Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1874-05-07
PRODUCTIONS.


Now, Mr.. Speaker, if any one will examine
the foregoing tables he will see that at this
date each one of these eight great western
products, except wheat, is worth largely more
than it was two years ago. Corn is worth
about 33 per cent. more; oats about 80 per
cent. more; barley 100 per cent. more; mess
pork 80 per cent. more; live hogs 25 per cent.
more cattle 10 per cent. more; whisky 10 per
cent. more. Wheat is worth about 90 per cent.
Now, of such manufactured articles as l
have been able to obtain prices of, iron is 80
per dent cheaper than it was one year ago;
nails about 25 per cent. cheaper than two
years ago, and think about the same relation
holds good of all grades of iron; salt is about
20 per cent. cheaper than two years ago; brown
sheetings are more than 90 per cent. and
bleached sheetings more than 90 per cent.
| cheaper than two years ago.
l have no doubt, sir, that if any one viii
take the trouble to verify the fact, he will find
that manufactured articles are at this date
much cheaper than they have been on the 9th
day of April for many years. 1t may be that
| there are articles that are exceptions; but it
may be said generally, and with great certain
| ty, that the products of the West will bring
more money than the same amount of products
would haYe brought for years past, and that
the money we are getting for ourproduets will
! buy more goods than for years past.
! Now, what does initiation mean? What is
the result that must surely follow? The prices
of all the great products of the West are regu-
| 4aGeQ Dy Gne prices Wnlcn are oDGalneQ Tor
| them in Europe; and in the very nature of
things, as long as we have a surplus of any
| one of them to sell abrord, no amount of in
| hatiou can affect the price any further than it
| depreciates the value of the currency paid for
the products. But not so, sir, with manufac.
tured articles. Initiate the currency and every
product of the shops of New England and Of
the mines of Pennsylvania goes up largely in
price.
Mr.. Speaker, may stand alone from the
West on this floor in advocacy of not only the
honor of the Government but of the Just and
equitable pecuniary interests of the great bulk
of the population of my section. I know not
how that may be, sir. All my friends from
Indiana, as well as the rest of the West, NAV
make haste to make living more costly in ev-
cry cabin on the prairies of the West; but
will not. The great bulk of the farm products
of the West for the year 1873 was sold under
the depressing influences of the financial con
vulsion of the last fall. Our people have
reaped their full share of the harvest of dis
tress consequent on the panic Many homes
have been sorely stinted not only of the com
7 forts but of the necessaries of life. It haG
been the first, but always inevitable bitter ex
perience of an irredeemable paper currency
:. doubt not you may again, by imitation of thu
currency, stimulate into feverish excitem ent
: all the channels of speculation. But, sir, tina
is not prosperity. You may again crowd you
hotels and railroad cars with gaily dressed
{ balloon, and fill the streets of your cite
e with the equipages of fortunate spectators
= you may enable reckless adventures TO unloat
I property, purchased on baseless credit, on tn
L innocent and the ignorant. But all of this i
: not prosperity.
:, When this great national Legislature shall
: say to the people of this country, in word
\ which cannot be mistaken, that impartial jus
- tice shall be done to every interest and ever
q pursuit, that the public credit shall be invio
! late, that the last cent of public indebtedness
. shall be sacredIY paid, that the national cul
rency shall be, slowly perhaps, but surely
9, brought to the specie standard, that ste
. in respect to that shall be taken backward
- when every man in this broad land shall go t
- work with the absolute certainty that no med
- ding or tinkering of the currency shall intel
= fere with any contract he makes or any bus
=, ness in which he engages; when you have pul
h sued this policy long enough for it to be di
=, tinctly understood that it will be adhered t,
Z ell the industries of the land will be set in III
" ceasing motion. Then, and not until theI
y will activity and intelligence, thrift and ecol
y. omy. join hands in creating a prosperity
- this new country such ne this world has n
y hitherto known.
Y, I would like, Mr.. Speaker, to vote for
" modification of our laws in relation to banl
a. and currency. | would like to get rid |
sh some practicable provision, of the monopo
b.; feature of our banking law. If that be n
OF L Lnluh III DuG simple luSGlCe I'll
j. the West and the South should have equ
l. banking facilities. according to their popul
at tion and needs, with the North and East
V. portion of the superintendent circulate
n furnished by the Government to the easte
~ banks should be gradually withdrawn al
III given to banking associations in the West al
ed South as they may require it, it would allay
ry source of irritation. it would do justice b
at tween the different portions of the countr
ch and practically it would be ''free banking
IS, those portions of the country where free ban
on ing is or seems to be regarded as such nect
sity. But, sir, mere initiation, q new provisi
IN of law to force the people of this country
a accept and use as money in the prosecution
Tor their business millions on millions more
in money that is not money-of promises dIsl
iy, garded-without any provision looking ev
ny in the far-distant future to veracty, to solve
of cy, to redemption sir, never by I
or vote.
.ge beg of gentlemen to pay some heed to t
Mt, moral aspect of this question The air is fC