Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1867-08-20
Hayes Goes for Paying the Nm
tiOnaI Debt In Greenbacks-Is In
Hayes a RepudiatOr?


The Journal and other Negro Suffrage
sheets have been terribly exercised over
the alleged reputation of the National
Debt, by Democrats proposing to-pay it in
kind. 1t was contracted in Greenbacks
and in Greenbacks 1t is proposed to pay it.
This the Journal calls rank reputation,
just as Dogberry thought unseemly lam
guage was "flat Burglary as ever was ut
tered"
| Despite the attacks of the Negro Suffrage
press, the idea of paying off the debt by an
issue of legal tender notes has taken root
in the public mind and is nearly ready to
bear fruit. just at this particular moment,
and not having the fear of the Journal before
his eyes, Gen. HAYES, the candidate of the
Negro Suffrage party for Governor, steps
in and claims the doctrine as Republican
thunder, and shows when THAD. STEVENS
in 1865 made the proposition in Congress,
for which he (Gen. HAYEs] and ten other
Republicans from Ohio voted. Nay, more.
He charges that the Commercial and Gazette,
Of Cincinnati, both Radical sheets, advo-
Gated it two years since, and thus made it
the Republican policy.
In his speech at Hamilton, in Butler
county, August 14th,as reported in the Gin
cinnati Commercial General HAYES says:
| Now what makes reconstruction neces-
sary? The President says that the
rebellion deprived the States en-
gagged therein of all civil govern
ments. He read the Constitution as
declaring that Andrew johnson should
guarantee to the States a Republican form
of government. The loyal people read it
as declaring that the representatives OF the
people should do this. In discussing that
question we are met with side issues, which
we may as we'll meet here. One of these
issues is that of taxation. l do not charge
any party with being in favor OF repudia-
| tion, but do say, if there is such party
the Union party is opposed to it. We are in
favor of observing our obligations In whole
and In. part, in good faith. The debt is a
heavy load, but we have immense resources,
and the same policy should be observed by
the nation as would be good policy In
private individual-honesty.- Our .oppo-
nents are all at once in favor OF greenoacKs.
Their course on this subject is strange.
Who held up silver five cent piece, de-
claring that it would yet buy bushel of
greenbacks? Who declared that the time
would come when you would be compeu-
ed to exchange bushel for bushel OF green
backs orpotatoes? Now they are In favor
of greenbacks. Judge Jewett, in an elab
crate speech, advocates greenbacks instead
OF bonded debt. Now, it so happens that
in Congress every Democrat voted for
McCulloch's bonding bill; and majority of
Union members, including their present
candidate for Governor, voted mo" Mr..
Jewett evidently forgot which party he was
in. Mr. Jewettis not the author OF his green
back proposition. Editorials in the Cincin-
natl Gazette advocated it in 1865, and so did
Mr.. Thad. SteUens in Congress. On propo-
sition in Congress, introduced By Mr.. Ih1d.
Steuens to issue one hundred millions in green
backs to poy compound interest notes falling
due, Denocrdts Uoted nay, and eleUen Repu6tl-
cans from Ohio, including Mr.. Hayes, rsted
suea" | have carefully examined Judge
Thurman's speeches, and do not find that
he discusses this topic, but l do lind he
calls our currency rags.
We reproduce this choice extract from
HAYES speech tor the edification of the
Journal. Either the payment of the pub
lie debt in Greenbacks is not reputation,
or else Gen. HAYES is repudiator. Ii 1t
is not Reputation, the Journal lies-ifl 1t IS
the Journal, by flying Hayes name at the
head OF its columns for Governor, gives aid
and comfort to reputation of the Ma
tional Debt.
Which horn of the dilemma that paper
will take, the future must determine.