The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-10-12

Why, when this question presents itself
upon the public mind, do those who hold |
political power in our land, strive to turn |
public attention away from the subject? |
Constant efforts to keep alive the passions |
Of the north do not spring SO much from
hatred Of the south as from the fear that the
people may look into the financial condition
Of the country. When taxation presses
heavily upon labor, new committee is at
once ordered by congress to look up or IN
vent southern outrages. A series OF teles-
copic views of far-of and irritating subjects
are constantly held mp to the public eye, lest
these things which most concern us at home
| shou!d ges a share of our scrutiny. They
| are anxious, at the pending elections, to
| keep mems thoughts intent upon the SQUAD
| BILE between the military and civil members
| of their party. They would have their bub.
| bles of the hour take up the attention OF
| our people. This, through all time, has been
/ the device of those unable to face their cred
itors, or who seek public or private plumber.
| 1 believe wise craftsmanship can save cur
honor. can pay our debts, and lift the load
of taxation from our people. Let us, then,
l confront these financial problemns. WHY'S
our national credit so low? Because ours is
the only government in the world that seeks
to keep alive hatred and discord within its
borders; because it is revolutionary in its
tendencies; because it tramples upon all
those rights ofperson, or property, or freed
ON of thought and opinion, which had here
tofore been the living principles of our po-
| litica1 fabric, and which alone gives it
| strength and value; because 1t has violated
all the pledges it gave from time to time, in
the course of the rebellion; because it infiu-
enced the different states making up the
L hair al
They say, with truth that to pay a man with
| debased paper money when he has had the
}, promise of coin is bad faith. Yet in New
| York, the great commercial state of the
Union, when we were about to pay the public
creditor, who had given us not deprecated
! currency, but sterling coin, the interest mo-
ney that was due him, he was forced to take
a debased paper, at times worth less than
/ one half its face. As governor of this
state, | implored republican Legislature
: not to do this great wrong. pointed out
: | the cost of reputation to our state and ma
ton. I reminded them that we could not dis
grace the chief, the commercial state of this
} Union, the most populous and wealthy of all,
E without bringing shame upon our land
= The appeal was made in vain. Every dem
e ocratic senator voted in favor of keeping uT
J, the faith of the state, while each republican
l placed himself upon the recoru IA isvor o.
: reputation. This one base act has cost GU,
: state tenfold in coin the price of an honest
E l payment of our debts. 1t has thrown upon
US shame which no words can tell
: Another cause for the low, and at this time
f waning credit of the government is, that the
e business men of the world see that the
e statements put forth by the treasury are uset
e | to mislead the people. do not charge tina
) they are untrue; they give the amount o
] bond and currency debt, and such claims a.
y appear upon the books of the department
. but they are used to make the false impress
t sion upon the minds of the people that th'
e bnrthens of taxation will soon grow lighter
+ and that the public securities are gaining il
b real strength and value. Perhaps it is no
the fault of the secretary that they do no
set forth other facts which fill with alarm
every thoughtful man. We are, in truth
making in this country another form of in
debtedness, which does not appear upon hi
l. books, but which are prior lien to tina
II held by the public creditor. When gov
: eminent, by its policy. fastens upon its pee
e pie new and lasting expenses, it makes obi
y cations which are as burthensome to the tn
d payers as if they were annual interest upo
its bonds. - SEES Nd s. -----. =-}
- 1caNcI Trnrn IN orp Srxr