Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1850-09-28
A Glance at the Past-Gen. Hamer.

"ReSoLUed, That we have seen with regret,
for some time past, that there was hard mon
ey faction growing up in Ohio who are oppos-
ed to all banks of circulation, and whose doc
trines, if carried out, in the present condition
of the people. must be ruinous to the best in
terest of the community, especially to the
whole debtor class, who will be crushed by a
policy so fatal and destructive
"ResotUed That it is high time for the peo-
pie to take their affairs into their own hands,
and that so long as they entrust them to reck-
less demagogues or to violent, ultra politicians
of any party, all the industrious, business class
es of the community must be the sufferers"
The above are two ofseveral resolutions Of
fered by the late lamented Gen. Thos L. Ha-
mer, of Brown county, to Democratic meet
ing at West Union, on the 25th of March, 184s,
and which were published in the Ohio States
man on the 10th of April of the same year.
They were adopted by that meeting, as the
deliberate convictions of the Democracy in that
part of Ohio at that time and no doubt en-
bodied the views and feelings of large ma
jority of that party throughout the state.
A short time after this, the Locofoco party
threw off the thin disguise of "Bank Reform y
and boldly planted themselves on the hard
money idea But utter defeat awaited them,
and for some years the issue has been with
held. In the January convention, 1850, the
subject was again introduced, and adopted
At the July Convention the question was again
raised, and, though some few men tried to
avert the storm and prevent the adoption of
these measures, yet the hards prevailed, and
resolutions, which will be found at the head Of
this paper, were carried. The Locofoco party
in Ohio have planted themselves openly on
this issue. The people of the Stateare called
upon to sanction this doctrine at the polls
Judge Wood stands before the people, claim
ing their sufrages for Governor on this issue
Members of the two branches of the Legisla-
ture are to be elected on this issue. The re-
suit of the election this fall, whatever may be
set up, will be claimed, and with show of
Justice, as verdict of the people on this issue.
Of course, in this trial, every freemen is ju-
ror. He should know the whole case He
should understand the practical effects and
bearings of the measure
To enable those who do not agree with us on
most questions to form an enlightened opinion,
we have introduced the resolutions of Gen.
Hamer. We know he had much influence
over many members of the party with which
he acted. They have been in the habit of at
least considering his opinions. We ask the
people to do it now. If they had weight in
1912, they have equal weight now. The facts
stated and the positions assumed are of just
as much importance to the great mass of the
people now as then. Upon this question he
was clearly right He saw, as every man of
ordinary sagacity must see, the adoption of
the hard money rule would effectually and at
terly ruin a large and meritorious class of
community. The laboring classes-the men
in all kinds of business who happen to be in
debt, who are so unfortunate as not to be born
of rich parents and with gold spoons in their
mouths-these classes must be crushed by the
adoption of the cardinal principle of the loco
foco party in Ohio as promulgated in their ar
ticles of faith.
| People of Ohio-farmers, mechanics, labor
ing men of classes and professions-to you
the appeal is now made, and the day of de-
cision draws nigh Ten days from to-day, you
will be called upon to decide this issue at the
6allOt-6or. Be not deceived by false profes-
sions. Do not permit yourselves to be lulled
asleep by the assurance that there is no dispo-
sition on the part of these hard money men
to enforce their doctrine if they get the pow
er. That will be poor plea when the blow
comes
If you desire ruin--if you court destruction
if you are sick of your present prosperity,
and wish to come down to the price of labor
ers in hard money countrics-then the road
is plain, the course is clear. You have only
to 60 to the polls, vote for Wood and for Lo-
cofoco Legislators, and you have done your
part to bring it about. Let Wood be elected
Governor-let majority of Locofocos be re-
turned to the Legislature, and what will be
said and claimed by our opponents? Will
they not, at once, proclaim that the people Of
Ohio have pronounced on an issue, fairly made,
that they are opposed to any other currency
than gold and silver; and that henceforth there
shall be no other allowed in Ohio! Will not
the members of the Constitutional Convention,
when they come together in December. say
that the people of Ohio had ratified the report
of Mr. Larwill, and had decided that there
should be clause in the new constitution for
erer prohibiting all banks in Ohio. Of course
they will
We desire that the will of the majority may
prevail We can stand the hard money reign
| if it mast come, as well as the most of people.
We only desire that there should be fair ex
preston of views. This can only be obtained
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