The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-06-28
Banking in Illinois.

that without such privileges there would hs less
+ sNcusc nu'l temptation To- vice and CRIME, and
therefore. such giants are fatal To the dearest aud
best interests o. society. and the peace, safety,
happiness and welfare of man, by eorruPtng all
the social delights vi life Secondly. that all the
pecuniary advantages of such grants of privileges
are ut the cost and loss of the other portion OF
community Thirdly, that banking privileges are
aud must be damage to all but capitalists, by
: the law Of necessity aud the law Of the land and
only be improved hy violating the law oi Tod
and the law Of eternal and immutable justice,
and Fleeing the poor for their Nee and weht
These propositions are to me quite certain, and
! | shall endcaNor To make them plausible and
even certain 10 others and wish the reader tn
examine all my numbers aud III their order, and
! give the. matter that candid attention which the
subject demands.
+ There Is, perhaps, no passion more prominent
nor yet more vale and dangerous IN the hands OF
men, than envy, By thls passion men are prompt,
ed to all manner If crime, 1t was this passion
/ that produced the first murder aud thousands OF
murders since 1t was this passion that induced
/ the ten sons Of Jacob TO sell their brother INTO
slavery, and every man knows that there Is no
end 10 the evils this passion - calculated to pro
ducg and any act OF man, individually or colec,
lively, that stimulates or engendcrs this passion,
Is dangerous To- life, property, peace aud the hap
pincss of man. and what il more natural than
that men will envy their fellow men in the en-.
z iuymsut Of unmertrd privilege, Which they may
not or cannot enjoy will they not seek ndvanta.
ges without and even against law by the practice
Of vice or the commission of crlmei You call
them rogue@ but you first make them SO BY OK
amplcs Of legal plumber, II you would have
men honest and yirtucu-, maintain an equality of
opportunities and advantages, and they can af
l.Rr
wise
! But if banking privileges are conferred on
any company, 1t is at their instance and request,
and why do they crave and solicit it but because
il ia privilege and ii II be So il il fatal in i's
moral tendency and to the pecunlary hurt of all
others rs the gains or profits they realise are
1 from the fruit of other mems tolls and can come
, from no other source for while bankers toll not,
nor do they spin, vet solomon IN all his glory
was not nrraved like them. What did they ever
produce but dls,rust, uncertainty. tIuctuatiou in
stability, indebtedness embarrassment, bankrupt
cy poverty. envy hatred malice, and their con
sequent crimes and sutIcrlngS, with degradation,
igEomny and drathl These are tho fruits, and
while bankers, either individual or associated, get
the gains and cutrench themselves with wealth,
unmer,tsd dignity and false yeueraton they care
for none of these consequences, We have the tolls
ill lItN NilG anu II w bulhlll
high rate of u~ury on their capital, while they
loan Their credit for lower rate. Capital is
power. money i. potent, why then add privilege
to it WIN do such homage To wealth if men will
do it Individually it only proves corrupt
state OF society and All undue influence which
wealth exert, over the minds of men. Why then
do It collectively or by legislation Do you say
rich men lived at a high rate Of interest while
banks lived at a lower rate J Let me ask, is this
high rate OF interest wrong take care, do not
commit yourself ii 1t is right, why find fault
But who takes stock in banks but those rich per.
sons only do thev do it to get lower rate Of
interest: uoRd,rfM eau they not do that with
outi i. the world to be deceived by such sophls
try and nonsensei look at them, are they very
remaI kable for bsnevolenGe or patriotism did
YOU examine them phrenologlcalyt If you ever
did you may come tn one of these conclusions
either that there is nothing ia phrenoogy, that
they have got some other counteractug propens
ty, or they love themselves better than you and
their purse better than ALL aud mean to deceive
YOU How is all wealth produced, surely, By
rothing nothing, nothing but productive labor ;
first by agriculture and its tolls; second by me
chanlcai labor and skill and third by trade and
commerce. a. the handmade of both the man
want TO serve up What you alone provide. and
there is no other source Of wealth primarily
and if bankers get it, they get the fruit OF other
mems toll, and when they talk Of the good they
produce in the community, stop and reason mo,
nlent: ask yourself what is wealth you know
perfectly well that il consists Of n supply of the
necessaries and comforts Of this world and life
Do they produce it tor you, You for thcmi do
they lend you their credit which cost. them moth.
ing and do you not give them more money than
they do YOU credit. and what but hard toll does
the money cost you do they not have this ad-
vantage without labor or productionf and are
you willing to give it them from your labor and
production, and when ,hey ask you to vote them
the privilege do they do i, for your good or for
their own profit Which stands out most prom.
nent in them, henevolenee and patriotism, or sci.
fshness and hypocrisy look at them again, are
they so ardent TO do you good Oh, what pure
souls. what divine perfection shines in their eoun.
tenances but il il all in their professions and
promises; nothing in their past acts Have they
sought to do YOU goodi YOU say they take high
interest. this develops their true character; it is
occuar demonstration and are their promises and
professions more certain than this Should
man promise to give YOU dollar next week
would YOU be more sure Of il than IL he gave
il you now, or had given it n week agoi or
should he threaten to rob YOU Of a dollar next
week, woah you fear him more than il he had
taken u already; ~Ach IL the most certain, the
past or the futurel You say they have been
vile and oppressive. Can you trust them any
better with immense power. You set tho lion
to hold the bear, bu. can YOU trust the lion any
better or with more safeiyl Will they do you
more good and less hurt with the power 20
increase their own profits at your cost il they
are rich they can do you good now; il they are
not rich they are Not safe bakers However
honest il they are rich there il no occasion to
sacrifice yonr income and comforts to make them
richer; il they are not rich let them get wealth
by the only legitimate means producing some.
thing To increase the general stock Of wealth,
aud thia will not rob others Wealth increased
by production is clear gain, but otherwise it may
be plus one and minus ten aud no man will ever
deny this II.
Growth of the United Stntes.