He had, after arriving at Canton, written
down what he had to say on this line, ;■ nd
asked his audience to bear with him while
he read the few paragraphs of his speech
which bore on this intricate and all-impor
tant issue. He said he did this with a view
of not being misquoted or misundersti .■ d
by any one. He wanted to plant himself
firmly and squarely on this issue and he
wanted the people of Georgia to know ex
actly his stand. Therefore, he read his
ideas as to the money question, and those
views, as read, were as follows:
“I am free to say that, while no n, vn
estimates more highly than 1 do the fa;
portance of the tariff question, 1 think ’pe
financial question of today in no degree
second to it in importance. I do not
it the part of statesmanship to ignorej,
or to depreciate its importance. (Appian I)
The tariff question and the financial
t.on are the two important mutters ‘,V Z
fecting today the welfare a.id happiness iji
the American people. It is a gross wrong
by means of the protective tariff to take
from one man a part of his means without
consideration and give it to another man
for his own private benefit. It is a wrung
none the less gross, by any species ot leg
islation, to make the money in which
a man must pay his debt worth twice as
mu.ch as that same money was worth when
the debt was contracted. Whenever this
is done the creditor gets practically twice
as much as his contract intended he should
receive, and tl.e debtor pays twice as
much as it was understood he would have
to pay. This is a most serious question to
the south, because it is a debtor section.
