Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-12-17

the sAss~ syiflt Il & is xeil ssz@~4 up ~ the
erxs q the aRfhSr
By nv soui, swear.
Th~rr "a No Pa-cf ~ tAs toa<u~ of msn
Ts Ait-r ~ ss<y here upSs nv toad
uftA ths-- ySexs to the bill heiag een<sii1-
tsosAi ! cszl4 moi yots GOT Il wiShsat ftsaa sso-
44zsss 0f 49, oA1A. hsssysr nsEs aga; sSEe
ssksd 10 ID Il soreSTer, tbs sa~stson of I.
sPeeikc coutr4cs I2x E-s dsseEs-ea Lass spriag By
NJ esrn and myself. before rhs yeoPis. he
iaxss<s ts&s saea . lac 90. es~xszsssseasi aB9
ssc-sssry; uAIi~ ] naintzined that Il ~-s s~a-
tAer bsi a.ssoyAl Aa4 PesaieseEs. y. views EPoa
his SUBJECT. therrfore, acre sell knoun by tsose
90 gave their sGfrages. This objection TO
the iin wonl4 hsv. been removed. had IL frlsnts
voted foe my proposed snsendment tina, the bill
shoald not bt construed executed as ia any
manner 10 csuirat-ae the Iax vi Congress making
Treasury notes a legal tender for all debts, pub
lie aud private, except duties on Imports and in
iere.t on the rablic debt The fact that they re-
-ei To vote Tor ~. left without any doubt as
10 whai was their understanding Of the scope OF
their fa,oriie measure aud ! had not made up
mind TO 20 with them into the rebel camps by the
way Of an affirmative vote upon this bin; for how
ever Others. differing from me, may have regarded
il. looked upon il as being the end OF a journey
which am not likely to take, until have great
deal less fnith in God, and Guupowder and Cen
eral Grant.
"And feel within me
A peace above all earthly dignities,
A still and quiet conscience
The platform adopted by the Baltimore conven-
ton that nominated Abraham Lincoln, declares
that il is the duty Of every loyal citizen to do oil
in his power to uphold the General Government
by the sustaining the credit of its currency. But
the passage of the specific contract law is giving
the whole authority ofthe State to ruin the hnan-
ces of the nation by discreditng its currency.
Mere lip service and profession OF loyalty amount
to nothing unless they are accompanied by cores
ponding votes. The vo,es on this specific con-
tract law are not such as the Government ut WASH
ington would approve but they are such US the
rebel Government ut Washington would most cor
daily approve. +.,'- '..t.l -
The friends of the BILL it seems to me, will find
themselves somewhat embarrassed in their at
tcmpts to get away from the unpleasant cOnclu-
sions that naturally crowd around their votes, for
although am sure that they do not thereby actu-
ally mean to be disloyal, yet others will be less
charitable, and may even believe that the
"Falsc face may hide what the false heart doth
know" '..
There would still have been another objection
to this bill. Tt was so wordcd as to amount
to II virtual repeal of tho law Furnishing the
taking Of usurious interest for the loan OF
money. BY It's provisions man might loan a
thousand dollars in United States Treasury notes
when their commercial value was but forty cents
on the dollar, and take note for thousand dot
lars, with twelve per cent. interest payable in
gold or silver coin. This, then, would give the
lender seventy-tw0 per cent. interest payable IN
coin on loan of thousand dollars in United
States Treasury notes. This feature OF the Dill
clearly saw would itself overwhelm the country
with ruin and distress, sooner or later, by throw
ing the mcchar ic and the farmer into the merci-
L., AZ lists n .
rTll have my bond and therefore speak no
more.
IN not be made soft and dull-cycd fool,
To shake the head, relent and sigh, and yield
To Christian intercessors.'
For the purpose of curing the bill Of this vice,
introduced the amendment declaring that 1t should
not be so construed or SO executed as to permit
the taking Of usurOus interest. This proposed
amendment was in like manner voted down BY the
friends OF the bill. Had there been any doubt be-
fore, there could longer be any then, that this
was an array of the capitalists OF the country
against its laborcrs-the man Of money against
the the man Of muscle.
For these reasons, rs for others, voted against
the BILL know that for member Of the Legis-
atare to vote in opposition to the expressed will OF
his constituents, is AS rash as to pluck sucking
cubs from shc-benr, or to mock lion when nc
roars for prey. But did not regard the petition
sent to me from Benton county as expressing the
deliberate judgment Of my constituents, because
they knew during the canvass had expressed my
hostility to specific contract law, as being not
not only pcrnicious, bnt as being unconstitutional.
These opinions had repeatedly announced in my
addresses to the people during the last canvass
Mr. Burnctts views differing in all respects from
mine. ;, .b
With these clearly expressed and still retained
views of obligations to the Constitution and loyal
ty to the Government in peril, ! could do no 9TH
erwise than take my stand upon that ground, as
alIording me firm and sure footing. And not a!
the promises and Establishments Of earth could
have scdu ccd me from it, nor yet all the powers
and tertors Of perdition have driven me rom II.
And now appeal from capital to labor-from
money to muscie-from the mortgage to the mort
gager- from the man who processes to be loyal 10
the man who is truly to-ahd, in short, from the
pm. .ions. the prejudices, and the low and sord'd
interests of the present hour. to the calm deiiber
ate, enlightened, and patriotic Judgment oi the
future. J. .QtiNN Iuo"N'o'
Representative from Benton County
Ho.s. Of Rsrs.s.a~ssrss. Oct n 1854