The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-08-31
worolng Star and Catholic messenger
IFrom tho Louisville Courier Journal
s%. w.,s,ial and Polit teal Problem Of the south.

s,eeoh at the Jonesborro fair, in Georgia,
witch should be widely circulated anu {
read. Mr.. Hill Is one of the most vlso.ous ]
and original thinkers in the So on, n,o ~
CONFEDERATION. 1t strikes us that ne mas
Drohed the Southern problem. iG Is SUP
5ect on which he has evidently thoughe
carefully and profoundly. ne ne, asse.;s
undoubtedly true, that the whole tendency
of legislation in this country from the
Foundation of the government has been to
enrich and build mp every other interest at
the expense of the agricultural interest.
John Randolph said many years ago that
the farmers had to feed call the horses and
asses at Washington" and there is more |
truth in the pithy sentence to-day than
when 1t was uttered. 1t was under the
administration of Washington that the
money power and the agricultural power
first met in the shock of conflict, and 1t will
be we'll to trace that conflict to the present
time.
a proposition was made to incorporate
United States Bank by the General Gov
erument. There was no express power In
the Constitution authorizing Congress to
grant such charter, but that power was
claimed by the money party under the
clause which gives Congress the power TO
make all laws which shall be necessary ana
powers into execution. Washington re-
quired the opinions in writing of his two
leading Cabinet officers, Hamilton and JEFF
ferson. They differed widely, and the sop
histry of Hamilton won. Gen. w ashington
signed the bill, with reluctance, indeed,
but he signed it, and the "money power"
gained it's first triumph. 1t was subse-
guent!y checkedin it's aggressions by the
election of Jefferson, but the check was
only temporary. 1t then swept on
Like to the Pontic sea.
Whose ICY curren. and compulsive course
Meier Anows retiring ebb but keeps due on
It 10 the nature of usurpation to be pro-
gressive, and one triumph of the money
power was speedily followed by another.
It took advantage of the "era ofgood feel
ing" among parties which followed the war
of 1912, and bill was subsequently intro
duccd in Congress to establish another
bank and, strange to say, even MT. Nlndi-
son, who opposed the former bill as uncon-
stitutional, supported this. After the in
corporation of this bank, tho next step OF
the money power was toward n tariff. And
here we have an illustration of the apoth-
egm that "listory repeats ITSELF" The
duties imposed for the purpose OF carrying
on the war with Great Britain were heavy
and excessive, and the agricultural inter
ests of the country required that they
should be at once reduced "a soon as the
occasion which made them necessary hac
passed. As was the case Immediately aftel
our civil war, tho money power concluded
that it could not directly prevent the re-
Ginction, and it accordingly made every Of
fort to postpone it and prevent it by indi
rection. Manufacturers asked for time Il
put in force equal skill with foreign manu-
factories, that they might be aofe to com
pete with them. The plan was success
full and tho tariff bill of lSlG was passed
Thus began the protective tariff sy stem
The money power of Pennsylvania had Goa
and iron interests which they also wanted
protected. Accordingly the tariff of 1872.
was imposed, increasing the duties on i'm
ports. Then came another tariff measure
in 1928, known as I" the bill of abomina
tions." The agricultural districts of TIL.
pressive legislation, inspired and effected
by the money power, and South Carolin,
resorted to ratification. jackson crushed
notification, and his proclamation was onl,
another indirect triumph of the none!
power. Then came the compromise taril
bill of 1888, which was another temporar,
check to the money power, but it had al
ready gained much, ard could afford t,
stand st,ll for period.
We may now jump down to 1850, whel
the war gave .sthe money power"' victor.
on victory. Tariff, taxes, public debt
bonds, ondholders-contracts aud tn,
vermin of contracts The farmer know
now that he has to pay twice the amour
for o plough, OF spade. or an AK, or
blanket, that he would have to pay wer
the tariff reduced to q strictly revenu
baSis. The excess, of course, goes into tn
pocket of the New England manufacturer
IL is absurd to claim that tho Constitutio
authorizes tariff for projections syster
of robbery which makes the rich richer an
the poor poorer. But what does the mono
power care for constitutions
In giving an explanation OF the fact tba
our agricultural interests have been mad
to bear the burdens and the ills of govern
ment MIR. Hill properly says that it is be
cause the merchant and the manufacture
take direct and personal interest in legis
lation, and make it their business to stud
to understand and to shape and direct it
course. The farmer look to ProvidenC
for rain and sunshine to produce his crops
and when the rain comes be is content
while the trader looks to Congrass for law
to make his profits, and in some form O
other he is sure to get the laws and rea
the profits. This is par ticularly true sine
the war, for with the war came corruption
and speculations, and shrewd men found
easier to buy up Congress and make it
members legislate money into their pocket
than to till the soil or follow other homes
callings.
Mr.. Hin ASSERTS that large majority c