Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1866-01-11
HARD MONEY, OR HARD TIMES.

kers," "monopolists." II ever there was
a grosser misstatement made in connection
with the popular discussion Of this sub
ject, then we have surely quoted the above
assertion under a grave Misrepresentation.
The people, the toorkingmen are almost to
an individual, in favor of hard currency.
You need not travel to fortify yourself in
this opinion ; you cannot with credit TO
your reputation for intelligence, 60 about
reiterating such a foolish statement. If a
vote were to be taken here on this ques-
ton, however, the majority might be safely
put down as W to one for the present,
coin money. The necessity for discussing
this matter, and arranging the arguments
that support our position, does not arise
from the ascer.aired or suspected favor o!
a majority here for the introduction OF
paper money. But a majority might be
wrong. And many have been inclined to
concede the propriety Of a change in our
currency and, perhaps, need to be reasoned
with. that their minds and consciences
may be set at rest on this subject, as
against the impressions received from q
pra,ing and venal press here, and the con-
,inual assaults made upon US by Eastern
men, who find this matter of currency a
convenient text for cheap lectures on our
folly" or "lack of National sentiment"
We are not aware that there is more
than one great monopoly" on this Coast,
whose extortions, as such, have been
sensibly felt and complained about. That
monopoly is the Dutch Flat Railroad
Company; and that concern ~semi-annually
reports, through its officers, in favor Of a
grcenback currency, wherewith to pay of
its Chinese gangs Of eScavators. That
bankers" desire the currency as it is, is
natural enough; and we might challenge
serious objection to their expressing tina,
wish, when it exactly tallies with the de-
sire of the mine owners and managers,
when the former are enable to carry on
their business.
Secretary McCulloch does not hesitate
to tell Congress. that he considers the
legal tender acts war measures " the
products of which are to be "persistently"
retired until those acts are practically no
more. He says that there is no fact
moro manifest than that the plethora OF
paper money is undermining the morals
of the people, "is striking at the root Of
our material prosperity by diminishing
labor"
Speaker Colfax, who came out here pre-
pared and intending to scold US for our
obduracy in rejecting greenbacks as cur
rency, looked upon vi condition with a
statesman's, an appreciative eye, and reso-
lutely sealed his lips from the ut.erance Of
a suggestion, even, against our adopted
money policy /; but, to-day, his judgment
approves our conduct on the financial
question"
In 1864, the Copperhead party, ready to
advocate any measure that would afford
its members the slightest show Of success,
undertook to half adopt the policy Of
g~reenback introduction as u currency I;
but the following year-profting by their
experience in the premises-they fell back
upon the immemorial dogma of States
Rights" as more advantageous for their
platform.
All these signify as TO the right of the
case and the last mentioned circumstance
or fact is clearly indicative Of a general
conviction on the subject that had been
tested and proved.
II is susceptible Of demonstration, prob
ably. that if sreenbacks had been adopted
as our currency in the flush times Of 1868,
we should have been gamers thereby.
or wildcat would have gone the way OF
the Lander and Humboldt new mines
New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chi
a would now contain the owners OF
" Oakland" Branch Mint" "Birdsall,"
"Bilque," and other once noted but now
deprecated claims. Then, people in the
East were ready to invest in almost any
kind of mining interests, so long as green
backs were the article received in pay
ment. Tha, season Of advantage-if such
i, was, in the particular cited-has passed
away-gone forever. The day Of paper
money grace to US has been allowed to
pass unimproved; and the question now,
absolutely, is: Shall we repent Of our
possible loss in not taking things at the
food tide by ~endeavoring to make a pros
porous sail forth over a harbor-bar on or
ebb tide We are safe now. What there
is of business in our communities is sure
and steadfast /; and progress is to be made
on q certain foundation, though it may be
at a very slow rate Of speed. Introduce
greenbacks, and thereby practically ex-
clude gold and silver currency, and we
are stranded; all u interests are
wrecked. o.
The Indebtedness Of three Of our leading
mines, to-day, aggregate a sum greater
than the permitted capital Of National
banks in our State would reach. And
what assurance have we, even, that an
other National bank is likely to be estab-
lished in this State, though paper money
were demanded Where then is the
working capital to come from 1t cannot
be brought here in a day. But let the
Specific Contract Act be repealed, or ire
vocably nulli6ed. and gold and silver coin
for working purposes goes out from among
US in a day Think of these things D
We have now an established gold aud
silver currency. At all times, and under
any conceivable series OF circumstances, it
would be, financially, generally hazardous
to make a sudden change to paper money.
It would DO eminently destructive Of our
business actions and prospects, to actually