The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1868-09-17

Il upon tHe DOnQnOIQefS, and Wh1cl
drew from the Tribune the usual quo
ia of abuse which that journal VISIT
upon all Democrats who are doins
their country good service at tfiii
time. We trust sMr. Dawson vii
continue, his labors in behalf of "a Sey
mour and Blair. and the Gomsti tdtion,s
till victory perches upon our banfiers
4 in November: Gi.9d .siI Ijiw S>'ii"=
The issue which lis the Aaron's rod
of the hour, and destined to swallow
up all the other issues of the approach.
ing canvass, is essentially financial
The Valor and skill displayed BY the
tSouthern soldiers early in the war be.
tween the States, soon suggested tc
the United States Government the FACT
that is now history ito-wit.a That the
subjugation of the South was to be nc
\ child's play but would require for its
Iconsummation Almighty army thor
oughly equipped. ARMIES are con-
strueted oflfiesh and blood are cloth
ed, fed, armed and paid with money.
The United States Government, then,
had to nhave the soldiers and money,
To raise the soldiers they offered a
bounty, and to raise the bounty they
issued bonds. The young and the
brave responded to the bounty, while
the rich, the aged and the timid bought
the bonds. The soldier. ga1lantly and
faithfully executed mis- contract-
fought the fight out, conquered, a
peace, and was honoraBly discharged /;
but now, as the hour approaches, to
settle with the bondh6lder,, trouble
commences. Save with reference to
the ten-forties, it is not nominated in
these bonds, nor declared iii the, acts
iof Congress under which they were
issued, that they arctic beredeemed III
coin.! On the Il contrary when an
amendment was offered TO the bill pro-
posing to- issue these bonds, seeking
to make them payable in coin, that
amendment was voted down.. IApa
plause.] This lis aomatter of record
in; Congress. 1t occurred in the open
halls of public legislation,i and ,ac-
quired notoriety from the fact that it,
passed the Senate, where it originated
and was defeated in the Honse. This.
then was notice to the world and 9tas.,
doubtless, the very reason why, when
they were put upon the market, they
would only bring forty cents! 1EThosee
who bought them took advantage of
this fact, to get them cheap They
knew they were the offspring oftaD
greenback statute; they have not for
gotten that they bought them at al
greenbaek price, and paid for them in
deprecated greenback bills; and vet,
in the face of ali these HISTORICAL facts;y
they have theIastounding Iefronteryltoi
demand gold for them The lteh-for+
ties were theilast bonds issued, and
that they are toibe paid in gold is so
nominated in the bond. Il Why'Was it
necessary to change. the bond-language
of the day, if it was the intention of
Congress to make the. first tredeemable
in coin? The answer Isl self-sugges-
tive. When, Congress meant to re-
deem in coin,r they said SO, as it was
2 necessary 7'; to say when they made an.
other other cur currency q. legal tender. II APP
plause. ]b9 When, they did not intend to
redeem with! coin, they did otlsay so,
lapplause] never dreaming that wealth
could l'd make afLke, any man .eonceited and
presumptiye enough to- imagine that
he was entitled to gold when it. was
not promised that he was better than
humber men, who,, while he. was
sslklulllking s slklulllking at home from dangers were !
facing danger at the 'front.' pouring
out their blood on battle-fields, and re-
ceiving their pay in greenbacks. APPS
plausei] On the face of these bonds
it is expressly stated that the interest
must q nus be paid in gold. This,is notice
again to the, world that the, principal
was not to be paid in gold. No court
ever has held, or ever. will hold that
the law will imply. when the princi-i
pal is payable in one currency, the in-lI
terest due on it is payable in another
If Congress intended to make the
payable inicoin, the sequence i
would legally follow that the, interesta
must be paid in coin, as light L naturally a tLls
follows rising Of the Sun, stn, al and Leo.
islation to that effect would not bel
necessary But if they intended that
the principal should be paid III gre Green |
backs, to make the interest then en- Tp5alyagi
BILE in coin, special legislation Il became a;iu
That legislation was
had, and nothing was ever more M e 3exgt
plicitly expressed or oramio5ire more clearly con x
oeded thanthat these bonds were ,il not not to !
bepaid lcoinno[Applause.l Yet the
plethoricG bondholders NOV opertinas
,iously insist that their bonds must be |
redeemed i'm coin.gi There is brazenl
about.suchl downright dis
honesty, that oufrages all 1hotfestI
IDEAS, of dignity and ideeehey; iailtdii iin-iE
Eites denunciation, andein Edefiouncf
II 1 may employq occasional Harsh /
7erms and therefore before ehtefing 7
upon the discussion of the merits of /
his sore1 issue beeweenT the fffHIIf6n /
md the millionaire, /, wish it distinct |
[E EIunderstoodl that albeitI1 expect to
1onelusiEely prove Tint there is a. CLASS
Df: lbondholdersi who have noi elaifis
whatever Iupon thedrespectlahd graft +
tude of the American people, that
nevertheless there are Ibondhold lders
who have :! such claims. If There are
p9ndhohers who fought for the cid
fag; there are also many other bond
holders who do not expect, exact on
demand lem gold fort their bonds. Zap
DlauSe.1 Of course these fhyceofihual i