The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-07-20
The Bondholding Aristocracy.
J7,non, EHnrns,ls wosEI,I

The Democratic platform, and ora.
tors, and papers. with the old Demos
cratic policy of exciting the poor
against the rich, and 1.-THE people"
against the Government, not only in
sist upon paying the debt in paper, but
demand what they call one currency
for the laborer and the Office holder, the
pensioner and the soldier, the producer
and the bondholder. This is, ofcourse,
intended as "gas," and 1t is the very
poorest kind. 1t is meant to suggest
that there is lazy and luxurious class
of bondholders, whom the virtuous
and toiling Democracy" are to bring
to grief. 1t is worth while, therefore,
to expose this aristocracy and privi-
legged class which is fattening upon the
life. blood of the nation. Who are these
rascally fellows who are to be made to
suffer?
Besides the three or four hundred
millions of the bonds held abroad,
mainly In Germany, they are the in
vestments of sayings banks, of fire,
marine, and life insurance companies,
and of trust estates. AS We have before
stated, the savings banks in New York
hold nearly fifty millions of dollarsi in
Massachusetts twenty-five millions, in
Rhode Island thirteen millions, and 80
in other States. The Life Insurance
Companies in the city of New York
invest twenty millions of dollars IN
these funds the Marine and Fire In
surance Companies about torty-sl1
millions of dollars. The various Guar
antee Companies In New York hold a
hundred millions of United States
stock. Probably, as q careful estimate
in the Evening Post showed, at least
two-thirds of the funds are owned by
such companies.
Having thus discovered where the
NfRa In nv
the proprietors ofit-who are these lazy
rognes that put money in the savings
banks, and snap their fingers at the
toiling "masses ?D In the State of New
York the depositOrs in the savings
banks are nearly i've hundred thou
sand in number, and in Massachusetts
more than three hundred thousand.
The Post, of which we have spoken,
had before il a list of the occupations
of the principal depositors in one of the
savings banks of this State, and we
find this body of Sybarltes to be COM
laborious than delegates to a emocrattc
Convention. All the branches of hard
workers are represented in this army.
The largest in number are domestic
servants then technical labOrers; then
seamstresses; 4th. clerks; 9th, tailors;
9th, walters; and 9TH, cartmen. This Is
the luxurious aristocracy which is to
mem ers of society who, having invest
ed their all in the promises to pay of
the United States. are now to find those
promises as valuable as brown paper if
the Democrats can only persuade the
people to repudiate.
IL Is against this pampered body,
against domestics and seamstresses and
clerks and walters and cRrtmen-it is
against the poorest and hardest work
ing members OF society that the Demo-
cratic Convention raises its cry OF repu-
diation. When these persons invested
in the Government bonds the Govern
ment told them they were to be paid in
gold. PAY 'em in paper" shout the
Democratic leaders. When they took
the bonds the Government declared
them free from taxation. "Tax 'em
roundly," cried the Democratic leaders.
But" plead the poor laborers, "we
lent money to save the Government"
"Ho! ho!" scream the Democratic
chiefs, "didn't we tell the Government
four years ago that it couldn't save
itself and ought to surrender? If You
trusted it you must pay the penalty"
II the people care so little about 1t
that they permit the Democratic chiefs
to obtain control of the Government
they will pay the penalty, and they
will deserve to pay it.