The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1874-08-08

D
conviction that it would lift the natior
from its abject attitude Of beggar in tn,
exchange Offices Of the eastern cities, anc
make i self-sustaining and independent
| He says
THE refusal to take the faith Of the ma
tlon should be considered sufficient ground
for doubling any mans loyalty" At thaI
early time, before the Necessities Of the m
ton, n the conduct Of the war, arising
from the refusal Of the capitalists 10 IoaI
their money on the bonds Of the Govern.
ment, or from their limited subscriptions
Tor the bonds, even at ruinous rates Of
discount, had forced Congress to accept Mr.
Campbell's financial plan and provide for
an issue OF treasury notes, he comprehend
ed and announced what, after many years
of dIsastrous experience, now seems obvious
enough to the people, that the monopoly
heretofore enjoyed by corporations and BY
class or favored few, of furnishing the
currency of the nation, il the most costly
and dangerous Of all mOnopolies-a 6scal
scheme which underlies the expressions
and exactions which rob Dor. He saw
clearly that the money power, lodged BY
law, as It was, in the hands of b favored
few, was even superior to the Government,
and that before an army could be trained
and equipped or cannon bought to break
through the Gordon which the Confederates
had drawn around the Capital Of the coun-
try, the Government had been compelled
to ask the consent of the capitalists. Their
answer, " Your bonds, in limited amount,
at Shylock rates Of discount and interest. I
was in such humiliating contrast With the
response for men, that came up from all
over the land-the offer Of life for the ma
tion was 50 sublimely prodigal, while the
offer Of gold was 50 meanly dialoyal, that
his disappointment at their selfish conduct
may have suggested to him that amonetarv
system which could show such results
ought to be overturned, and the money
furnishing power Of the privileged few
withdrawn from the hands which had so
wickedly abused it, and restored to the
place assigned it by the national constitu-
tion- He therefore says in the article
from which We quote by this course, y
meaning the issue Of legal-tender treasury
notes, "the main interests Of the country
would be placed in the hands OF the great
mass Of the people, instead Of the few.
This brief sketch will serve to convey
an idea Of part Of the service which Mr..
Campbell has rendered to the people and
to the rights of labor. He has denied the
rights OF the nation TO ahdlcate its sovereign
powers. He has clearly shown in his
writings, that the power to make money
and to determine the volume of currency
which the people shall have, is really the
power % hx the wages Of the labor and the
rewards Of industry, and that this power
must be resumed by Congress before the
people can be allowed the enjoyment II
the earnings of their industry We quote
from his addresses to Congress" pub
lished, as before said, on the 18th Of July,
1861, his urgent reasons for the issue of
treasury notes and his explanation Of their
manifest advantage He says
Now let us see how matters stand.
The Government wants -four, beef, pork.
clothing, and other supplies for the army,
and wants the Implements and munitions
Of war All these the people have or can
procure. TIey want safe aud convenient
circulating medium that will pass current
wherever our flag floats, and this the Gov
eminent can furnish by the issue of treas
ury notes Of the denominations Of five
dollars and upwards, without interest, re-
ceivable for lands, duties and all other
Government dues. This 10 Just what the
people want and will meet the approval Of
all practical business men, AZ well as the
great mass Of the loyal citizens Of the whole
country The Northwest will furnish every
barrel of flour, every pound Of beef and
pork, and whatever else they produce for
this currency, and will rejoice in the privi-
lege of doing so and wonld it not be q
foul SANDER to say that the miners and citi-
zens of Pennsylvania and the manufact-
urers, mechanics and factory girls Of New
England would not do the same This is
emphatically the peoples plan, and its
adoption by you will light every forge 6re,
start every loom and open every work shop;
willrestore confidence in commercial circles,
revive trade and send a thrill Of Joy and
gladness to the hearts of millions of free
men throughout our whole land. And al
this will cost the people nothing; for
neither gold nor bank notes, when used as
a currency, draws interest Why not let
the Government, and the people through
it, have the profits arising from the manu-
facture Of currency, which has heretofore
gone into the pockets Of the few bankers
There will, however, be objections 10
this plan, but they will not come from the
liberty Glowing masses ~ the people, but
from the financial sharks. who have shaved
and plundered every enterprise Of the
country until they are afraid to touch the
very creatures Of their own creation. from
the Shylocks who have grown rich by
shaving the currency Of their own issuing,
or by loaning their capital at such exor-
bitant rates Of interest, that they have
paralyzed all private enterprises, and pros
trated the commercial and productive in.
terests Of the country. and they now ask to
get hold on the government For this
purpose they will frequent the halls Of leg
islation and the private chambers Of the
financial agents Of the government, and
should they succeed in their nefariOus de-
signs, we will have little left Of liberty
but the name.
Let us most earnestly entreat you not to
place the government in their keeping
The moment you do so they will demand
an ignominious compromise. They will
have much to say about the fear Of the
peoples policy, looking like suspension
Of specie payment. Look at the mstitu-
tions they have established and controlled
Not one Of them could pay specie for
twenty-fonr hours, if called upon by their
creditors They will plead, in behalf Of
the poor man, that he ought to have gold
for his labor but they can only reach the
pothOuse politician by this argument at
this time, for what the poor man wants
most at the present is labor to provide for
the necessaries Of life. Ii is not your busi-
ness 90 legislate for any class, either rich
or poor, but justly, and for the whole ma
ton. You will be told that the treasury
note will not pass ut par, that the people
will not take it. Let u ask you question
on this point Are you willing to take it
for your salary When you have answered
this question in the affirmative, what right
have you TO think that any other loyal,
patriotic citizen will mot receive it i'm ex-
change for anything he has that the gov
arnmant NAV want I Nnw nnlaaa unrn con-