The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1888-02-24
THE INTERN REVENUE.
Voice from Guiiford County Speaks
Against Repeating 1t.
Especial Cor STATE CHRoNICLE.l


OAh RIDGE INSTITUTE, Feb. IS, 'SS.-An
amount has been said through Your col
umns, and the columns of other leading
Democratic newspapers, about the advisa
bilty of aboliShiug the tax on fruit bran
dy. | have patiently waited for some one
else to expose the falacy of that policy of
the party. | have hesitated to step forth
from the school room and attempt to play
the ROLE of politician or statesman. But
the pressure is too strong, and | must
speak out III meetin'.'
have been Il Democrat ever since | was
81 years of age am a Democrat from
principle, as | have never sought Office of
any kind at the hands of the party. | am
Il Democrat from conviction too, since the
Influences thrown around my early life
were on the other side of the scale, (my
father being strong Union man. and
a staunch Republican lam a Democrat
because | have always believed in the
great principles which underlie it. am
a Democrat because to me it has always
seemed that Democracy was a friend Of
the masses of my cOuntrymen. 1t was
Democracy to which the people looked for
succor III the hour of despair, when war
had glutted himself to safety on our for
tunes. and had left us homeless and desti-
tute. 1t was Democracy that cleared our
skies. rebuilt our homes, regathered our
Scatt cred fortunes, and infused new life
into the veins Of our people. 1t was De
mocracy that reestablished our schools
that spread the silken sail and piled the
golden oar of a commerce, which has no
! parallel in our past history. 1t was De-
/ mocracy that walked us from our rip
| Van Winkle' sleep, and set US to throb-
| bing with the new life of to-day.
That the Internal Revenue law, with its
| system Of espionage, together with the
/ fact that it Is a war tax, is in some re
spects odious, | shall not attempt to deny.
| But why in the name of craftsmanship
and humanity shall We clamor for a worse
condition of things: Why shall the Demo
cratic party clamor for free brAndy! Isn't
/ it an insult to the higher instincts of hu-
manity to be found in the Democracy of
North Carolina to intimate that its perpe-
tuity depends on free brandy: The party
of morality, the party of education, the
| party representing the highest degree of
| Christian civilization in the South can't
live without giving its members free bran
dy. Then let it die decently. Better, a
thousand times better decent, honorable
death, than for it to become the avoWed
enemy of reform. and to lead a bloated
life Every educator in North Carolina
knows that even day, with all the re
StrlctlOnS WnlCn DOI0 state ana NaIlOna
law afford, the greatest enemy to the so
cial, mental, and moral development o
his students is intemperance. Take away
all restrictions, turu every spring branch
through still house, darken every SKY
with the smoke of its torment, conver
every hovel into a saloon, and then, if yol
can, calculate the downward plunge O
our State.
The people do not want the tax on frui
brandy. repealed. We are Of the people
from the people, aud among the people
and we have yet to hear the first goot
citizen speak in favor of it. Shall we ca
ter to the demand of a vicious and ignor
ant element of the party, and lower tha
banner which has been our pride and hop
till il trails in dust and filth. No, rathe
let it wave triumphantly, honorably, glo
riously, inscribed with the story of othe
reforms The people may be silent now
but they MAY speak when it is too late fo
the party to make amend. Let ''p;haa
vestigla retrorsum" be the motto r.nd y
party. And when the tax on FRY, h,. +he
; is repealed, if it shall be repei1 rep.eiornont vii
Democratic party, fathf, narant a,umt. whose
be forever estranged frs ra"ao paao"'
misdeeds are beyond 1foe.1fanHe' %,e@ra IL Ho,r