The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1845-11-04


tiny national debt no national or state banks or mo
nopoes OF any kind no distribution Of the public and
among the states t low prices permanent prospeev.
equal laws and Equal rights progress and Improvements
These are few ofthe leading principles which democracy
aims TO make the rules of government. @
The result Of the late election would surprise
us, confding, as we do, in the generally sound
judgment of the people, did we not at the same
time remember that party Of progress must al
times present issues for which the public mind is
notfully prepared, or which, from being unfath
fully, presented by timid men, fa to receive
that investigation to which they are entitled. In
this state we have suffered from both these causes
and have had besides to contend with the strong
energy of an organised sefinterest, the most
potent that exists, struggling for life; the contest
has been human liberty against monied despo,sm
ard money has triumphed over principle.
But even in this view the question has not been
fairly taken. Butt few have presented the trueis
sue Of bank paper OF specie for the currency OF
the state. In Hamilton county and here in the
Northwest the full issue was made and sustained
What would have been the result had similar
boldness prevailed over the State we will not pre-
tend to say; certainly the result would not have
been, decision mainly upon local mat
ters nor the indifference to the result generally
apparent. But the bankers begged another trial I;
they were now to be honest, though they had me-
yer been so before; the people were deceived into
the belief Of such possibility, and bankers have
once more permission to make the temple of lib.
erty den Of thieves.
This lingering confidence in banking is the con-
sequence of palliative tinkering legislation
The people are taught to believe that every Auc.
tuation can best be corrected and every depression
can be brought to a level by legislative acts
Well it understood nevertheless, that parchment
or paper enactments cannot make wealth, cannot
make bushel Of wheat exist where before it was
not, though they may change its ownership and
affect its price; and legislation is incompetent to
create markets tho it may shut them out. Labor
and labor alone can add to prosperity, and laws
to force that labor into particular channels are but
means by which one class are plundered for the
benefit OF another; as heavy tariff, for instance
helps the clamorous capitalist at the expcnce of
fewer markets to the farmer, to buy or sell in
To give life TO siagnotion end confidence to busi-
ness the very systems are resorted to whose per-
ncious action has clogged the one and destroyed
the other. The failure of system Of banks may
be as safely and certainly predicted the return
of an eclipse. Like all excessive stmuunts they
cause q short lived elevation only to be followed
BY corresponding depression below the proper
level but when their failure comes, tits attributed
to any but the true cause, and instead Of radical
reform the people are induced to look forward to
the revival, with new privileges of plundcr, Of the
very system which has just been proved worthless.
Do states by a system of reckless extravagance,
which would disgrace the management of pri-
vae individual, wildly incur debts, which increase
taxation almost beyond endurance; instead of en-.
forcing this as lesson for future prudence, cup.
dty is flattered by the offer of the gift of the pub
ic lands to be distributed to foster, not check and
relieve, the waste of means. Any expedient but
"A iudicious and severe economy is proposed, till
society has begun to expect that it is the duty of
government to creote prosperity, and accom-
plish what industry and intelligence alone can
effect for any people.
Does an individual desire the improve ment Of
his condition, he appeals to the legislative power
10 confer upon him corporate privileges taken
from his fellow citizrns; perhaps he nsks gov
eminent to dig canal or open railroad 10 cross
HIS estnte; or if this is imprncticable, he gets
.r.w county erected, which will make his proper
~ or the greater part of the site Of the new
" created county. Innumerab'e are the expedl-
en,s 10 make government contribute TO individual
advantage, while the great body of the people nre
taxed to sustain the outlay. And to tho wide
spread influence Of this special legislation, we
attribute the consent of very considerable pro-
,rtion of the people to the continued existence of
the present bank law for another year. There
nre many who expect that in some way it will be-
neft them-th though they have no definite idea of
the means whereby this is to be accomplished
but they have already seen so many fortunes
made by special and partial legislation tina. they
cannot but hope that they will derive some ad-
,o,,. ce from the changes incident to paper credit
They see want, wretchedness, and ruin strewed
thickly around, in consequence of the convulsons
incident to banking, but the crafty hope Of es-
cana. makes them willing to sacrifice public well
faro to private aggrandzement; even should
the worst come, periodical bankrupt law can
make reputation too common to raise the blush
of shame on any face. While laws protect men
in Gambling with their own and their neighbours
fortune, one failure to arrest the destructive sys-
TEN need not dishearten the honest man or
.locken his energies, more than continued sin
&c ri uht
If not before, when the present bubble bursts
we shall be assuredly relieved from the domination
of the "paper credit aristocracy;" then, at least.