Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-08


misery through the tangled meshea Of the
world--the cunning legislation by which
the few rob the many, and by means Of
jails, prisons and standing armies hold
them at bay and prevent them from
avenging their wrongs.
I" As the ballot is the Columbiad Of our
political power, and every citizen who
has II is a full armed Monitor" we de-
mand this sure protection for all-men
and women; including, Of course, the
mothers, wives and daughters of the
brave men who fell in our last revolution.
A place in all the profitable and honor.
able empleyments, a fair days wages for
fair days work, are better than charity (;
for virtue and dignity can only be main
tained by self-independence and self
-support Give a man right over my
subsistence" says Alexander Hamilton,
and he has right over my whole
moral being"
As labor is ever degraded by dis
franchisement, and as capital uses the
cheap labor of woman to depress mans
wages, and extend the hour of his toll in
all those trades where she works by his
side, il is clearly the interest Of laboring
men TO extend the right OF suffrage to
the women of the nation, who are now
fast coming to compete with them in the
world Of work.
1t ia the duty OF the Government to
protect its citizens = native-born or
naturalized-in foreign lands, and to
demand the immediate release Of those
now confined in British jails for no crime
committed on its soil
No more Of the public lands should be
granted to any corporation on any pre-
text whatever; and all lands not dis.
posed of should be withdrawn from the
market and sold only in small quanti-
ties to actual settlers. All soldiers and
sailors should be entitled to quarter
section of land. and all disabled in the
recent war be supported at the public
expense.
We want economy in the appropria-
tions by Congress, and taxes laid for rev.
enue purposes to meet the necessary and
proper expenses of the Government, and
not to enrich favored few by class or
sectional legislation.
We need new American system of
finance and political economy, which
will relive American interests from the
financial control of Europe, and protect
labor from the tyranny of capital. A
system that compels five-sixths of the
human family to ceaseless toll for mere
hand-to. mouth subsistence is clearly false
and oppressive.
An immediate return to specie pay
ments would so derange trade and COM
merce, and paralyze the whole industry
of the country as to make the payment
of the national debt impossible, and COM
pel absolute reputation. While the West
has not money enough for its business
wants, and the South no money at all
the national debt, created by initiation,
can never be paid by contraction.
|. Government to pay off the Five
twenty bonds in legal tender notes, and
these TO be funded at the option of the
holder into three per cent convertible
bonds, subject to no taxes.
2. Greenbacks shall be the lawful
money or currency. The $500, 100000
of national bank notes, and $50, 100000
three per cent. certificates to be with
drawn and replaced by 1850, 100000 of
greenbacks, thus saving about $25, ,OOO,-
900 per anDum.
3. Government to issue currency
bonds bearing three per cent. annual in
terest in exchange for greenbacks, again
reconvertibls into green, acks at par on
demand, and free from taxation.
4. The Secretary Of the Treasury to
keep only a reasonable balance in the
Treasury Departments-say $l00000,-
900 as a maximum-and all above that
sum to be used in buying and cauceling
the six or Eve per cent. interest bonds.
This change will probably save about
$40, 900, 900 annually in interest.
s. The expenditures of the army to be
reduced to S3O,000,000 annually; and
every regiment shall consist of not less
than one thousand men. When regi-
ments fall below one thousand men, they
shall be disbanded or incorporated with
other regiments. The pay Of all army
officers not in actual service to cease du-
ring such term. This would save about
$l70, 900, 900 per annum.
6. The expenditures for the army and
navy to be reduced to $40, 100000 annu-
ally, thus saving about $600O0,00O.
7. These several changes would effect
a total immediate reduction in the peo-
ples burdens of about $276, 900, 900 per
annum, representing at six per cent.
capital of 81 600, 100000 thus extin-
gushing at blow a burden on the peo-
pie equal to double the amount of our
present national debt
8. The income tax to be repealed. !
Taxes to be imposed on all fixed prop
erty, including bonds and mortgages. |
Ctata roiIuav insuranca and hank |
stocks, and all Government bonds, ex-
cepting the three per cent. convertible |
bonds enumerated above.
In behalf of the Woman's Suffrage |
Association of America.
ELIzABETH CADY STANTON,
MRs. Horace GREELEY,