The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-03-02
FROM ILLINOIS.
VERIrAs.
WINoNIA. Feb. 20. 1872

WINONIA, Feb. 70, 1872.
To the Editor OF the WosKIxeNAx's ADVOCATE.
Capital has legislated against labor and
drawn the lines.
Washington warned this people to beware
Of banks.
But they crept in and obtained such firm
hold that they controlled nearly the whole
machinery Of the government up 10 Cen
eral Jackson's tune jackson vetoed the
old United States Rank charter, and re
moved all deposits for safe keeping John
Tyler vetoed the bill for a new United
States Bank, previous to that time the
country had been flooded by bank paper
which had become almost worthless then
followed a period Of time that there was
but very little paper money good III exist
ence.
The people everywhere were out Of mon
ey. Laborers could get no pay, and Of
course could not pay for their necessaries.
Trade almost ceased. Mechanics were idle
everywhere. Manufactures ceased. The
people everywhere we're idle. The produc-
tons Of their combined labor was nothing
The ability of the people to pay and to pur-
chase was nothing, SO that there was no
goods made in this country and all our
goods were imported from foreign coun-
tries, and we had nothing that the wanted
but gold, until the last dollar of gold went
t. pay forforeign goods. From1S37 to1842,
gold no currency no demand for labor, no
the government could not derive any more
duties because impamations had ceased,
and the United States government was like
the people, out of money, and sent three
commissioners to Europe to borrow H.,
600, 900 dollars of gold, and instructed
them not to pay over seven CD per cent.
interest Twelve per cent. was the least
they could borrow it for, and this govern
ment did not owe dollar in the world, and
only wanted $12, 10000 just think of it.
Those commissioners had to come home
without dollar. The whole United States
government had not a credit good enough
to borrow Sl2, 900, 900.
In 1912 our Congress, in session July,
1912, passed bill TO issue $40, DOC, 600
treasury notes, same as greenbacks, the
peoples money. Word went to Europe Of
it. They sent us word by the return steam
er that we could have all thegold then we
wanted for three per cent. interest. We
did not want it then. We had S2O, OOO, 900
of treasury notes without interest. Ought
not this to satisfy any one that United
States treasury notes are as GOV as gold
Why did those capitalists of Europe change
their minds so quick 1t was simply be-
cause they saw at one glance that all our
people would very soon become producers,
self sustaining and have something for ex-
porting besides. That twenty millions would
pass and pay that amount of debts each
and every day, and in one year would pay
six thousand millions of debts.
1t did set all our mills going; mechanics,
laborers, and farmers all became industri-
Gus, and we fourished and prospered from
that day, as we never had before, and
those bills as good as gold. Then followed
wild cats, spotted tail, Jew bankers, ire
sponsible paper money, that its value was
as variable as the wind, and you had to
carry a bank bill detector with you all the
time to ascertain what a certain bank bill
was worth to-day but if you took it you
had no assurance of its being worth any
thing the next day. Until this war broke
out, as they said to free negro slaves, but
in reality to establish a real centralized
government of the aristocracy represent
ing all the bankers in this government, rs
the bank Of England rules England, and
to destroy State rights Of the people and
no sooner had the war been inaugurated,
and an army raised, than the right of free
speech was denied, the people were not al
lowed to critizise the conduct Of our officers,
clearly our rights. Over four hundred Of
the public s(papers) were muzzled-not
allowed to 20 to press. Men who were
with the liberties of the people, were i'm
prisoned, contrary to all our constitutional
laws, and kept there until they died-many
Of them-and their friends excluded from
seeing them. Threats were made against
the people holding conventions to nomi-
nate candidates for officers in opposition to
those in power; secret political organiza-
tons were at once instituted at Warrington,
to deceive the people, and everywhere their