Year: 1871

THE SATUAElONs
Speech of Montgomery blair, at sligo


Montgomery Co., Md, Oct. n.


FELLOW CITIZENS: How many poor
men have we among US whose condition
has been mended under Radical rule Who
of them have bought homes for them
selves, or are laying up means for their
children We all know of numbers whose
condition was better under Democratic
rule. Collins, Free, Talbot, and others
whose names will occur to you, got home
steads under Democratic rule. The col
ored people have got their freedom, and
helped to give it to them, and would be
glad if they had better clothes and moro
to eat and were better housed. But 1
doubt if they are better off than they
were under the old system, so far as bodily
comfort and contentment of mind 90. The
truth Is that whilst few persons who are
in partnership with the government sell
ing the government Seneca stone, and in
selling the people clothes, working tools,
and articles of food at enormous prices,
and take hundreds Of millions of dollars
Of the public money to build railroads for
themselves are getting enormously rich,
everybody else is getting poorer. Even
the colored men who have been taken into
partnership, and who are receiving higher
wages for working on the streets of Wash
ington than any farmer can pay them, are
not bettering their condition at all. Ev-
erything that the woIkingman eats or
clothes himself with is made so high by
the enormous taxes put upon it by the
wealthy classes, who control the legisla-
tom Of Congress, through the men whom
they elect by money, that the working
classes blush, and whites are really slaves,
for when the fruits of a mans labor is ap-
propriated by others he is in slavery, and
it Is system of slavery far less trouble
some and more effective than the personal
slavery which existed IN the South few
years ago. Under this ingenious system
the master class are not troubled with the
care of their slaves in sickness they are
not obliged to provide food and clothing
for them. It is not necessary for the mas
ter TO degrade himself by iHhicting corpor-
al punishment for idleness and drunken
ness. Hunger drives them back. to labor
more surely than the lash, and that labor
is appropriated by the cunning contrl-
vances of the taskmaster applied through
the universal and pervadlng taxation
brought to bear upon him. l do not OBJ
ject whatever to the growth of the wealth
of any one or any number of our fellow
citizens. Whilst I believe that men are
created equal as respects rights, cannot
close my eyes to the fact that the Creator
has clothed them with very different de-
grees of faculty, and intended, therefore,
that they should be very unequal in pos
sessions and power. But the very object
of government Is to protect the weak
against the strong, and when, instead Of
accomplishing this, it becomes as ours has
now become an instrument IN the hands
Of the rapacious to prey upon the weaker
and simple men there is a total perversion
of the government. This is our present
condition, and few years continuance OF
1t will destroy that love for democratic
government which now fills the hearts of
the oppressed people of the Old World
Never in the history OF the world was
there such rapid change in the nature of
any government as there has been in ours.
Never was there anywhere such strides
made by tbs monopoists in appropriating
the wealth Of the country and the power
of the government. General Jaekson's
administration was signahzed by the con-
test with the Bank Of the United States
a bank of $35. .0o0, 600, S., ,000, 600 Of which
was saved by the government. General
Jackson determined to break kown that
ADDITION as one dangerous to the liberties
of the people, by the power it welded
over the politics Of the country, and there
was never such contest as ensued. The
struggle which the bank made against
Jackson, one of the most popular and ca
pable men the country ever produced, was
conclusive proof that sueh an institution
is inconsistent with republican govern
ment. 1t was considered a great escape.
No other man could have weathered the
storm and saved the public liberty, But
what have we now7 Four hundred mill
ions IN United States banks, and not a
village Of 5000 people in the United States
without one. And there is another cir


cumstanoe which even more than the
wide difference in these amounts marks
the bold advances which monopoly has
made in plundering the people. That is,
that whilst in the old bank all but $780,
600 was furnished by the stockholders,
and on that S., ,000,o 900 which was furnish
ed by the government the government got
the profits and used a proportionate share
of the directory, now the government fur
nishes. all but II per cent Of the stock,
and has none of the directory and none Of
the profits So with the railroad monopo-
lies. The government furnishes the mon
ey and land to build the roads The com
panies do not expend or risk a dollar or
even pay the interest on the u. S. bonds
given to build them. The companies own
the roads and lands, $66, 100000 have in
bonds alone been advanced, and between
two and three hundred million acres Of
land-the choice lands Of the continent.
Their value is incalculable A third gi-
gantic moneyed interest which has been
legislated into existence by the Radicals
IS the manufacturing interest. Every
thing worn and used by the people pay
taxes not only 10 government but TO the
manufacturing mouopolies. 1t is the alb
ance OF these vast moneyed interests with
the government which constitutes the
strength OF the Radical party. The mass
es Of the people who are the victims Of
this alliance are divided among themselves


A large portion of them in the North are
in the employ Of or controlled by tins


vast interest as employees or debtors, &c


They pay vast sums for political purpose:


to carry on newspapers, hire political


writers and speakers A great mano era.


ven spirits yield to what they believe the


irresistible power of such vast moneyec


organization in the control Of all the pow.


ers the government; and it is formidable
the most formidable and, the least scru


pulous and most dangerous that ever ex


isted. What have we 10 oppose to it


Nothing but the truth; nothing but tn,


innate love Of liberty which springs from


every honest heart, and this is an undyinl


power before which tyranny has always
! trempled All indeed that is wanted Is


to rouse the people to the real condition


of the country and make them feel that i


is necessary for them to act TO save any


real liberty for themselves and their DOS.


terity, and the victory if won, and the on
| ly real obstacle TO this is the sectiona
| quarrel which the monopolies are keeping


clear to cover their plundering operstioni


and keep portion Of the Northern peo


pie who have no share in their plundel


from uniting with their brethren In tn,
| South to establish honest and cheap ad


ministratlon. Whilst the quarrel belweeI


the North and South continues we canno
/ have an honest administration Of the e.


nances Of the government. and the cor


ruptionists will have their own way


There can be no responsibility whilst th'


public mind is occupied with a contes


arousing so much passion as the rivalrie