Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1838-10-04
LYNCuBURG. OCTOBER4.I 1888.
LIZARD MONEY!


there 10 be distinct currencies of uneoa,,
who receive for salaries nearly every dollar thu, !.
transferred from the pockets of the people to IN,
vaults Of the Treasury or, secondly, that pane,
money shall be entirely substituted by gold and
silver.
If they contemplate the first named result, /,
10 US that the people must necessarily iftbev
have spark OF pride or patriotism left. rise up
against a discrimination at once so odiou,
and nnj just tedious, because it assumes that tn.
offce-holders are privileged class who are en,i
tied to a" better currency" than the great body Of
the peop'e,-nnIusi, because ii conpels every tax.
payer TO give apremium upon the money which i,
to go into the Treasury vaults which premium
though paid in the first instance by himself mu,t
ultimately come out of the pockets of the con,u
mers Of dutiabe articles. The very Circumstance of
gold and silver alone being receivable in payment
Of public dues, will necessarily the precious,
metals into mere hantabc commodes-N they will
move in a charmed circle. from the vaults OF thu
treasury into the pockets of the Office -hollc,s.
thence to the Golfers of brokers, who will purchase
il OF this favored tribe, al small! PREMIUM 70 l.,
resold TO the importing merchant IL still higher
premium. 10 be returned again the vaults of tho
custom-house sub-treasury-to travel again and a.
gain the same nccssant round And the impouin,
merchant will of course add this premium upon tho
cost and charges Of the goods imported, which, TO
that extent will enhance their price 10 the consu.
mers,-rhe people of the country at large,-wlo will
be thus saddled with tax heavier and direct
than that much denounced 1arFof Protective
Duties which ono of the champions of this leading
system of TAXATION moved Heaven aud Earth
to overthrow What matters it, if the consumers
OF dutabe articles to pay extra tax upon their
cost, whether that tax be laid in the shape of Pro-
tcc,iye Duties, for the benefit of Northern nlaaulac
turefs, or in the shape of premium for Gold and
Silver. for the benefit Of the aristocracy Of office.
holders For our own pant, we should prefer tho
former to the latter, since the protection afforded 10
the manufacturing interest would ultimately be
blessing TO to the whole county. however uneqnalIy
it might operate IN its first stages while this boun-
ty the office holders only serves to swell the i'm
portance of a tribe OF locuss. who feed upon the
fat of the land, without contributing one jot or title
10 The productive energies Of the countfy-a class,
who at best but " necessary evils = aud who
arc in view of the subject. guilty Of most nsolcnt
arrogance in presnmug to demand that the peopl.
shall be thus taxed, in order that they may receive
their salaries III currency better than that in which
the farmer paid for the products Of his farm, and
tie met hanic aud the artisan for the proceeds Of
their skill and industry. We put the question to thu
people, why should the Office holders be paid in
gold aud silver, whilst they sell Their tobacco and
wheat and exchange their labor, for bank notes
IL the two currencies Of equal value, what
iyn he ,T nh.
what justice is there in this discrimination =
Why shall the office holders, the servants oflhe peo-
pie, be privileged class, to whom the beticreur
rency' shall be paid, whilst the people, the masters
of these men, shall be compelled to receive !" bank
rags
But, ii is replied to this-,hc people have n right
refuse bank well the government, since
nothing but gold and silver is legal tender. This.
then, leads 10 the supposon that the real d.
sign of these hard-moncy advocates is TO abolish
bank notes entirely and to substitute exclusive
Iy hard money currency'-a project, which II IT
were to succeed, would IN the recent language oil
Gen. Me ntte, "prodncc one of the most unJnst
AVID rninous revolutions which desolateA tAe
ear,h'
What would be its effects! 1s the destruction Of
every State Bank which, rs we have heretofore
marked, constitute the best possible defence of State
Righ,s.-And yet what do see! The champion
! OF Modification laborng to build up scheme which
array the legislation of the General Government
gains, the egslaonoi The State Governments nay.
which enables the former to overthrow and crush ns-
tu,ions, which, whether good or evil in lheir ,enden-
ces, have been built up and are still sustained BY
the latter! These men thus break down tho
influence Of the States, and Of necessity santrda-
nc the money power at Washington, under prr 4
tence of destroying the principle Of centralizalIe
and with the ayowsd purpose Of maintaining State
K CUTS !.
effected in the value Of property bought under
the paper system. and afterwards brought under tbs
hammer, in the Golden Age,"-which would be
indeed an age of iron despo,ism Look at tho
relations between debtor and creditor, which 1t
would SO seriously affect-a debt of $780, contracted
during the paper era. being equivalent TO $1,000 II
pad in the age ofhard money
3dly. Estimate its effects upon the comfort ana
happiness of society. And as we can only reason
from what we know, will cite a few historical II
lustrations, some Of which we find briefly summarl-
zed in the address Of the Wing committee Of Baltt
more, to the people Of that city. Let the people
cast their eyes 10 Norway and Sweden. where the
population live on bread aud cruel, both prepared OIL
oatmeal, with little dried fish occasionally; or 10
Denmark, W here he ppnnlp bouc In and sold win