Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1890-08-19

been no sacred right 81 flee neo1l 81
tssat has not been olated and
pied on Ia part by the iegfsla tion
which this party has passed ii the
last eighteen months. 70 the people
OF West Virginia and TO all free peo-
pie no issue can be superior in iIn-
portance to the issue Of taxation.
Along the line of resistance to excess
siVe taxation, all free government has
grown and developed ia this world.
Let me write for you the history of
taxation, and 1 will write for you the
history of all free government along
THE historical line Of descent For
over twenty-five years the American
people have submitted, not without
complaining, to system of taxation
that not only is a grievoas burden
but it leads to every invasion Of the
rights OF the people. The statements
or the Secretary of the Treasury show
that in the past ten years the Ma
tional Government has gathered into
its Golfers the enormous sum of thir-
ty-six hundred million dollars
Twice and more than twice in the
last ten years has every dollar of
currency, every dollar Of silver and
gold, and every dollar Of promise
that represents silver and gold gone
from the pockets of the American
people to pay the taxation imposed
by their Government. FeHow-citi
zens, 1 give you as the result of my
experience that the most important
question before the people to-day is,
where did this great sum come from.
We hear to-day of the national gov
eminent making appropriations of
millions of dollars and casting them
here and there, as if Che money came
from the skies above, or the earth
beneath or the waters under the
earth, and not from the pockets of
the people. FeIIow-cittzens, this
great United States is. a pauper. 1t
has not a dollar except what it draws
from the pockets of the people. 1
need not say to you men of West
Virginia, that the people have no
money except as the product of their
labors. When the government takes
money from the people, it is taking
away the products of their labors,
and of the lhirty-six hundred million
dollars which, the government has
taken from the people in the past
ten years, over one Thousand million
of this was subplus and was unneces-
sary expenditli re. When the present
Congress met he rerssz--ssof the Sec
rotary of tile5E asury showed SUI
Plus of S1o53O 1000, A surplus OF
$92, 900 900 1Es estimated for the
coming gear That surplus has van
ished. Never again will it be called
into discussion in this country
When the Republican party had an
opportunity to work its own sweet
will, under its own sweet rules, the
surplus vanished forever spent,
squandered and dissipated in unne-
cessary and corrupt legislation.
! Applause. Mr.. Wilson then launch
ed into a strong discussion of the
tariff question, paying particular at.
tention to the wooden and tin plate
schedule, and holding the rapt atten,
ton of his audience. In conclusion
he said: Grover Cleveland once
said that it was proud thing to bt
a Democrat. [Applause. So to
day feel that when the defiani
hosts of trusts, and monopolies, ant
sectionalism, and class legislation are
1 narshaling themselves unders tReil
hannting banners to defeat and crust
out the masses of the people, it is
proud thing to be Democrat. ZAP
| plause. 1 want you to feel tina
you all havesa grand work. Iswant
these grand old counties of Taylor
aud Putnam, and Upshur, and IA.
nawha, and all the others whose ban
ners see before me to join in gen
erous rivalry, each striving to outwt
the others, to uphold the grandeur OF
their Democracy, to beat back those
hosts of oppression, and save the
heritage of the people" [Applause.
THE PLATFORM.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Wilson :
address, the Committee ON ResoIu-
lions announced that it was ready to
report. Ex-senator Henry c. Davis
was chairman, and in presenting the
report made a short address. The
platform was read by Hon. Geo. W
Tippett as follows:
TAs Democracy of West Virginia. in conver.
ton assembled congratulate the people thnt,In