The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1892-06-22
A BRILLIANT RET0RT.
try TO o

During a recent debate in Congress
Mr.. Taylor, of Ohio, tainted the south
and Hon. Henry Turner with the crime
of slavery. Mr.. Turner retortis one of
the finest pieces of mastery English that
has been heard in half a century.
"Mr. Speaker, shall pause here to
make no defense of slavery. have none
to make for it. Neither will I arraign
the ancestors of gentlemen on this floor
who first set up the slave traffic in this
country, nor will make any CO mpalison
between the crime of those who brought
the slaves here from their native wilds
and those who reared them and fitted
them to be citizens. Let that pass But
has it occurred to the gentleman from
Ohio that when statesmen here or abroad
mediate a political crime, it is usual to
do the deed in the name of liberty?
. am amazed that any gentleman
here who contemplates a similar offense
against our civilization should attemp+
to conjure up the ghost of slavery. Has
it occurred to the gentleman from Ohio
that when he is making away from us,
holding in his hands the pennies and the
nickles which have been filched under
protection from the pockets of my con-
stitutents, and then cries: Slavery p
back at me, he is only resorting to the
vulgar dodge of ''stOp thiefr'
II ask him if slavery is extinct in this
country to-day. The negro is free, but
how is it with the rest us? The man
who takes what he has not earned is
worse than slave-driver. Even in the
language embalned by the highest court
in the land, he is a robber; and the man
who does not receive the full reward of
his labOrs what is he? The man who
under legal cOmpulsio1 must labor for
the support of another without compen-
sation is slave! You have prided
yourselves upon having stricken the
shackles from three millions of slaves.
and you exult in the performance every
time you can. but you have substituted
for slavery a system by which you have
put the letters on all your countrymen
of every race and condition. The mod
ern republican feudal system is even
worse than the ancient system, and it is
worse than the old patriarchal institu-
ton of slavery.
r. - 800; ss-'---- - osad r.rttual
Obligations and mutual duties; but IN
der this heartless and cruel system you
can rack and ruin the poor Of this coun-
try as long as they are useful, and when
they cease to be useful, they may go
to the poor house. Applause.
1--WE are Williams of the lords of taxa
ton! We wear the collar of tariff! If
we buy our clothing in some free land
we are fined! If we do not pay the fine
we are imprisoned! At last, we want
amnesty. Our only crime is poverty,
and that was imposed by law!
Mr.. Speaker, the time has come
When we aspire to freedom; the time has
come when we mean to be free. And if
the gentlemen on the otherside viii not
concede something to us, l ask them to
put their ears to the ground and listen.
Unless concessions are made, unless
something is done for amelioration of
the existing Distress am not an alar-
mist, far from it-but unless some re-
lief is given these people to retain their
confidence in the benefcence of a great
and glorious government you will pro-
duce despair You will convince them
that they are under outlawry and pro
scription from their own COMMITMENT
GET OUT OF THE COURT ROOM.