The progress., 1891-03-07

them, have lost all. at the next session
OF the Legislature the invalidated bonds |
| being by another act validated arair
Now, do not speak forevery south.
ern state, for plead ignorance as to
the exact form of robbery practiced
by most OF them, But this case isnot
q Hypothetical one; it is taken from
the records of the courts and the leg
isiature or South Carolina during the
recent past. Who wants to come to
county or afown where, because he
is hwede, German, an Englishman.
an Irlshman a Frenchman, or Yam.
kee, the tax assessor assesses his prop
erty on account of his nationality or
his politics. And yet, Mr.. Chairman,
there IS q case where Union soldier,
because he was a Yankee, was out
la5cously overtaxed by local asses
! sor; because he braved the dangers of
a battlefield and exposed his breast to
the ul st OF the traitor his property
was usrageously assessed by local
assessor not twelve years ago.
MIR. Chairman, not even five years
ago, but in the near past this has been
done-in my e.county. One Of our
largest merchants was outrageously
nelghbors. What think you? A letter
was unearthed, written by the local
assessor to a member of the state
board of rebatement Of taxes, stating
that the taxpayer was q Yankee and
for that reason he was overassessed
and for that reason the county officer
asked that the abatement should not
be allowed. The person alluded to is
Capt. n. Christensen, of the town of
Beaufort, S. c.
And yet, Mr. Chairman, when the
guardians OF the peace OF our country,
when the guardians of our homes,
when the natural protectors OF the
rights of American citizens formulate
n law for the betterment of the condi-
tion of the whole country and the pro-
lection of the black and white citizens
of the south in their rights as electors,
they are branded in this and the other
chamber, yes, everywhere, as kindlers
of strife, as promoters OF sectionalism
and seekers OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.;
they are branded as champions of the
negro race. seeking to plant in the
southland the supremacy of the infer
Tor over the superior, and the obliter-
alton of the social line, as destroyers
OF the business energy and the domes-
tic happiness of the Caucaslans con-
fined therein.
The charge is false; they aim at no
such achievement, no such attempt
has been made. But, sir, this institu-
Il tion is founded upon the common
brotherhooA of man and the lnalien-
able rights pf the citizens Of common
8 | ~ Ia Of oh
and every titizen in the enjoyment of
all the rights with which he is COM
monty y:endowed by common Creator,
coming as men do from an original
creation.
The same friend, Senator Colquitt,
of Georgia, states that the second bar
rier to the improvement of the south
sis the action of the government. II
he alludes to the action of the govern
nlent for the last fifty years, l plead
guilty to the Indictment drawn; but if
he refers to the government admins
tered by the founders of the constltu-
ton, the government of Thaddeus
Stevens, Sumner, Seward, Chase and
Lincoln; if he refers to the government
of Oliver p. Morton, Grant, Logan,
John Sherman, Edmunds, Clarkson,
Chandler, Harrison, Hoar, Rowell, Nc
Kinley, Burrows and Reed, | repel it
with indignationy Take the utter
ances of the government to whom | re.
fer, take their whenever in au-
thority, take their votes whenever
cast,Sand + call upon civilization to
witness that there has been no. people
intrusted with the government of hu-
manity who have been more merciful,
more watchful, more forbearfng and
more humane
But, Mr.. Chairman, there is a time
when to indulge the child makes the
parent guilty of crime, when
TO be mercifu to the criminal sinks
the Judge beneath the weight of the
law; for mercy is founded upon the
principles of justice. What think you
of people and portion of this
union, placed as they are upon their
record as seceders and nullitiers, con
tinually crying and playing upon the
harp OF sectionalism under the guise
OF injured innocence2 Think of a peo-.
pie whose record at the polls the past
twenty five years is recorded in the in
noeent blood of voters; think of
people whose history records the mas
SdCIG vi NHIlC ClUIHEHS IOI .
sake in the time of peace; think of the
Lrder of Chisholm's family in Mis-
sissippi and the assassination of white
and black citizens without cause in
every southern state; think of peo
pie who drive property from
within the borders of their state for
no crime other than that they sup
port the republican ticl,e', giving such
property owners but two alternatives,
to remain and die or to leave their
property with their lives only.
Think of people who are ever
ready to nullify the acts of this great
government standing up at all times
ready to brand the protectors OF
American homes and the guardians of
our treasury as band of enemies to
their progress and hypocritically cry
ing sectionalism and enmity to the
south. The sectionalism and enmity
to republican institutions are allupon
the other side, Mr.. Chairman. And
our party leaders sit here, and over
yonder, too, and submit from year to
year and from day to day to the viru-
lence which is hurled in their very
| teeth.
The same friend from Georgia Mr..
Colquit) also says:
| Think Of plumber form OF rule and Of gov
ernment OF the few, by the few, and for the few.
If this reference applies to the
i L "a Il 4 Il -e