The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-08-22
JUDGE s4ARswoOD AND LEGAL TENDER

ent on the subject Of our national fnan-
ces which purports TO come from the
West, and, charges the Democracy of
that region with favoring substantial
reputation of the public debt, by SUBJ
stituting greenbacks " for the out
standing bonds which are payable, both
principal and Interest, in gold. In
other words, by compelling bonG-hold-
els to surrender their bonds, accepting
payment therefor in legal tender notes
This being the substance of the text the
Tribune rem marks as followcs:
Our readers will bear witness that we
have steadily opposed all these indirect
paths - to reputation as only moro knavsh
than direct, unblushing rascalicy. The
American people, in or, er to sustain th cir
national existence, were constrained to
borrow twenty-five hundred millions of
dollars. They obtained this vast sum
on the best possible terms-cagerly accept
ing bills for loans--from native and foreign
| er, Republican and Democrat, War Unionist
or Copperhead, No man can say that he
might not have had all the bonds he chose
to take on the same terms with those who
did take them. Now it is the imperative
dictate of honesty and good faith that we
shall pay these loans presisely as we con-
tracted TO pay them. The pretense Of pay
ing them by issuing twenty-five huudred
millions of new greenbacks, redeemable in
nothing, and proffcring these to every public
creditor, dollar for dollar, in lieu of the
principal and interest in gold that we owe
him, aOouId shame any swindler aoho ever
uttered counterfeit money, orpaSsed OF bogus
checks. No one will oountcnance any Of
these devices for evading debts instead Of
paying them, who is not IN heart and soul
a vitlain. Any Republican or War Demo-
crat who lends them shadow of counte-
nance proves himself an migrate, a vMain,
and a fool.
| In his dissenting opinion in the case
of Borie VS.. Trott, Judge Sharswood, in
well-sclected judicial language, denied
the constitutionality of the act Of Con-
gresss of February 25, 1862, which is
supposed to have made paper the equiva.
lent OF coin in the payment of debts
for obvious reasons rejecting the edito-
rial epithets of " swindler," migrate"
d" FOOL" villain" &c., as applicable tc
those who will I" lend countenance," OF
{" a shadow Of countenance " to the
opposite doctrine. His view of the law
upon this question is in full accord with
that of the Tribune, communicated with
so much empasis in the above extract
To that paper is generally conceded the
position of the organ Of the Republican
party of the country-it sustains Judge
Sharswood's view that paper and gold
are different things, and that even Con-
gressicnal omnipotence cannot make
them either identical or equivalents, anc
yet the Republican press Of this city
and State have hinged their whole op
position to Judge Sharswood, as thu
Democratic candidate for the Supreme
Bench, upon the opinion entertained il
co mmon by him and the Tribune OIL
this important question. Have the Re
publican party no uniform theory upol
this Subjects, or are there faction
within its organization, one holding thi
view and another that ? Does one Re
publican hold that piece Of printed
! paper, promising to pay one dollar, i
identical with piece Of gold medal will
the impress of " one dollar stampel
upon it by die while another Repub
, lican, equally sound in the faith. insist
t that there is difference between tn
7 two? IF Simon Cameron were to boz
| row of John w Forney 100000 il
| gold delivered in bulk, in sacks or keg
f at the United States Mint in Phlade,
phia, to be repaid in ten, twenty o
thirty days at the office Of 4" The Press,
at Seventh and Chestnut streets, woul,
. the said John W. Forney be willing t
r receive payment Of his loan in the legs
teLder notes of the United States as tn
equivalent of the gold he had loanec
. dollar for dollar !? If not, why not
o In such case which would be the NOR
consistent and steadfast Republican, ss.h
< Cameron who rendered payment i
e paper of the debt contracted in gold, G
o the Forney who refused to accept tn
= tender SIR, Forney's "two newspaper
both dailes," support tho Cameron sid
: ofthis supposed case, and say the pape
h payment is legally sufficient. Judg
Sharswood and the Tribnue concur
condemning il. This is the exact issu
the Republicans make with Judg
n Sharswood, and this the people will d,
II termine in October next, and upon thei
i heads will rest the consequences of thei
: decision.-Age.
To MAKE SrACK G CEprr Y, Tn1ru