The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-03-21
SOUND TALK re THE FARMERS.

". c. Flagg Esq, President OF the Illinois
State Farmers Association, has better up
probation Of the wants of the farmers and
his addresses than is found in the speeches
generally OF the theorists and would be
philosophers that undertake ,o instruct them.
Mr.. Fl.gg is IL clear.hcadcd, practical man,
and views matters from the standpoint OF
iusIlCc anG common sense. We have before
us the COPY Of speech recently delivered
by him before the Macoupin county Farmers
Association ut Carlinvillc After mastery
review of the situation, Mr. Flagg sums up by
Indicating the following as the cardinal
points in our national politics that the
/ farmers ought to strive for:
/ Give us good money worth dollar for
Idollar, so that importer, exporter merchant
mechanic and farmer shall all use the same
! Kind of money, and stand upon an equality in
resprct TO It's value. This means arestOration
! of spccic payments; it means contraction OF
Ithc present volume Of the currency. But
there is no other way, If YOU propose to buy
and sell in the markets OF the world. II
means 10 keep at home for five or six years
the SGOO00,000 value OF gold annually pro
lducrd bv our mines, and TO require our banks
and our treasury TO put 1t in coin into then
voults ltmeans gradual withdrawal OF the
CURRENCY, month by month, until we can &c,
the volume of our notes within n controllaSle
! bulk. This, know, is unpalatable doctrine
for many, but it is what you would do in your
nrivotc business. What would you say of the
man who having ten notes to pay should pro
nose TO nut out ten more to make things
"elastic?" The great volume of currency We
have has made money no easier or cheaper
than i, was when we had halt the quantity ia
the head. tits gothold of by the specializing
class and used simply to do further mischief
| What we need believe, Is Il wcll-dcvised
and wcll-adhcrcd to plan OF coin accumua
ton, or note withdrawal, extending through
| five or six years. II each OF our national
banks were required for the next hve years &c
annually change one-litth OF lis % pei
cent reserve, or per cent, of its circulation
into coir, and the secretary of the treasury It
do the same with the treasury note circula
ton, at the end of five years we should have
at least $175,O00000 accumulated coin in
addition to the $150,0OO,0O0 supposed to be
now held in this country; or what, IN effect
would be the same thing there would be &
retiring of the note issues to an extenl thai
would give one dollar Of coin for four Of
notes, and would be ready, believe, to make
good our pledges of redeeming the legal
| tender currency. But right here Is where the
unflnching courage and the indomitable will
must come in Any move of this kind
though we all admit its ultimate necessity
is feared by politicians and debtors
! denounced by spectators, and is not heartily
supported by the producing classes who OF
all others are needing its success. Public
opinion must be educated to a strong and
long struggle with speculative tendencies and
to a firm adherence to apolicy that will make
the money of the nation stand at par value
among our own people and IN the markets OF
the world.
.. A second remedy to be obtained by
legislation, and therefore by voting, is thu
abolition of class privileges. This abuse !
did not dwell upon because ii is pretty well
recognized, but it is one of the worst evils
now affecting us. In the guise of protective
tariff, wealthy manufacturers obtain large
bonuses for their manufactures, levied upon
the consumer. Under the protection OF q
charter, claimed to be Il contract, railway
express, and telegraph companies levy heavy
taxes on the people These and other forms
of spOlia,ion are done under cover Of acts OF
incorporation or other forms of partial lcgis
lation. Here we should insist upon thorough
reform. Some OF these laws give privileges
that no set of men should have, and ought &c
be repealed Some of these laws give powers
in themselves useful, but that unless con
trOled and limited by the state or nation are
terribly abused On q radical reform can
reach this case. These operators have secured
already such legislation as they desire. They
have their representatives on the floors Of
congress and state legislatures to see thai
their interests are advanced. They have
secured decisions favorable to capital bu
inimical to popular freedom and welfare, as
| have already shown. No timid hand OF
uncertain policy should deal with these
abuses. Many corporations should be dis
solved, and the public authorities of the city
town, county, state and nation perform Tho
functions that they have assumed Others
may be permitted 10 exist, but should bt
watched.
! BEASTLT RuFFIANISM.-Thc village q
| Plano in this state, the head quarters of wha