The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-02-26
A WoRKINeMEN's ADDRESS.
OPENING THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE Ma
TIONAL BANKS.
The Foreshadowing Of n New Party
.,1atform-Kicking out the Politicians
Misunderstanding but the Nations
Money as n Circulating Nj ium.


Money rs n Circulating NJ, ium.
The National Labor Unions address to the
people of the United States sets out with the
assertion that the legislation of the whole coun-
try is in the hands of single class-lawyers-
and under the supreme control Of bankers,
monied men and professional politicians, to
the almost entire exclusion of the productive
classes, who are the real sources of all our
wealth. The authors of the address have no
hope in party politicians. They have been
tried and found wanting. The address goes
on to say:
After one hundred years of their adminstra-
tjon we find ourselves in possession of q ma
tional debt of $2,4OO, ,000, 600; State and local
debts OF equal amount; the public domain
largely wasted; much Of the most fertile land
in the country in the hands OF railroad compa-
nies and other monopolles; statesmen, editors,
flnancicrs and politicians clamorlng for return
to specie basis, system which IS selEde-
structiye, and has produced universal CONNER
cial disaster every ten years, thus dcmonstrat-
ing It's utter incomrctency; monicd aris-
tocracy: disorganized labor; blasted conl-
mercc: q land fill of murder, suicide, prostitu-
ton, arson, robbery, poverty, public corrup--
tion.prvate vice and intcmperance; divided
interest, and divided people, All these and
more we find, and therefore demand sllrren-
der of the powers so long abused In making
this demand we have no compromises to offer
or accept We mean no bargain and sale of
our high trusts or the peoples interests for
the benefit OF any party.
THE NATIONAL BANK CONSPIRACY.
Itis undeniaby true that II the government
had issued $500, 900, 900 greenbacks In lieu Of
the bonds deposited to secure the redemption
of the bank currency, 1t would have saved
every dollar Of the interest on them except the
| one per cent. tax on the circulation, anu at
| the same time IL would have furnished the peo-
ple with better currency. The bankers, not
satisfied with this enormous bonus, have the
ef[rontery to demand the withdrawal OF the
greenbacks now in circulation, and the sub
stitution oil their own currency. II successful,
we shall soon have as much as 81 ,000, ,000 0O0 OF
currency in circulation, and then, when the
profits arising from furnishing the currency go
| into the vaults of the banks and pockets ef the
usurcrs, we shall hear nothing more about In
fation until the next breakdown.
THE woRKINGMEN's CURRENCY.
We arc in favor Of discharging that portl on
of the debt heretofore contracted, which Is by
the law authorizing its creation made payable
| in gold, in that commodity, and OF llquldating
1t at the earliest practical moment; but we insist
that all other forms OF Indebtedness, includ-
Ing the five-twenty bonds, shall be paid at the
earliest option OF the government in the legal
tender paper currency or lawful money OF the
| governments; that the bank currehcy and the
present legal tenders (greenbacks) shall be
| withdrawn from circulation. and there shall
| be issued in lieu thereof as the exclusive cir
cualing medium Of the nation, paper currency
made O legal tender in the payment OF all
debts, public and private, duties on imports
| included. and declared the lawful money OF
| the United States, and convertible at the plea
sure of the holder into government bonds,
bearing interest OF three per cent. per annum.
PAYABLE in lawful money. The bonds to be
| likewise convertible into this lawful money at
! the option Of the holder.
SQUARE DEAL FOR LABOR.
Such a currency, being under the direct con-
troll of The peoplc, they will be enabled to pre-
vent the high and fnctuatinS rates OF Interest,
and the violent expansions and contractons
Of the currency which have caused inc none
| tary crises and commercial revulslons which
! have hitherto so frequently prostrated all legi-
innate enterprise and productive industry,
dcranged commerce, lowered the standard OF
commercial integrity, and made US little less
than a nation of gamblers. It will likewise en-
| able us to effect the equitable distribution oil
the products Of industry and enterprise be-
tween Clpllul anu ldUVi. tuuS lCluoNlHto taS
necessity for the excessive toll which Is now
over-taXng the mental energies and physical
powers of the producing classes, and afford
| Them the time and means required for social
endowment, intellectual culture and moral I'M
prOvcmcnt
WHO PAYS TIE INTEREST.
All interest paid for the use of money-na-
tional. State, county or town bonds, railroad,
manufacturing, and all other corporation
bonds, bank dividends, or for any purpose
whatever-mlst in The end be borne by labor,
and is as much charge on labor as the taxes
paid for the support Of the government When
the rate exceeds the aggregate rate of Increase
in the national wealth. the Inevitable result Is
to centralize the wealth or property in the
hands of the few non-producers and to impoy-
ersh and degrade the weSlth-produclng class
es The government is bound to institute mo-
ney so that it shall distribute products to nom
producing capital and productive industry ac-
cording to the service or labor performed In
their production. Therefore, all interest paid
beyond such just rate rs will effect the equita-
BILE distribution OF products and property be-
tween capital and labor is q legaliZcd fraud on
the producing classes.
THE STRUGGLE FOR THE MASTERY.
Our monetary laws, unlike our government,
are founded on the aristOcratic principle that
the few should rule the many. The many toll
for the few. Their history, from tho founda-
ton of the Republic. is one OF repeated wrongs
and usurpations, all having direct tendency
to the sllbversion OF Democrat!c-Rcpublican
institutions, and the establishment of mon
led aristocracy to rule over and despoll the
producing classes of their substance. After
gaining our political independence, we unior-
Lunately engraited into our system ideas OF
money derived from the aristocratic govern
mcnts OF Europe. and ever since this monied
aristocracy has been striving for the mastery
of the government and people. The breaking
out of the rebellion afforded the occa-
sion for the full exhibition Of the insatla-
able avaricc of the money autocrats.
Having, through unwise and vicious egsla-
ton, to great extent control OF the money
interest of the nation, they seized with ayidity
this opportunity to render their power over
the government and people absolute. Their
first act made it manifest that they did not in
tend to share with the patriotic Industrial
classes the burdens and sacrifices necessary
for the preservation OF the government, bllt
to enrich themselves at the expense OF the
people.
REMEDY FOR EXISTING EVILS.
The address, remarking that 1t Is the cheap
capital rather than the cheap labor OF Europe
that our manufacturers need protection
against, proposes that the nation shall eXtin-
guish tile debt. and then supply its own money,
| without interest, for the people. Ihc autlfess
is signed by R. F. Trevelick, A. I. Cavis, C.
Kuhn and others, officers OF the National
| Labor Union.
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