Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-07-17

cemeteries where sleep the aSncs OF tnel1
dead, are as deserving of the considera-
ton of this party as any people III this
country.
It is fer these that we speak. We dc
not come as aggressors. Our war is not
a war of conquest. We are fighting il
the defense of our homes, our families
and posterity. We have petitioned, and
our petitions have been scorned. We
have entreated, and our entreaties have
been disregarded. We have begged and
they have Knocked, and our calamity
came We beg 10 longer. We entreat
no more. We petition no more. We
defy them.
The gentleman from Wisconsin has
said he fears Robespierrc. My friend,
i'll this land of the free you need fear nc
tyrant who will spring up from a,none
the people What we need is an Andrew
jackson to stand as Jackson stood
against The entertainments Of aggran-
died wealth.
They tell MS that this Platform 3, Is
made TO catch votes We reply to them
that changing conditions make. new is
sues; that the principles upon which
rest Democracy are as everlasting as the
hills, but that they must be applied to
new conditions as they arise. Condi,
tions have arisen, and we are attempt
ing to meet those conditions.
They tell us that tie income tag
ought not to be brought Il here. That
is new idea. They criticise us for our
criticism of the supreme court Of the
United States. Ny friends, we have not
criticised; we have simply called atten-
ton to what you know. If you want
criticisms, read the dissenting opinions
of the court. That will give you criti-
eisms. They say we passed an unconsti-
tutional law. l deny 1.-THE income tax
was not unconstitutional when it was
passed. It was not unconstitutional
when it went before the supreme court
for the first time. It did not become un-
constitutional until one judge changed
his mind; and we cannot be expected tC
know when a judge will change his
mind
The income tax is q just law. It SIM
ply intends to put the burdens Of gov
eminent justly upon the backs Of the
people. am in favor of an income tax.
When l find q man who is not willing
to pay his share of the burden Of the
government which protects him, find
a man who is unworthy to enjoy the
blessings Of government like ours.
He says we are opposing the national
bank currency. 1t is true. If you will
read what Thomas Benton said, you
will find that he said that in searching
history he could find but one parallel tc
Andrew Jackson. That was Cicero, who
destroyed the conspiracies of Catiline
and saved Rene. He did for Rome
what jackson did when he destroyed
the bank conspiracy and saved America.
We say in our platform that we be-
ieve that the right to coin money and
issue money is function Of govern
ment. We believe it. We believe it is a
part Of sovereignty, and can no mere,
with safety, be delegated to private in
dividuals than we could afford to dele
gate 20 private individuals the power tt
make penal statutes CT to levy laws fol-
taxation. Mr.. jefferson, who was once
regarded as good Democratic authority,
seems to have different opinion from
the gentleman who has addressed us OIL
the part of the minority. Those who are
opposed to this proposition tell US that
the issue of paper money is q function
of the bank, and that the government
ought to go out of the banking business.
I stand with Jefferson rather than with
them and tell them, as he did, that the
issue of money is function Of the gov
ernment and that the banks ought te
go out of the government business.
They complain about the plank which
declares against the life tenure in Office.
They have tried to strain it to meal
that which it does not mean. What we
oppose III that plank is the life tenure
that is being built up in Washington
which excludes from participation in
the benefits the humber members OF
OUT society. I cannot dwell longer i'll
my limited time [Cries of eco on
Go onp']
Let me call attention to two or three
great things. The gentleman from New
York says that he will propose all
amendment providing that this change
in our laws shall not affect contracts al
ready made Let me remind him that
there is no intention Of affecting those
contracts which, according to the pres.
emit laws, are made payable in gold.
But if lie means to say that we cannot
change our monetary system without
protecting those who have loaned money
before the change was made, 1 want tc
ask him where, i'll law CT i'll morals, he
can find authority for not protecting the
debtors when tho act Of 1878 was
passed, but now insists that we must
protect the, creditor. He says he also
wants to amend this law and provide
that if we fail to maintain q parity
within year we will then suspend
the coinage Of silver We reply that
when we advocate q thing which we be-
lieve Will be successful VIC are not com
PEELED to raise q doubt as to our OWL
sincerity nv irving to show what we