The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-09-23

Ransom but l was not responsible
for the understandings of men, wo-
men and children. 1 know some
diabolical goldbug conspirator and
base aud cowardly enemy of mine in
this audience is saying to himself, "but
Mr.. Rag, you are responsible to your
conscience and your God for the
treachery meditated in your own false
heart" My reply to that is that God
and conscience don't count for any
thing in politics. If I was fooling
Ransom and his friends in 1864 or con-
templated fooling them, it just proves
that was smarter than they were, and
are you going to condemn man for
being smart?
What more can be said for the free
coinage of all the silver in the uni
verse at the ratio Of l6 to l? Why,
the men who went into the confeder-
ate army and afterwards went over and
fought on the other side are traitors
and deserters. They started out as
democrats and went and joined the re.
publican party they are traitors and
deserters. 1t has been very different
with me. 1 started out Republican
and afterwards went and joined the
democratic party. A man who does
that is gentleman. 1t is only the fell
low who leaves the democratic party
and joins the republican party that is a
traitor and deserter. You see 1 voted
for Blaine and when he went down In
defeat, I deserted him and his cause
and went over and joined the Cleve-
land forces. 1t would have been very
different if had voted for Cleveland,
and after he and his cause had gone
down, had gone over and joined the
victorious Blaine forces. In that case
YOU are bound to see that would have
been very bad traitor but as it was
acted the part of patriot and true
man. DON'T it strike you that way?
don't see how it could possibly be
made to appear otherwise. You know,
fellow citizens, that was a powerful
Cleveland man in 1888, 1899 and 1894.
I know there are people who think
that my subsequent course proves that
| was after pie an that time, but they
are mistaken. Of course I would like
to have an office if could get it, but
then am not particularly hunting an
office and don't know of any partic-
ular office that is hunting me.
Fellow citizens, there be some who
say that I went off in 1886 on the
Henry George land-taX craze just like
have gone off now on this craze for
the free coinage of universal silver.
Well, that is true; was humble dis
ciple of that great economist; l wrote
letters in support of his theories /
wanted to relieve everything of taxes
but the landowner; I wanted houses
relieved of taxes; I wanted the rich
mans horses and carriages relieved of
taxes! I wanted money relieved OF
taxes l wanted the bondholder5 to
pay no taxes on their bonds; l did not
want Vanderbilt 10 pay any taxes on
his fine palace at Biltmore that 1 am
now in favor of us masses taking away
from him: / did rot want the railroads
to pay any taxes .On anything but
what land they might own: did not
want them TO pay cent Of taxes on
their rails and cross ties; | did not
want them to pay cent Of taxes on
their cars and locomotives | did not
want them to pay a cent of taxes on
their franchises; L did not want the
banks, that we masses are now making
war on, to pay cent Of taxes on their
money, or bank property; | did not
want any body to pay any marriage
license tax; did not want anything
taxed but land wanted land and
land alone to bear all the burden of the
revenue necessary TO pay the expenses
of the government, municipal, county,
state and national I did not want any
lax levied upon whiskey and tobacco;
| I did not want any tariff taxes upon
things imported into this country to
sell 10 our people, to us masses l did
not want any income tax; of course we
masses are now fighting for an income
tax, but then I did not want it. | was
with Henry George then, and to tell
you the truth, fellow citizens, am
still in favor of Henry George with all
my heart and soul /; and if l had my
way, nothing in this world would ever
paw another cent of taxes of any kind
but land. That is all the kind of tax
I believe in, and that is all the kind of
tax 1 would have if I could only
have my way.
Well, somebody in this audience
may want to know why / ceased to
openly espouse the economic c doctrines
of Henry George, and why quit
writing letters for the newspapers in
support of his proposed system of land
taxation. will tell you why: Some
time about the beginning of the year
1887 Dug Carter showed me q picture
in funny paper; it was representa-
ton of Siegfried the Brave, hero of
scandinavian mythology in thedepths
of primeval forest at war with wild
animals; the ravenous beasts were fee
ing from before his grand, heroic face;
Grover Cleveland was Siegfried the
Brave, and from before the power of
his majestic presence the wild yaEoos
of political chaos and social disorder
were tucking their tails, covering and
fleeing away; with an uplifted sword
he was preparing to sever the head of
that great dragon Protection; in that
picture l saw Henry George, my own
beloved Henry, my mighty Gamaliel,
ing, my highest raised seer of econo-
mic philosophy, and he was represent
ed in the form of grounding disap--
pearing in hole in the ground, and
there was nothing sticking ont of that
hole but tail, and upon that tail was
written the name of my great hero and
teacher, and when 1 looked at it, q. |
said "good-bye, Henry; / saw them
and there that the man who followed
that tail was lost politician I saw
that Siegfried Cleveland was the man
to follow, and left Blaine with all his
protection principles, on account of
which I had voted for him: l left
Grounding George with his tail stick
ing out of the land on which he want
ed to put all the burden of taxation
aud laid low until the year 1888, and