The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1874-07-11
SATURDAY, JULY I1th, 1874.
Political Manhood.

Il UttttCttO 4ACtfettOOWs
The contest now upon the nation for the new
Congress will doubtless be decided mainly upon
the money question. Certainly this is the most
important feature in the fight, to the people
And the people may be fooled and triHed with
upon minor points, but they are as keenly awake
to the best interests Of the community as the most
sensitive politician is to his own. We believe as
we have before stated that the majority of the
present Congress mis.represented their constitu-
ents upon this question. As the matter came be-
currency should be inflated or not2" And the
imitation of the currency involved the imitation of
values upon everything. There is no business,
no interest, no class that would not be effected
by the imitation of the currency. And imitation
practically takes the shape of decreasing values
While it may increase nominal values, it decreases
intrinsic values. The imitation of the currency
by issuing say fifty millions more would decrease
the intrinsic value of every dollar of currency out.
Its purchasing power would be diminished. -
That could not fail to work mischief to all classes
who work for fixed wages or salaries. Once in.
fate the currency and you initiate the prices of
everything the laboring man has to purchase. -
The man who gets twenty-five dollars per month
one dollar per day before imitation takes place,
cannot get any more compensation for his services
after it is done, while he will have to pay an ad-
vanced price for his sugar, tea, butter, shoes,
calico, hats, shirts, vegetables, beef, pork, &c.
Had the voice of Congress met with no inter
1eIsA~S y 2SSf~Sls 'S'~'eso snAS "Uulu
have been the practical result of its action upon
The first currency bill passed by it. But Presi-
dent Grant saw ft-and wisely TOTO place his
constitutional power across the path marked out
by Congress. Although there were quite num-
Der of Republicans who voted for imitation, the
majority of that party in both Houses opposed it,
and it obtained sufficient votes to secure its pass
age only because Democrats supported it, that
party being split exactly in half upon this ques-
ton in the House of Representatives. The Ad-
ministration and majority of the Republican
party then supported the honest policy of hard
money and resumption of specie payment at the
earliest practicable period.
A considerable number of Congressional nom
nations have been made by the Republicans, and
the candidates have been placed upon hard
money resumption platforms. What will our
Democratic, Greeley, Gratz Brown, "love-rum,
hate-ngger" friends do in this case? Will they
climb upon the same platform and swear that it
was original with them and that they never de-
sired the payment of the bonds in greenbacks
We suppose some of them may take Bradley john
sons doctrine of pensions Of rebel soldiers and
their widows and orphans on the ground of
''amnesty" and general "shake of hands across
the bloody chasm."
In view of the circumstances ahead of US it is
the duty of the Republican party to inculcate into
the minds of the people an honest, self-sacrifcing
devotion to the principle of national honesty
1t just as obligatory upon the forty millions Of
American freemen to act with scrupulous integri-
ty concerning the nations duty to its creditors
and to the welfare of all the people ss it is that
any individual shall pay in good faith-in sound
money-any debt be has contracted with another.
1t becomes the business of the man who addresses
audiences in behalf of the Republican party to
enkindle in their breasts conscientious devotion
to stirling integrity, individual and national.
We know of no grander theme that can engage
the powers of eloquence than that of an honest,
rigid, patriotic manhood. If we would preserve
the institutions of free government and transmit
them to future generations for their enjoyment
we must not be cheated nor bullied out of our
patriotism. We can be cheated out OF it by the
I'll \ = Il.
diate and temporary advancement at the cost of
the national welfare. They may consider that it
will serve their purposes best to food the coun-
try with more currency, because it may be popu-
lar with certain classes of people, suiting their
temporary desires. To prevent the success of
this cheat it is necessary that every man who de-
sires an honest administration OF affairs should
inform himself concerning the practical effects of
initiation and brace his manhood up to the stick
ing point 10 advocate and vote for a return to
specie payment. We can be bullied out of our
patriotism by allowing the gambling element in
the body politc-political rufiaus to bully and
scare US out of our devotion to our honest convic-
tons of right and drive US into the adoption Of
measures and the election of men that our better
sense would reject. The success of the hard
money resumption policy in the next Congress
depends upon the genuine pluck, the irrepressi-
BILE manhood of every individual who has a
tongue or vote.