Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-05-13
"ASking help from Abroad"

The editor Of the Star seems very much
irritated that the Democratic Corresponding
Committee should have sought aid from
abroad, as he says by writing to various men
of acknowledged ability and seeking answers.
and he deals out quite lengthy chapter of
comments upon the letter of Gov. FORD, Of
illinois. He re.asserts the oft denied and
refuted assertion that, the Democrats are in
favor of specie currency and low wages;
and attempts to sustain the assertion by quo>
ting from Gov. Ford's letter.. If he had quo
ted the whole letter he would have shown to
the readers of the Star in what manner the
thirty banks that deform the face and defame
the character of OLio fare furnishing to our
people safe and convenient currency to
transact their business with" 1t is acknowl>
edged by all that money was never more
scarce than at present. Still these banks
have extended their circulation and furnished
a currency-but not for the people Of Ohio.
No, they have used no efforts to extend re-
liefto the suffering people Of Ohio, If it was
in their power to do SO. .Gs
The Star claims that tho democrats have
"proven by their own witness" "that in lii
nois, (where they enjoy all the blessings that
Ohio is to expect by destroying her banks)
they have wretched currency-foreign small
notes and more than forty kinds Of them,
such currency in short, as Ohio had two
years age, only more So"
And, pray, will the Star tell the people how
much the currency of Ohio has been improv,
ed by the institution of over so banks to ex.
charge their uotes with Institutions in other
States and putting in circulation the notes Of
such concerns as the Leheigh County Bank,
and other institutions of the like kidney, (bu,
which are about as good as their own.)
We intend to copy entire the letter of Gov.
Ford land the others) as soon as we can find
room. In Illinois, says the Governo "GoLD
and SILVER were PLENTIFUL until within a
few months past. The banks of Ohio, in
the meantime, have put out their shinplasrers;
and it is now exceedingly difficult to get
change, except in small notes." Illinois las
not for years been cursed with bank with.
in its borders,-and yet GOLD AND SILVER
WAS ABUNDANT until within few months
since, when Ohio banks begun to flood that
State with their trash. And were wages in
consequence of there being no banks in Illi-
nois knocked down to shilling a day?-
Were they lower than in Ohio, whose SUR
face is covered with these rag mills? If SO
why do so many men of all Classes leave
Ohio annually to seek employment in the far
west. The truth is "GoLD and SILVER were
plentifup in Illinois until they began to deal
in the trash Of Ohio banks nor were wages in
consequence any lower. So it will be here
when we cease to use the currency furnished
by these banks the currency of the Conslitu.
tion will be abundant. The wages Of labor
are not dependent on bank paper for their
price. Every one knows that the wages of
labor in Illinois where they have not beer
cursed with banks, but where they have had
plenty of Gold and Silver, have been as high
and higher than in Ohio, where we have
over thirty banks to confer upon us the un-
spcakable blessing Of a ''home currency"