The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-07-25
National Faith.

That the Democratic party means reputation
OF the public debt, and violation of the plight
ed faith of the Government is but too evident to
to those WHO We carefully watched the sayings
Of their speakers and papers in relation to the
Indebtedness Of the Governmental hdard Re-
pub'ican.
The only authoritative Sayings" for the
Democratic party are the resolutions unani-
mously adopted by her national convention :;
and the utterances of that body on the sub
.iect of the national debt give forth no uncer-
tain sound. They declare in favor of the
"payment of the public debt of the United
States as rapidly as possible" andithat where
the obligations Of the government do not
state upon their face, or the law under which
they were issued does not provide that they
shall be paid in coin, they ought, in right and
justice, to be paid in the lawful money of the
United States"
Is that "repudiation :" Is that g viola
ton Of the pghted faith of the government 2
Senator Cole, of California, good republ-
can, says it is not. Senator Morton, of Indi-
ana, one of the most radical of the radicals,
g it is not; on the contrary, he intimatcs
tn. Q pay the $50 bonds in any other way
than : prop sed by the democrats, would hc
reputation. This is his language:
would y the principal Of the fve.twenties
az s,al tt!.,ter notes, because the blndhoi,
agreed to receive them in payment; and, as |
would not repudiate an honest bargain to make
money for the people, SO will not repudiate an
honest bargain to make money for the public
creditor"
And Thad. Stevens, the chairman of the
committee on ways and means that framed
the laws under which all the government
bonds were issued, is still stronger in his de-
nunciation of those who hold the New York
platform to mean reputation. Thus he spoke
in the House on Friday of last week
Mr. Stevens-What was the law under
which these bonds the 5-20's were issued ?
That the interest should be paid up to .artain
tine at 6 per cent in coin. After the uonds fell
due 1t would be payable in money just as the
gentleman from Illinois understood; Just as he
Mr.. Stevens understood; just as all understood
At when the law was enacted; just as it was ex-
planned on the floor dozen times by the Chair
man OF the Committee on Ways and Means If
he knew that any party III the country would
so for paying in coin that which was payable in
money, thus enhancing the debt one half; if he
knew there was such platform, and such
determination on the part of his own party, he
would, with Frank Blair and all, vote for the
other party. He would vote for no such swim
die on the tax payers Of the country: he would
vote for no such speculation IN favor of the large
bondholders and millionaires. He repeated,
though 1T was hard to say it, even if Frank
BLAIR stood on the platform of paying according
TO the contract, and If the Republican candidate
stood on the platform Of paying bloated specula-
TORS twice the amount agreed to be paid them
ana OF taxing his constituents to death, he
would vote for Frank Blair, even if q worse man
than Seymour was on the ticket. much excite.
mont and sensation.
Mr. hostile Democratic doors are still open
and the gentleman can be taken in.
That is what the "great lights" ofahe re-
publican party think of the plank of the
Democratic platform which the Republican
says means reputation.
But Morton, Stevens and Cole maintain
that the Chicago radical platform means the
zane thing with the New York platform, On
the other hand, Cameron, Sherman, Frelinc.
huyson, and other lights of the radical party
contend that the Chicago platform means
gold. As our neighbors of the Republican,
though denouncing the democrats as repudi-
st0rs, have thus far studously avoided giving
us their Interpretation of the Chicago plat
iorTn-whe,hcr the words, "the letter and