-13
Legislature and Hard Time.


throughout the country. Strikes and
riots and murders are of frequent Qe-
currence. Hundreds and thousands
OF men and women are out of employ
ment. Men, women and children as
tramps and vagabonds are going to
and fro in the land begging, suffering
and stealing. This state of things has
been. on the increase for fifteen or
twenty years.
There is something wrong, The
body-politics, is diseased. Theseco
ditions do not exist in a healthy gov
ernment. The merest quack in poll
tics can see that the great national
body is diseased and has been dseas-
ed for number Of years. The symp-
toms indicate complaint of long du-
ration. They point unmistakably to
chronic trouble. They have their
origin in some slow, disorganized ele-
ment, which, like a malignant disease,
lurking i'll the system, may remain ap-
parenty quiet for years, because Of
the vigor and resisting power Of the
system, but which will sooner or later,
arrest its power in sapping the fouuda-
tions OF life. The riots and strikes and
poverty and suffering referred to, in
dicato that the poison, which at first
may have been local, has become gen.
eral, aud now permeates the whole
system. The physician in battling
with disease, aims to discover its cause,
and its nature. So it is the part Of
doctors to investigate the causes of
things If our political doctors were
worthy their degree, they would soon
see that the cancer, the malignant ul-
Ger that is gnawing at the vitals OF the
government and threatening the over
throw of our free institutions, by de-
ranging our financial, commercial and
social relations and by destroying that
confidence which is the basis Of pros
perity, is to be found, not altogether
in one single act, but in vicious sys-
tenn Of legislature, whose sole object
and tendency is, to take the property
out of the hands OF the toiling millions
and concentrate it in the hands of a
few. The tendency is to enslave the
many for the benefit of the few.
This is seen in the legislation on
bonds, banks and railroad and every.
thing else nearly, but especially and
prominently in the legislation on the
tariff born OF selfshness, and rocked
in the cradle of greed, the protective
tariff, is the "fOas et origo," of oul
present troubles; the Pandora's boy
out Of which flows as mighty river
the evils under which our country nov
groans.
Based or a false assumption, it is
the embodyment Of error, injustice
and financial blunders. That the gov
ernment should spend millions o
money and livers Of blood to free tn
negro, and then under the name Q
liberty, by acts Of legislation compe
14-45 Of the people to work a or !,
of the time for nothing, that the othe
1-15 may be enabled to carry on bus
mess, which they say is not self-sus
tanning, is marvellous indeed ye
this is protective tariff. The govern
ment says to IA unprotected men, yo
must give 40 per cent. OF your labor
one protected man, to enable him t
conduct business which he acknow
edges is not self-sustaining; whethe
true or not, that is the plea, TIL
principle of protection is this; ! e
into business, manufacturing, mil
ing or whatnot, confessing it will nj
pay so | just ask Congress to ia
others, (farmers mainly to support m
and my business, and give me SUI
port for which they get nothing in r
turn. Is it right? Common sens
says and justice answers no! ana yet
is done by the people themselve
through the men they send to Co
gress, so after all the people are r
sponsible for the heavy burdens
which they complain so under.
the sovereign people will investiga
this subject they will see the eau
and the remedy,
Your remarks Mr., Editor, last wet
about candidates keeping quiet till /
ter the August election, are just
the point, They can do no good
pressing into the field now, and m
do a great deal of harm. The Dem
Gratis in the 1st district should also
quiet ON the Congressional questi
tin after that time, There is til
enough. SULLIVAN
Senator Mitchell of PENNSYLVANIA