Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1890-09-03

that it was easier TO speak for another than
ones self. easier 10 speak from the head than
from the heart His present nomination
was peculiarly grateful, because It came as
the spontaneous unasked action OF the Dem
ocrats of the district He had purposely re-
Trained from making any canvass or sollclta-
ton. because he thought after the honors ne
had received it might seem selfish in him to
ask for more and also because rs 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 longer contln-
uance in public life. . =
81 am not growing uneasy" he said, "oi
this fight for right and principle. L do not
lose heart or hope in the struggle, for know
that the fight for free government has been
a long and weary one. The forces arrayed
against it are the strongest that influence
men in the world-the forces of selfish
ness. The Democratic party is the national
and inconyertabe enemy of these forces.
II can never make truce or alliance with
them. for it appeals to no mans personal
interests. It aims and struggles to secure
the same laws, the same rights, the same OPP
portunities to all citizens. In the last cam
paign il had to encounter the forces or sell
fshness and the forces of sectionslism.
Before this unholy alliance it had met
temporary defeat. but had forthwith renewed
the contest with courage as high as the great
stakes involved. The assault on free gov
eminent came here, az in all ether countries,
through the power of taxation. Our fathers
understood this and acted upon it. 1t was
wealthy English farmer who raised the nag
of rebellion against one king rather than
pay ont of his wealth few shillings OF ship
money illegally levied upon him. 1t was
wealthy Virginia farmer who raised the flag
ofrebellion against another king rather than
paw out of his wealth few dollars stamp
tax illegally exacted of him. The names OF
John Hampden and George Washington are
the great kindling names of our history be-
cause they saw that with q little taxation
men might lose a great deal of liberty.
Great and merciess as is the existing sys-
tenn of taxation in thiScountry, its effect on
the liberties of the people must be consider
ed as more disastrous than its weight OF
pecuniary exactions. twas almost certain
that every dollar in circulation in the coun-
try was in the course of year taken from
the people in the way of taxes, of which one
fourths goes into the treasury and three
fourths in the pockets Of the benehclares
under the tariff.
But the most dangerous and inevitable
effect of SUCH system is that, while 1t takes
from the men of this generation their prop
erty. it takes from their children the price
less heritage of liberty. Democratic govern
ment meant opportunity it meant an equal
start in life for every youth. 1t holds out
to every man the highest and nObest OF all
incentives to effort, the assurance that under
free government and equal laws the prizes
in life are open to all and are the sure re-
ward of merit and effort. Democratic gov
eminent permits no man to shift his burdens
to another.
The party in power to-day seeks to make
the government 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 and poverty, and it relies upon those
whom it thus favors to give it the victory III
its political battles. Could any man see this
power exercised, as it 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 filched
from him? Could the farmer, the mechanic,
the miner the freeman anywhere see un-
moved the loss of the best heritage he could
hope for, his children, fair start and an
equal opportunity in life with every other
mans children. Aud who can be so blind
as not to see that SUCH is the sure and speedy
result of system of taxation that gathers
the wealth that all produce into the hands
of few, and thus insure to the few perpet-
ual central of government for their perpet-
ual increase in wealth and power? How
long will it be before they likewise own and
guard the avenues of advancement in life,
which our fathers have struggled to keep
open to all? :,
This is no mere cry Of alarm. II is all
illustrated and emphasized hundred times
over in the history of the present House of
Representatives. We have seen the parlia-
mentary rules of q hundred years swept
aside. We have seen the Speaker count a
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 hare seen this overthrow
of parliamentary law Immediately used to
rob the House, the only branch of our gov
eminent were the people are Immediately
represented, of its traditional character as 4
deliberative body, and measure after meas
ure hurried through without debate or OPP
portunity 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 presi
Dental election.
The browning infamy of this chapter of
legislation was the force bill, which in cold
blooded atrocity and infinite cunning Of de-
tail had no parallel, and marked the latest
and boldest effort of capital, protected cap.
ital, to confirm its absolute power over the
labor of the country. | hope to be able to
discuss these questions with you more in
detail than on this occasion and than in any
previous campaign. | have said to all who
have asked me to speak in other parts Of
the country that my duty is with my own
people who have honored me as no other
West Virginia Representative was ever be-
fore honored, and | want you all to under
stand that shall labor earnestly and faith
fully to deserve the confidence and esteem
you have 50 generously and repeatedly Civ
en- me.
Gen. Catchings was next introduced, and
he, too, was greeted with right royal re-
ception. He served with distinction in the
Confederate army, and has represented his
district several terms in Congress He is
much interested in the pending Conger
90 4