Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-08-28
SENATOR VESTS ST. LOUIS SPEECH.
Delivered August 1sth Before the
state Democratic Convention.

state democratic convention.
Mr.. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF
THE CoNvENTION-I am present in the
city of st. Louis upon this occasion tor
the purpose of advancing no private OF
personal interest whatever, but | am
here simply 70 meet my fellow demo-
Gratis of the state of Missouri to con-
suit as to the interests of the party for
the present and the future. | am only
sorry that the people of the eastern
states, particularly, could not look up
on this army of representative demo-
Gratis from "poor old Missouri" ="
[Cheers. l have read in this morn
ing's paper the announcement that the
81 per cent. bonds of ''poor old Mis-
souri," have sold at a premium of near
ly 3 per cent.-the largest sale ever
made Of state securities, bearing the
Union. Cheers This of itself is a
slanderers in our midst, the foul birds
that have dirtied their own nest. This
is sufficient answer to those who have
said that democracy had been an in
cubus upon the energies and develop
ment of this empire state of the west.
Missouri to-day stands fifth In the
galaxy of states, and in few years
will reach the head of that column.
Applause. And the democratic party
has administered its state affairs in such
fashion that to-day its securities stand
higher than those of any state from the
Pacific to the Atlantic ocean. APP
plause.
OUR DISTINGUISHED CHAIRMAN,
my fellow democrats, has outlined the
principles of our purity. 1t is not ne
cessary that democrats should come to-
gether in order to understand the great
living principles upon which the demo-
cratic organization is founded. We are
asked often by men who claim to be in
dependent in politics, "What is the diff
ference between the republican and
democratic parties3" 1t is as distinct
to-day as it was in the DAYS of Jeffer-
son and Hamilton. [Applause.l The
democratic party stands for the rights
of the states; the democratic party
stands for strict construction of the
constitution; it stands the great guar
dian for those constitutional limitations
which give to the individual citizen the
largest amount of personal and con-
stitutiOnal liberty. Great applause.
The party to which we are opposed is
the lineal descendant of the old federal
party, led by Alexander Hamilton,
which sought to strike down the dis
tinctiOn between state and federal pow
er and to substitute for the government
made by our fathers great monarchi-
cal. centralized, splendid government
at Washington, which, with paternal
power, should reach into every county
and township Of this Union and should
take the property OF the citizen and
every right of the citizen in order to
aggregate the national power. The
democratic party is based upon home
and individual right. 1t tappeals to
THE MOST SACRED AFFECTIONS
of the human heart. 1t tells the indi-
vidual, "You are free-free to follow
your own appetites and interests inso-
terests of your neighbor." We want
10 splendid, centralized national gov
ernment. We want the government of
the states. We want the dual govern
ment, which was made in the constitu
ton of '89, which marks out the dis
tinctive features of the state govern
ment and of the national government
80 distinctly that "the wayfaring map,
though fool, need not err therein"
[Applause.
Our chairman has alluded to the fact
that the late congress did not decrease
taxation. 1t was not the fault of the
democratic majority in the house of
representatives or OF democrats in the
senate. l am frank man, and shall
state frankly the reason why our de-
sire to reform the taxation of the coun-
try was not successful. Mr.. Randall,
of Pennsylvania, with thirty So called
democrats from the eastern states,
united with the republican party and
struck down the reform measure that
was introduced in the house by Nor
rison, Of Illinois. The democratic party
at Chicago had announced, and the
majority of our party have adhered to
the principle that not one dollar of ma
tional taxation, tariff or excise, should
be levied upon any citizen of the United
: .,tes beyond the necessities of the
government. And l stand here TO-DAY
and assert that doctrine. | say that the
imposition of one single dollar of ex-
else or tariff taxation over and beyond
the necessities of the government econ
Omically administered is
ROBBERY UNDER THE FORMS OF LAW.
(Cheers. say that the man, | care
not what he calls himself-although he
stands before the people and talks of
having drawn in democracy with his
mothers milk, of having been a demo-
crat from the cradle up-the man who
stands before the people and advocates
or tolerates for one single instant the
idea that the congress of the United
States can levy one dollar directly or
indirectly beyond the necessities of the
government is federalist in disguise
and belongs to the republican party.
Loud applause. Whilst we are not
able to crystalize in the legislation the
ideas l formulate here to-day, and
which the democratic party formulated
in Chicago, the great heart of the dem
ocrahc party Of the country to-day
beats responsive to that reform, which
will bring the taxation OF the country
down to the basis of the necessities of
the government Nor were we able either
to put into execution the idea that the
surplus i'll the treasury should be used
to pay the outstanding liabilities of the
government. There are $l36, ,OOO, 900
OF per cent. bonds of the government
OF the United States which are subject
to Immediate call and payment. The
other bonds OF the United States can
not be called in without paving a
premium until 1891. We attempted bv
the Morrison resolution, which passed
the house and received every democratic
vote IN the senate, to declare that the
secretary Of the treasury should apply
each month at least $4,000, 900 over
and above the 800 900 900 in gold kept
In the treasury under the legislation of
1872 to redeem the outstanding green
backs to the payment of the bonds now
subject to redemption. The republican
in the senate amended this
resolution by declaring that over and
above this SlOO,OO0, 900 kept to redeem
the greenback there should be work
ing surplus of $4,000 900, and in al
dition to this it should be discretionary
with the secretary OF the treasury
whether he should call i'll a single bond.
This amendment was adopted in the
sent back to the house and re.
luctantly adopted by that body and
sent to the president | am glad it did
not receive the executive sanction. IL
thank God here now to-day that it did
not receive the presidents signature as
it was
FORCED UPON THE HOUSE
by the dominant majority of the senate