New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-04-16
Labor RefOrmers--F armers and
Ora ngers--What is our Duty
TO-day!

| TO.Oay
What are our enemies doing through Con
gress on finance? and what is the prospect
tor us?
To the first question the answer is simple
and short, and just this:
Congress has taken four months to show
how to do nothing to meet the difficulty
The Senate proposes, and, so far as 1t has
the power, has given to bankers more millions
to aid them in perpetuating their system of
robbing the people. All that has been done,
or is proposed to be done, will fail to restore
confidence Or rein state our lost industries.
The additional money will be boarded, and
be just so much more in the pockets of the
mOnopolists.
The system which by this action of Con-
gress is extended, adds just so much more
burden to the industrial classes, without af-
fecting the price of money or bri glng it
within the reach of the people. 1t is simply
vicious Legislation, and wholly in the interest
of the mOney-lendng class and Wall-strcet
spectators. There has been scarcely any,
thing said thus far in the late discussion of
finances upon the only question which really
concerns the laborer, the agriculturist or the
manufacturer. These ask for and demand
that system shall be established which will
give them the use of a medium of exchange
competitors in Europe have it. This has not
been done or as yet even attempted. What
the people, the masses want-what they ask
for, is that the government will nauguratc a
system which will make no premium to those
whose business is to deal i'm money and usury -.
and continue to prey upon the industries of
the people. Wall street, and the agents of
foreign capital which run the government,
saw that attempts were to be made to induce
Congress to inaugurate measures looking to
their relief. Straightway hue-and.crv was
raised in favor of "specie payment: - this
ruse was shrewd to turn attention from the
real demand Of the people. The monopolists
never for moment expected or hoped for
specie payment. They well knew that such
a thing was wholly impossible, and it never
was seriously thought of; it was only sharp
playing. With foreign debt aggregating
two thousand five hundred millions of dollars,
and only about one hundred millions of gold
to redeem with, they put this pretence for
ward as a kind Of "count r-irritant;n their
real object was to defeat us, and, so far as
the United States Senate is able, they have
done it. The present fraudulent system gave
the mOney-enders all and more than ali the
people could earn, and they determined (even
In the face of starving millions and general
ruln) to have it continued, and it is continued
and increased to enable them to keep on their
same Infamous system through the sO-called
national banks; the proper name of which
should be the monopolists' newly invented
fiscal agency for robbing the people of the
United States, under the pretence that it will
relieve the West and the South, while they
knop it cannot, and that the benefits will only
ensue to the monopolists here on the sea-
board and their confederates in Europe.
1t now remains to see if the monopolist
can also control thp HnuSa Of A.,
tiyes.
The simple case, rs We see it, is this The
United States have out 700 millions of pa
per promises in the form of Bonds, which
draw interest, and these promises are bet
ter to-day than gold-really worth more.
The people ask that these bonds, these 50
much slandered paper obligations, which rest
only upon the faith and resources of the
nation, shall be converted into other and
more convenient paper obligations of the
government and be made a legal tender for
all purposes without bearing any interest.
And the way to make the conversion has
been pointed out and adopted by the people
in their financial system of 3-6j convertible
bond. The people mean to have the cur
rency Of this country based Just as these
United States bonds are to-day, viz, upon
the faith and resources Of the natien - but
inter convertible with certificates of value,
actual paper money which does not bear in
terest, and when converted again at the will
of the holder into bonds, that the bonds shall
bear such rate of interest that it is no longer
an object TO hoard and monopolize them as
is the case under the present fraudulent sys.
tenn, which has already brought the country
upon the borders of anarchy.
England owes 50, 200, 600, 900, represented
by cOnsOls corresponding to our bonds. These
, are in substance circulating medium. 1t is
double the debt of the United States, and
this large debt bears three per cent, and the
holders of these paper obligations of Eng
land have to pay on them an income tax.
} Why should the producers of this nation,
which has more solid real wealth than Eng.
land, pay ten to twenty per cent. for the use
Of money, while the industries of England
and other European States pay but three?
From what we have seen for the past four
months, and from what we see at this dark
hour, the monopolists will keep up this war
upon the industries of the country. A change
Will come and when it does come, in anger
and vengeance, the people will find a way to
compel the monOpOlists to disgorge and the
issue is now, thank God, fairly made and I'M
derstOOd. The question has been ventilated
and its effects illustrated, and the people
know now just where they stand and what
they have to do.
The only present hope for the people-the
producing masscs-is in the House. To this
body the hirelings of monopoly point in the
press OF this morning; to this body the rings
are now addressing themselves in full conf.
dence. And what hope have we here ? But
Ter, Field, and a few others, with the half.
way plan of Kelley, point the way, and speak
tor the industries and producing classes OF
the country but with nearly if not half OF
this House known to be directly, personally
interested in the bank monopolies, and the
other half mostly lawyers, accustomed to
work for fees, the prospect is remote indeed.
Had we hope of anything from Grant, we
might pray that he would veto any bill that
looked to perpetuating or extending the in.
famous National Bank robbery system, and
thus force Congressman to hear the people
, or so back to them for new curses. But ex-
, perience with Grant assures us that he will
be as ready to sign the Bankers bill of to.
day as he was in 1869 to convert a debt pay
, able in currency into one payable in coin
Grant goes with the rich monopolists.
The farmers of the West and the South are
thoroughly organized, and outside of the cor.
rupt Republican and Democratic parties, both
of which are used by the monopolists. The
other industrial classes are organizing or
| substantially the same as the Changers
r plan.
l The Catholic Church understands the Sc
cret of power. The working people O.
America have discovered that an organiza
ton not political but which holds the people
to superior allegiance than to political par
ties, is the secret of their power, and the
, work will 90 on. Let us be more than eye
. viglant and see to it that our enemies do no