The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-04-22
THE CURRENCY QUESTION
The Question 81 Equality Against
A0n0poly-This Letter Address -
MY TelloW-Cftisens II The West who
are Seeking Equality under the
Law.

~@AAeS sB9CA AoG
New YORK, April II, 1874.
To the Editor of the Inter-ocean.
Sir: Since my last to you the
question Of the hour has changed.
It is no longer one of money and
currency" s.much or little" 'sgold
or paper" These questions are all
merged in monopoly and Equal
ity." It is monopoly against equal
ity and equality against monopoly.
This must be decided by the people.
The press of New York and Boston
have made these questions sectional
The press of both cities are united.
They are banded together. They
have made proclamation that they
are sectional, and deny to the
Western and Southern States equal
privileges. They boast of their
''solid men and great capitalists
and say that the West and South
are ''impertinent' and deserve
'.rebuke" for presuming to ask for
equal rights. Thus they proclaim
cutter law,
Let him take who has the power,
And let him keep who can.
The great buster over an in
crease in money or illegal tender"
of eighteen millions" looks like
what it is-a pretense, q deception.
''The game was not worth the
candle" Their game is more i'm
portant. They offer you no terms
OF equality or brotherly sympathy.
New York and New England hold
the great monopoly of free banking,
and ..let him keep who can" is their
motto. The press and the n,onopo
list are one and indivisible against
the West and South. They have
determined TO swim or sink to-
gether. They stand on guard
against all who are in favor OF equal
rights. No communications in IA
vor of equality have been admitted
into the press since that open coli
ton was formed at the Cooper In
stitute, and published to the world.
Allow me to state the case more
clearly. At the commencement OF
the war we had no money at LONE
or credit abroad. We proposed to
make free banking law to enable
the Treasury, during the war, to
find market for our bonds.
While the bill was pending before
Congress, an amendment was adopt
ed that limited the privilege to
$500, 900, 900, and thus made mo.
nopoly. This privilege was open
and free to all who had the means
to accept and comply with the
terms of the act. The Eastern
States and our State banks tool
up our bonds as fast as they were
issued for banking purposes. They
possessed ''solid men, and large
capitalists, who subsequently in
creased their wealth by vast sums
obtained through contracts made
with the government during the
war. We of the East made money
and grew rich, while the South wal
impoverished, and the Southwest
greatly injured by the war. III
this condition of our country the
whole $3OO.OOO,0OO privilege fol
banking was taken up by our more
fortunate and wealthy Eastern PEG
pie. When the West and South
by industry, grew stronger, ani
realized that they had become ricl
in property, they saw that banking
| privilege, which converts real int
personal property, had been mo
nopolized by their Eastern breth
rem. Thereupon the South and
West said to Congress. .'Giv,
unto us, even u.s." equal rights and
privileges with our brethren of tn,
Eastern States They did not asl
to have any privilege taken from
the East and given to the West ane
South, which they had a right t.
do. They did not ask for any ex
elusive gift. They ask only to b.
placed on terms of equality in priv
ilege with ssolid men" and capital
lists" This they wished to hav
with the free consent of those wht
hold the monopoly. But they must
and will, have their rights, whethe
the monopolists and their allies ar
willing or opposed.
Gentlemen of the West ant
South, it is not advisable to contes
| your rights with the disunionists @
the present Congress, or accept an
act they may pass. Take nothin,
but equality, and take nothin,
until. by q tried issue before tn
people, you secure such an over
whelming majority as shall foreve
place the combination of monopo
). lists with an organized body c
editors in 90 feeble q minority ths
| they never will again combine t
proclaim cutter law in the face of
| free and honest people The il
suits offered through the pres
here to your great men cannot b
forgiven Your great Statesman
Senator Morton, your able an
fearless Logan, and a hundre'
others, must be indicated by til
votes of . free people who kno
their rights, and knowing viii maiI
tain them.
These moncpoGsts charge upo
our country that the government
= cheat and suindie; that its prom
Uses are lies; snd that its money
. forced loan They know this {
| be false and hbelous. and yet it
iterated and reiterated by Senator
who know their utterances are falls
kh>k ry,r oosnA1 y,on<