Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-01-17
DAILY EVENING STAR,
The Currency Of the District.

The Currency OF the District.
Our wise legislative fathers in the House
of Representatives have been ed flying the
country for the last few days, with long
wlnded orations Upon the state Of the cur
rency in the Dist let, topic as
"stale, fat, and improbable .--
as any that has come up during the present
and preceding sessions. For years we have
had periodical visitation in Concress
on the part of the sagacious occupants of
its desks and seats, in relation to the ..pr-
alta questio' of our local currency; and vet
We find no remedy that can be applied 30
as to efectually check the abuses connected
with this currency question, for they pass
their laws, whic'. always prove a nulity.
We are not one of those that hold our faith
in the efficient working of the social system.
and general accommodation that should fol.
low to business operations, without good
circulating medium. The idea is prepos.
ferrous, but many of our wise lawgivers
make their speeches for Buncomb in Con-
gress here, more than through any desire to
benefit the District of Columbia. 1t is an
admitted fact, and long established, too.
that the members at either end of the Capi-
tol, with but few exceptions, claiming to
be our guardians at this seat of the Govern
ment, but feel no more interest in the welfare
and advancement of the District of Colum-
bia than they do of the position of the army
or the navy themselves-the miserable
fragments of which are allowed to remain
on the standing lists, as if in mockery Of
the power and strength of the Nation.
These arguments of our wiseacres in
Congress, however, on the subject of the
currency of the District, are stereOtyped year
after year, and while aippantly speaking Of
the ''shinplaster" trash that we admit floods
the District, many members, particularly
from the West and East, are apt to forget
that they, too, have their shinplast.rs and
quacks to cure the diseases of the body poll
tic, known in the category under the spe-
cious designation of the-ouri sacra fames.
which is sort of itching" that our wor-
thy members themselves are sometimes sub
ject to.
We would ask those members who sug-
gest it as the "most effectual remedy, to
prosecute the poor hackmen and washer
woman in whose possession notes of aHy
denomination under So may be found. to
pass law allowing the existence of small
note currency, varying from 81 and up
wards, and simultaneously with it, also to
pass law excluding from circulation the
base foreign coin that foods the District,
and no sbinplaster system can compete with
it. We would then have fair opportunity
of protecting the great mass of the business
public from system of plunder that has
long been felt as an evil aud abuse, that
comes home to the doors of every citizen Of
the District. Congress can pass no law to
check the circulation Of small notes at the
seat of Government We have such a law
already in existence, and it has proved an
UTTER FAILURE! Will our members of
Congress let the country know if we can
get along here without small notes, or il SO,
with the foreign fps and levies which are
disgrace to our currency all over the Union
THAT SPoT.-A writer, speaking Of the