, 1844-03-02

lature. We should divide the State
into districts. and elect one member
from each district, even if we con.
tinue the present practice of voting
by general ticket.
On the subject Of banking. some
reform seems 10 be contemplated by
the country. Whether any can be
effected or not seems to me extreme
" doubtful. ! am 10 favor of refor-
nation, however, as far as it can be
made. 70 make stockholders indi-
vidua!lv responsible seems to be one
measure of reform. and ! am in favor
of trying il, yet this reform cannot
make banking a safe and certain bust
ness, yet il will be advancing one
sttp.
voted AGAINST the act to charter
the Bank of the State Of Missouri. !
opposed the attempt to auihorI.e the
bank to issue notes Of a less denomI-
nation than ten dollars. On this point
my opinion has not been changed. |
was unwilling to give To the banks Of
other States any power which we de-
MED to our banks: and as we denied
to cur own bank the power of cIrcu-
|atinc small notes. | opposed a bill to
prohibit the cremation of the small
notes of the banks of other States.
This was in 1867. Ny object in
part was % save the people of our
State as far as deemed practicable
then. from the tax and heavy loss in
fiicted on them hv the suspension of
the banks IN May 1897, an event
which | was sure. and which ! said
then. would happen; but one which |
acknowledge. happened several years
before ! looked for Il. The heaviest
injury likely to result from the want
of such a law NAV have been already
inflicted on US: vet | am still in favor
of a law to prohibit the circulation of
small notes to guard against future
losses from that evil. We should al
50 have a law 20 exclude from circu-
lq,icn al post notes and all paper Of
suspended banks. Oar loss Tor want
Of lhcsn laws, since the suspension lit
1887. is variouSlv estimated ut from
100000 dollars to 100000. This
is d heavy tax to b. paid by our citi-
zcnS to the banks OF other States
All The parts Of our currency should
he equal 10 gold and silver.
To these measures in reference 10
the currency. serious opposition has
been made by members of all parties.
THIS opposition has been made hv
members Of all parties. This oppo-
>itinn has been made not only to the
passage. Of the laws, but To- the m
torcrment OF tia laws themselves At
ter they have been passed. All the
laws IN this subject have h'en over
looked and Gi.rerarded. No part of
them has beer enforced. or observed
except that part IN reference TO pri-
vate banking. For this "iience the
penalties were heavier. If this dis
re..ard of these laws are in accord
ancc, With the wishes of a majority
of tie people Of the State, then our
legislature should pass no law upon
tie subject Of the currency, but
slould let the matter rest.
The laws which haze been passed
this subject, have been passed on
this subject. have been ATTEMPTED to
he enforced with mild penalties, but
these have failed to accomplish the
obiccy. Threats have been made of
disobedience TO any law on the sub
i.ct. Laws with dearer penalties
have been proposed. In cases Of This
character, the opposition, on oth.r
occasions, aimed at the object of the
law itself. seems To have been trans
from the object Of the law, to
the penalties proposed to enforce ii.
| am decidedly opposed to cruel or
unusual punishments, and to punish
mentS oi any character Whatever,
when they can be properly avoided;
vet il does seem 10 me. not withstand
ing. that many OF our laws can be
enforced only by penalties, and that
where one kind of penalties fails to
enforce a necessary law, the only al
tentative left the legislature is a re-
sort to other and heavier penalties.
But ! am wholly unable to see the
necessity of any serious difficulty a.
bout the penalties for violating a law
on the subject of the currency. No
need to fear the penalties; no
man is bound to incur the penaltles;
every man can avoid them who choos-
ss. If any man fears the penalties,
it must be because he risks TO violate
the law. This should not be permit
ted. Every law should be enforced
renesied. A comDlaint against the