The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1868-02-06

AN ABLE ARGUMENT.
Edgerton's Reply to the Laray.
cite Journal.
E. Zimmerman, Esq, Editor Fort wayne
Democrat:
SIR: The following note from you was
handed me on the evening Of the Oath
instant:
FORT WAYNE, Jan. "a, 1868.
Hon. A. 2. EDGERToN
DEAR SIR:-Enclosed hand you an
article from the Lafayette Journal, and
would respectfully ask you to give me
your views on the questions asked therein,
in order to answer the same understand
ingly. Yours, &C.,
Il. ZIMMERMAN.
That the question presented may be
clearly understood, | copy the article to
which you a.lude:
DEMOCRATIC ABHORRENCE OF BONDHOLD.
ERS.
The Fort Wayne Gazette says that the
democrats, to show their adherence of the
bondholders, have nominated one Of the
largest bondholders in the state as their
candidate for lieutenant governor. Let
him now advocate his party's doctrines and
hold on to his bonds, and he will be poor
enough one of these days, if his financial
views prevail.--Lafayetts Journal.
Suppose, for sake of argument,
we were to admit that Mr.. Edgerton, the
democratic candidate for lieutenant gover-
nor, is cndholder-what of that, if he is
willing to take greenbacks for Tie bonds
he may hold That is just what the de-
mocracy are advocating. They want the
bonds paid in greenbacks, and il the bond
holders thereof are willing TO exchange
them for tina. currency, the matter is set
tied. But that is not what's the matter"
The bond-holders want gold-greenbacks
are not good enough Tor that class of bond
holders represented by the Lafayette
Journal and the Fort Wayne Gas6Ne-
though congress has made them the legal
tender Of the country. Now, if Edgerton,
a bondholder, is willing to take greenbacks
for the bonds he holds, he deserves credit
therefor, and is just the man the people of
Indiana ought to elect lieutenant COVER
nor.-F'ors Fayne Democrat.
We understand that Mr. Edgerton is
large bondholder. Now we ask him, re-
spectfully, through the Democrat, or any
other public source, to state if he would
be willing to have the interest on his bonds
stopped, and the principal payed him il
non-interest paying greenbacks, the pay
meat to be made out Of the Sl,700, ,000.-
600 new issue proposed by his party? ID
other words, is Mr.. Edgerton willing to
take, say 335 cents in greenbacks il one
dollars present worth of grecnbacks bear
ing SIX per cent. interest in gold? If so,
he is willing to surrender two-ihirds and
more of his bonds for the good of his coun-
try. This would be patriotic; but does
Mr.. Edgerton think it would be very hon
orable in the government who borrowed
his money, to compel him to make such
sacrifice!
We venture to predict that the demo-
cratic candidate for lieutenant-governor,
the moment he sees his policy about to
IL,
will sell every bond he has, and let the
blow Of reputation fall upon other aud
softer heads. This whole miserable green
back scheme is gotten up to catch votes,
ard no man of Hendricks or Edgerton's
sanse intends, if it should ever be reduced
to practice, to be caught with bonds, or
even the present issue Of grcenbac.,s and
ha,l~ xotoo tto.. lo~lz
Jaycte Journal.
1t seems the Lafayette Journal and
rlany other republican papers in the state
insist upon making me 4" large bondhold-
er." Their purpose is to show that an
United States bondholder ought not to be
candidate Of the Democratic party; or,
if he persist in being candidate, it must
be at the sacrifice of his personal inter-
eats.
Taking the position assigned me, Of
bondholder, aud being candidate Of the
democratic party, and standing on its
platform Of January 6, 1868, | will treat
the questions presented, from democrat.
ic bondholder's end candidates stand
point.
1t may be stated that a democrat not
connected with the government for the past
seven years, and not interested in any
rings" in congress or any contracts out
Of it, might legitimately have had some
property, and some money to invest in
"payipg securities;" and, it may be as
sumed, that he applied to his investments
the average intelligence Of men who had
accumulated property by years of labor,
and not suddenly, by government con-
tracts. Finding himself in possession Of
money he desired to invest at paying rates
Of interest, he goes into the market to
seek satisfactory securities. He finds his
government in the market as q borrower.
He may have had his own ideas as to the
necessities of the government, and as to
whether they were not occasioned by reck-
less expenditures, frauds and speculations;
and as to whether it was necessary or po-
little to create funded debt at all-espe.
cially funded debt to be sustained and
paid by the industrial pursuits Of the
country only. Being powerless to effect
any change in the policy Of the govern