Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-09-03
Speech of Hon. Tm. L. Wilson, Of W. Va
when nominated for reelection.

speech accepting the nomination and ex-
pressing his obligations for the honor, he
spoke as follows, as reported by cores
pendent Of the Bale. Sum-
Mr.. Wilson began his speech by saying
that it was easier to speak for another than
ones self, easier to speak from the head
than from the heart. His present nomina-
ton was peculiarly grateful, because it came
as the spontaneous, unasked action of the
democrats OF the district. He had purpose
ly refrained from making any canvass or
solicitation, because he thought after the
honors he had received it might seem selfish
in him to ask for more, and also because as
many of his intimate friends present knew
he had had the most difficult and painful
question of his life to decide whether duty
to his own household would permit his long
er continuance in public life.
NOT GROWING UNEASY.
81 am not growing uneasy" he said, "of
this fight for right aud principle. do not
lose heart or hope in tho struggle, for I
know that tie fight for free government has
been long and a weary one. The forces
arrayed against it are the strongest that in
fuenee men in the world-the forces of
selfshness. The democratic party is the
national and inconvertable enemy Of these
forces. 1t can never make truce or alliance
with them, for it appeals to no mans per-
sonal interests. 1t aims and strugglers to
secure the same laws, the same rights, the
same opportunities to all citizens. In the
last campaign it had to encounter the forces
of selfishness and the forces of sectionalsm.
ONLY TEMPORARY DEFEAT.
Before this uuhcly alliance it had met
temporary defeat, but had forthwith re-
newed the contest with courage as high as
the stakes involved. The assault on free
government came here, as in all other cOun-
tries, through the power of taxation. Our
fathers undertook this and acted upon it. It
was a wealthy English farmer who raised
the flag of rebellion against one king rather
than pay out of his wealth few shillings
of ship-money illegally levied upon him. 1t
was wealthy Virginia farmer who raised
the flag of rebellion against another king
rather than pay out of his wealth few dol
lars stamp-tax illegally exacted of him. The
names of John Hampden and George Wash
ington are the great kindling names of our
history because they saw that with little
taxation men might lose great deal of
liberty.
MRRCILESS TAXATION.
Great and merciless as is the existing sys-
TEN of taxation in this country, it's effect on
the liberties of the people must be consid-
cred as more disastrous than its weight of
pecuniary exactions. 1t was almost certain
that every dollar in circulation in the coun-
try was in the course Of a year taken from
the people in the way of taxes, of which
one fourth goes in the pockets of the bene-
fciaries under the tariff.
THE MOST DANGEROUS EFFECT
But the most dangerous and inevitable
effect of such system is that, while it
takes from the men of this generation their
property, it takes from their children the
priceless heritage of liberty. Democratic
government meant opportunity it meant
an equal start in life for every youth. 1t
holds out to every man the highest and
noblest of all Incentives to effort, the assur-
ance that under free government and equal
laws the prizes 10 life are open to all and
are the sure reward of merit and effort.
Democratic government permits no man to
shift his burdens to another.
A MACHINE FOR GATHERING WEALTH..
The party in power to-day seeks to make
the government a machine for gathering
wealth for favored classes, not the common
and equal protector of all classes. 1t gives
to the government the power of dealing out
riches ard poverty, and it relies upon those
whom it thus fsyors to give it the vic
tory in its political battles. Could auy man
SOC this power exercised, as il is to day, to
make the masses of the people tributary to
corporate centralized wealth without seeing
also that his liberties as well as his money
are flched from him? Could the farmer,
the mechanic, the miner, the freeman any
where, see unmoved the loss of the best heri-
tage he could hope for his children, fair
start and an equal opportunity in life with
every other mans children? And who can
be SO blind as not see that such is the sure
and speedy result of a system Of taxation
that gathers the wealth that all produce in
to the hands of a few, and thus insures to
the few perpetual control of the govern
msnt for their perpetual increase in veal tn
aud power? How long will it be befo re
they will likewise own and guard the ave.
nues of advancement in life, which our faith
ers have struggled to keep opeu to all?
NO MERE CRY OF ALARM.
This is no mere cry of alarm. Il is all
illustrated aud emphasized a hundred times
over in the history of the present House of
Representatives. We have seen the parlia-
mentary rules of a hundred years swept
aside. We hsve seen the Speaker count
quorum by method which he himself had
declared unconstitutional, which the great
est Speaker of his party-Mr. Blaine-had
declared to be ripe with scandal and fraud /;
which the greatest debater of his party, Mr..
Garfield, had declared to be full of error
and uncertainty. We have seen this over
throw of parliamentary law Immediately
used to rob the House, the only branch of
our government where the people are i'm.
mediately represented, Of its traditional
character as deliberative body, and meas
ure after measure hurried through without
debate or opportunity for examination, all
having one end in view-the increase of
burden On the people for the benefit of those
who invested their means in the lottery of
the last presidential election.
THE GROWING INFAMY.
The croypinp ipfamy of this chapter of