Year: 1876

NJ ALL
cation. You have spent untold sums
of money on internal improvements,
and while you did this we in the
South were exposed to all the ravages
of the war, and out of which we have
come in an impoverished condition.
Now, they say, there is nothing fair
er in the world than that we should
have the same advantages, SO as to
get even. Gentlemen, you converse
with almost every Southern man on
this subject, and if he does not tell
you this before election, he will be
candid enough to say SO after, If the
Democratic candidate is elected
What does that mean? We have dis
covered in the course of time that
the policy of granting railroad grants
and subsidizing this and that private
enterprise was exceedingly costly.
without comforting a corresponding
public benefit. Therefore, that poll
cy has to a great extent been aban-
doned; but predictin case of Dem
ocratic victory that that policy will be
renewed and carried on to a more
extravagant extent by that party
when it becomes the controlling pow
er. That is the one point. The sec
ond point is this: While I was in
the Senate and ever since large
number Of bills were introduced there
aiming at the refunding of the cot
ton tax. You are all aware that
during the war we paid hundreds
upon hundreds of millions of taxes
for the purpose Of keeping our Gov
ernment alive and our armies going.
We did that having been forced into
war by the rebel States, war that
cost 500, 900 precious lives and thou
sands of millions of dollars. During
the whole time the South contributed
almost nothing to the public treasury.
There is only one considerable item
of the tax that was levied upon the
Southern people, and that was the
cotton tax, some eighty eight million
dollars or over. Now they demand
restitution of that tax, as it is pro
posed by some, not to the individ-
uals by whom the tax was paid, but
to the Southern States as such. l
am man of very generous disposi-
ton with regard to the South. l
thought that when the war was closed
the Southern people, who had been
in revolt, would again become peace
able and law-abiding citizens. and
that generosity was not only duty,
but an act of wisdom and justice.
And so I have been one of the first
to advocate a policy of general am
nesty, and of the complete removal
of all those political disabilities which,
in consequence Of the rebellion, had
been imposed upon a large number
of Southern people. In general / ad-
vocated policy of generosity and
reconciliation. / am willing to be
as generous to them as anybody, but
when, after having forced US into so
terrible war-a war that came near
destroying the very life of this great
Republic war that has covered the
land with mourning, and put such
terrible burdens upon our people
when, after such war having con-
tributed this little mite to the susten
ance of this great fabric Of our insti-
tuition, they demand that we should
refund every cent of it, think it is
a little too much, And yet you are
coolly asked-you, the possessors of
the wealth of this country-to put
your hands into your pockets so that
$6S, 100000 be given back. l tell
you, gentlemen, it is my honest con-
viction, should the Democratic party
come into power again, they will in
evitably return to the South every
cent of that money which was con-
tributed to the National Treasury in
the cotton interest, with interest too.
l tell you candidly, l fear that the
Demo CT ltic party will be exceedingly
generous to their Southern friends in
the way of putting money into their
pockets.


THE SOUTH WILL CONTROL THE DEMO-


CRATIC PARTY.


1t has frequently been said that no
Northern Democrat, after voting for
such a bill, will be able to come be-
fore his constituency. Is that truef
Don't we see things, which, under
ordinary circumstances would be In
oredible2 The South Is now CON-
pact unit again in the Democratic
party. At least the Democratic par
ty wants to fight us, and in case of a
Democratic victory the South will not
only be solidly Democratic, but it will
also remain so for an interminable
time. Let me say to you, would
look upon that as a great national
misfortune, for, when, in a Republic
political parties are divided by geo.
graphical sectional lines, it will ere
ate an unsound and unpatriotio pub
lie sentiment; and if it were for that
reason alone, 1 think there would be
some impulse of patriotism, moving
almost every one to fight against the
Democratic party this Fall. Ap.
plause. But that is not the point
want to discuss. / say the Demo
cratic party wants to unite the South
once more as solid unit upon its
side. In that case the Southern peo
pie will hold the majority of the Dem
ocratic party and direct its purposes
That majority of votes will necessa
rily, as before the war, give them ths
control of the party; they will fall al
| $3.50 q ~oiy, into fho;r old coaf Of Y,nur