Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-08-27


ali. 1t is because the government taxes us
according to what we consume, and not IN
proportion to our ability to pay. Zap
plause.
They are paying $3.50, 100000 for pen
sions. One. third Of 1t comes from the South.
None of it comes back to us. It all goes
north, and those people get back what they
pay in and our share in addition, 40 there is
a constant drain upon the South to pay
these pensions in the North. In some OF
the northern districts, they get as much as
$3.50, 600 annually from pensions alone.
Why, it's another wheat crop. tLaughter.1
1t helps everybody and every business.
NOT COMPLAINING.
But am not complaining of pensions 1t
is right to paw pensions to all deserving dis
abled soldiers. We went into the war and
took all the risks. We we're beaten, and
are now taking the consequences. We have
no explanations to make and no regrets to
express, loud applause] but we ale not in
favor of pensioning every dead beat and
hummer that followed the federal army. Ii
is a long time since the war, but there were
260, 900 neao applications recently filed. L
sometimes wonder whether any individual
soldier escaped a rebel bullet. Laughter. ]
What law has the republican party ever
passed that benefits the farmer, or the me-
chanic or the laborer? or, in fact, anybody
else that was rot clamoring for some special
privilege or other? 1t is good democratic
doctrine that the least governed people are
the best governed people; and good dem
ocratic motto is: Equal rights to all and
special privileges to none. Loud applause.
IT'S FATHERS AND ITS CHILDREN.
The people of the East are not only the
fathers of this tariff legislation, but they are
it's children also. Laughter. You farm
ers come in somewhere as the STEP children.
[Renewed laughter.]
There is not dollar in the treasury but
comes from the pockets of the people. The
result is that the rich are growing richer
and the poor poorer every day. 1t seems
that on the theory of Alexander Hamilton,
which they often parade. that protection
stimulates competition and competition re-
duces prices-it would appear that it is
about time for this effect to be seen. But
here comes in another factor, and you hear
of combine to hold up prices. Production
is suspended, and the poor laboring mans
wages stop. He suffers and nobody else.
THE PEOPLE AROUSED.
The people of the country are waking up.
They are getting restless. The farmers of
the West, burning their corn for fuel, can't
be deceived much longer. The fat-frying
process of raising money, the distribution
of cabinet Offices in consideration of cam
paign. contributions, answered its purpose
in 1888, and you were defeated 10y the use
of this money, and Harrison was elected.
There has been great complaint that all the
promises of office have not been redeemed,
and that many who were promised places
did not get them. 1t is only fair to state
that BENJAMIN Harrison's relatives are not
complaining in this regard. Laughter.
But to obviate the trouble that threatens
them they have devised another scheme
which is expected to keep them in power
indefinitely.
THE FORCE BILL.
The Force bill is the worst scheme of par
tisan legislation imaginable. 1t provides
that your elections shall be held by U. S.
who appoint an indefinite num-
ber of q. s. deputy marshals, and a State
returning board to certify the returns. The
confusion and conflict of authority would
be interminable. In the present Congress
there were eighteen contests, and every one
was a republican contesting the seat of a
democratic member. He then reviewed the
action of the committee in the varions cases
already disposed of, and showed that for
partisan ends the present House was not de-
TERED By any consideration of law or evil
dence. The Force bill provided for troops
at the polls in anticipation of disorder, and
bayonets epcircle your ballot boxes before
a man had opened his mouth to cause a
disturbance. Then there were % pages of
the bill devoted to description of the vic
lations of the law, and the scheme was sys-
tematically devised to protect their own
rascals and at the same time punish any
democrats who violated any of the innumer
able provisions of the bill.
Judge Crisp made an elaborate erpoSe of
the unfairness and unconstitutionali'y of
the measure, and concluded by invoking a
careful consideration at the hands Of every
regardless of political affiliations, of
the condition of our country at this time.
Capitalization Of the government is en-
croaching upon State rights and Individual
liberty in manner which no party can
Justify. This is no time for dilly-dallying.
It is time for work-organized, concen-
trated effort. 1t is not enough to win, bat
pile up your majority and make it so over
powering that they will be too much awed
and cowed to attempt to cheat you out of
the result. Loud applause.]