, 1861-10-12

Constitutional CeAveM1!en--The Cur
re0cy Question U3seaAseAs
Editors Of the Chicago Duly Tribune :-~-
:: Thepower which money exeEts in its COM
binations Of society y solmpoftaat and wide
spread, that Il is difficult to estimate its In
Auenee either for good Or for evn .Batin o.
der that it may advance the prosperity Of
people; it must be Of thAt character Rhich
'ehall have l. fixed value and pexmEnency,
Ehieh commercial nations shall acknowledge.
That beil 6 the case, the gold and silver NOW
In use in this State and Nat!on, are its true
representatives.
.Tne question then afises, why It is that ne
have, for 10 longs time, submitted to the pse
and abuses of that which a not money!
That this subject SSIl and should be pressed
:on the com1p. Constitutional Convection, T
entertain Got > doubt. That some eonBtitu-
Zonal provisions ehould be made to protect
t5e people Of this State from further imposl-
the signs Of the times, impezatiyely de-
manded.
That certain portion ofbusiness men have,
BY habit or otherwise, become, as it were,
spell; bound by the specious advantages of'a
Fapercnfrency, Is to be expected@ome hon
est and faithful, but am sorry to say thzt I
tear many dc it through motives Of 6pecu1a
tion. Many Of whom are mgre adyentnrers-
men that ha7e every thing to gain, and moth
irg to 10ee-men that perform none Of the
Labor, ard that bear but little Of the burdens
Of the State.
no money shall be legal tender, except gold
and silver, I feel cannot be too highly appFe-
ciafed. It IL IS it were . stand point from
which should emenate az our laws on this
subject; 30 long ae the. State takee no other
money but specie in payment Of it's revenues,
why, I would respectfully and earnestly ask,
should our labor be paid In any others Il Is
known to al couve1sant with the history Of
this state, that revulsion after reyulsion, have
followed each other, all and every one of
which hare been brought about by what was
| said to be safe, but which We know, too
many Of nB By sad experience, Vas 3 ieck-
lesE banking Bystem-at each and every time
bringing great depression In prices and busi-
nese-at the same time aggrayat1ng the evil,
baVlEE BY Its use and presence, driven ont the
| only real money from the State-3-its gold and
silyer-in Wold producing wtde spread ruin
ard bankruptcy.
I will not pretend to say that paper cur
reneJ may rot be tolerated and perhaps used
to some advantage in large commercial and
-Inanufac ctur1ng districts, bat in IN agIcultara
State like our own, no policy can be more
| tatal to our interests.
| The amount lost to the labor Of this State
in 1887 and in 1861 may well be counted b.
millions. We are told by many that q papel
currency tends to develop the resources Of 1
State. Believe no such de1usion. There is NJ
True wealth but that rom labor, and ever
means that takes from 1t, and gives no rea
to day, and depresses it tomorrow, ia it
greatest and most {atl enemy. Debts tn
great bane Of our people, the precursor ami
foundation Of which has and will continue t,
be, paper currency. The accumulated cost:
Of courts, 6herifs, Justices, constables, !Se.
could they be fully represented, would form
another startling item In the burden which
We, az people, have to bear.
>. The vivid recollection Of the past, an'
smarting, IS too many Of Us do now, from re
cent bank losses, would it not In Us be tn
part Of wisdom. to adopt and give that tai
trsa1, which We believe to be the only tru
money Of state-its gold and silver. Wha
| say you, men OF Illinois? WHITEsDE.