The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-09-26

Wade said that when he looked into the face
of man who said the bonds ought to be
paid in legal tender, that be was looking in
to the face Of man who ought to be IN the
penitentlary. 1had Stevens met that by
saying that he didn't know an honest man
in the country who didn't believe they were
payable in legal tender.
would like to have this family quarrel
settled up. would like to know today
whether It is the tenet Of the republican par
~ that these bonds should be paid in gold.
The Chicago convention said they we're to
be paid according to the letter aud split Of
the contract. | would like to know what
The letter and spirit Of the contract is. /
have shown that wise doctors disagree as to
what il IL. Is it the faith Of the republican
party that those bonds which were issued in
lsG2-those fve.twenty bOnds-whioh have
teen issued every year since, which were
bought from the government with legal ten
der when gold stood at 2jO-is it their faith
that these bonds shall be paid in gold aud
not in legal tender? Why gentlemen, you
know how these bonds were sold. You know
in 1863 gold was up to rs, in 1864 itstood
on an average Of 2 90, and in 1865 it stood
nearly 200, and the man who owed his
neighbOr 100000 in gold, agreeing to pay
in 1860, took his twenty thousand dollars in
I2Gi bought $500 Of legal tender notes
with it, paid $4,000 in gold, took the rest
Of it and bought $4,000 Of 500 bonds, and
since that time he has been collecting 81,
500 year in gold interest; aud now he
claims he is to be paid $4,000 in gold for
these bonds, when they cost him only $l2,
600 in gold. Let US understand this bust
ness.
see before me great many lsboring
men, men who gain their bread by their da.
ly work. Are YOU willing to 60 on paying
| high tariffs, high taxes, that this system
may be carried out A voice, "No. /
Somebody says the lsboring man does not
pay the taxes. Doesn't he2 Go to the
corner grocery and buy your tea, coffee, and
sugar, which costs three times as much as
in 1860 Don't you pay to that man every
dollar Of duty that has been collected at the
| custom house when the tea, coffee, and SUI
| gar were entered here2 When you 20 to the
sto.e to buy your clothing, don't you find
| that the price Of it has increased in the pro.
| portion in which these men have been Obig.
| ed to paw taxes? When you rent room in
this city in which you have been obliged to
crowd your wife and children, don't yor pay
rent to the landlord in proportion to the tax
he has to pay to the county treasurer ?
Talk to me about labor not paying taxes
II is labor that pays the taxes, and it is you
who sit before me who will have to pay the
taxes upon and the principal Of these $50
bonds in gold. Applause On the other
hand, the democratic doctrine is this:
We will do exact justice to the bondhold
er where we agreed to pay him in gold we
will payit to the utmost where we agreed 10
pay him paper, We will pay him paper to the
utmost. We will not rob the bOndhoder for
the benefit Of the people, neither will
we rob the people for the benefit ofth bond.
holder. Tremendous applause And as
these bonds become due, $l00,000,000 in
one year, $2O0,000,00O in another, and
100000, 600, in the third year, we will pay
| them out or the honest saving Of the great
revenue which the government has and as
we pay them day by day, we viii take up
this mortgage which these men have crowd.
ed upon the bone and sinew Of the country.
And as we wipe out each $l00,000,000. OF
the debt, so much more valuable will be each
| Sl00,000,000 of the lecaltender notes.
| Applause.
| Now gentlemen, have answered, be
lieve, all the questions that have been put
70 me. have spoken longer than intend
ed to speak TO you this afternoon; longer
than thought it would take to answer the
questions. Gm much obliged to you for
your attention, and | bid you good night.