Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1851-02-13
The Bank Question.


INC Ddhh tutSLl0l
| Mr. Enron.
am opposed to the establishment Of Banks
within this State, and am therefore opposed
to submitting the question Of Banks or no
/ Banks" to the people. Democrats are charg-
/ ed with being lsndemocratic IN opposing the
! submission Of this question TO The people J
/ think this charge is founded in error or irnor-
ance Of the spirit Of the constitution. and de-
/ sire 10 submit my reason for this opinion 10
| the consideration Of those democrats who
/ have in past days been co-laborers with ne ia
defence Of our principles, hoping they may
I have some influence in enducing them To ward
I oil, # possible, the blow now aimed al those
4 principles
4 / assume that those address arree with me
/ IN opposition 70 the establishment Of Banks
7 Ought we then As democrats, and because we
are democrats, to be willing to submit the
question Of their establishment to a vote ofthe
: people think not. The question is urred
upon US IN a specious form, bat it Is only spe-
cIOus. II IS really no more or less than a
/ proposition to amend the Constitution-,he
/ fundamental, and designed to be- stable law
of the State. The Constitution inhibits them
( from doing many other things, for instance
authorizing lotteries, granting divorces, grant
ing extra compensation TO officers, &c. Great
ing public debt beyond 100, 600 The Con
7 suffrage
"whIie persons of foreign BIRTH not citizens
+ of the United States, and excludes negroes
from that privilege. Now, while the C0usti-
tuition contains these positive provisions In re-
latlon to the powers of the legislature, upon
the subject OF banks, negro suffrage. and 9th
er matters, It also contains provisions by
which these powers may be altered, ENLARGED
/ or restricted-or in other words, by which the
I Constitution may be amended; and those CON
stItuuOnal provisions for alteration or amend
meot are different they relate to different
subjects Thus the power Of the legislature.
ID relation to the establishment OF banks. can
be extended by a vote ofthe people "equal to
a majority Of al the votes cast On that subject;
IN relation to negro suffrage, by q vote Of the
people al any general election, equal to .sa
majority Of all tie U1tes cast at such election -
IN relation 20 the various other powers of the
Legislature, an alteration or amendment can al
any time be made IN ,he mode provided by the
/ I2ih article, VIZ. two successive IeuislatIv e
recommendations ratified by vote of the PEG
pie; or the whole Constitution may be altered
or amended by Il convention II revise or
change it. which convention the Const.tuti
requires shall be called whenever a majority,
Of the electors vote for it. The argument of
the bankitcs and s9ft democrats why the bank
question should be submitted TO the people.
and the powers Of the Legislature on that sub
ject extended, is that the Constitution oircs
the power to the Legislature to submit il to a
vote Of the people. and il Is safe and democrat
&c 10 trust the people, and tmocrats should
not be afraid - trust them. If the argument
IS good for any thing, 1t is just as rood ID
prove that the Legislature ought to take the re-
quIslte steps to have the Constitution amended
so as to give the Legislature power to author
ize lotteries, grant divorces, create public
debt,allow negroes 10 vote, or restrict foreign
ers from voting, or indeed TO call a new con
vention to substitute the ''old Constitution for
the present (Which by the way | think nnrl,
be very sensble.) But any Of these rroposi-
tons, would be nothing else than PROPOSE Ions
TO subI1lt the question of Banks OF no Banks
to vote Of the people, is nothing else than a
proposition to amend the Constitution; ard I
do not think It is uudemocratjc to refuse to
amend 1t IN that respect, provided it suits me
IS II Is, which 1t does much better than the
proposed alteration would. ] think all who
are m favor Of the establishment Of Banks
ought to vote thus to amend the constitution.
and all who are opposed to their establishment
ought to vote against 5t-and on the same
principle, all who wish 70 give the legislature
power to authorize lotteries, should vote foran
amendment to he Constitution comforting the
power, and those who do not should vote
against it. But as am opposed both to Banks
and Lotteries, am opposed to any amendment.
Of the Constitution that viii inflict either uD-
OH US.
MOSES M STpnNr