Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-26
NFLATION.
Views of Nashville Merchant ON the
Seto-AnOfher Merchants Views
Criticised.

Views of a Nashville Merchant ON the
Another Merchants Views
Criticised.
TO the Union and American:
was surprised this morning on
reading the ''pro and con" oninAation of
thecurrencyinyour paper. The Senate
OF the United States, supposed by the
trainers of the constitution, theorganic
law of the land, to be the conssrvators
OF the best interests of the government
and the people, after long and patient
| thought and investigation matured a
measure for the relief of the South and
West, seeing the need of the people,
whichwas passedin the popular branch
OF Congress by a majority of Represen-
tatlves fresh from the great body of the
peoplewho are supposed to know their
needs and wants and what would best
promote the interests of the country.
This measure thus deliberated and
passed was sent from both branches of
Congress to be completed by the action
OF the Chief Executive, which, it would
seem, he should have signed as the will
OF the nation, as the majority of the
nation thought it right and for the
general good.
Now who is U. S. Grant? When did
he constitute himself a great political
economist and national financier: Who
gave him wisdom above the Senate and
the popular branch of the national rep
resentatives of the people? How does
he know what are the needs of the great
body of the wealth-producing, toilmg
millions? Certainly only as repre-
scented by the popular branch of the
national council as by them reported,
he could not know; but the accursed
rings, the money power surrounds him
and he surrenders. He interposes his
will to protect the monied interests
over the viii of the people as reflected
through both branches Of Congress.
Who but an absolute despot could have
vetoed the will of a majority of a suf-
fering people as deliberately expressed
No one can doubt that it was brought
about by the monied influence, more
potent than the will of the nation-a
suffering people?
All this does not so much surprise
me as the views of some of your
respondents, for instance, Mr.. Douglas,
who says, quoting from his letter-book
to the Chemical Bank of New York: at
Is exceedingly pleasant to find the
President had the moral courage to at
last stay the tide of public opinion IN
favor of initiation, after which would
come Reputation" There" said Mr..
D., that expresses my opinion with re-
gard to the vetoing of the currency
bill" He says further, that ''there is
no question but that Grant has given
great satisfaction to the people of the
country generally"
What a contradiction In termsl First,
Mr.. ID. says ''the President had the
moral courage to stay the tide of pub
lie opinion In favor of reputation"
then In the next sentence he says
there Is no question but Grant has
given great satisfaction to the country
generally" Strange logic to come
from gentleman Of so much preten-
sions in finance and politics. Mr.. D.
says again, imitation would have in
creased the power Of Wall street, but
the poor devil who raises ten bales of
cotton would not have been benefited
one cent" This Is a mere matter of
opinion, and Mr.. D., with his opinion,
is IN the minority, as evidenced by the
vote in Congress. 1t is the accumu-
lated wealth, the monied power, that is
sought to be benefited and protected
at the expense of the poor devils"
the tOiing, suffering millions, the real
wealth producing class, who produce
the wealth In their rags and poverty;
who pay the taxes in all shapes 20 make
up the revenues Of a corrupt and pro-
tigate government, worked IN the in
terests of the monied few. These poor
devils not orly pay the taxes and sup
port all that Is prohigate, but stand as
a wall of defense in times of trouble.
They fight the battles of their coun-
try, uphold its flag, support its
dignity and make the nation respect
ed. All this the poor devils" do, and
the time Is In the near future that their
voice will be heard In the overthrow of
wicked combinations for their oppres-
sion. When properly translated, we
shall and understand that the
voice of the people is theToice of ON
nipOtency, that they will not submit
to vetOes for the benefit of a class, Mr.
Douglass opinion on the ''poor devils"
to the contrary Notwithstanding.
The greatest good to the greatest num-
Der, is what we should seek, not class
at the expense of the poor devil'' who
spends his force to raise the means to
pay arbitrary levies of taxes. The
subject of our national currency is too
large to discuss pro or con, in a short
article for your paper; this has been
fully done in Congress, and their will
should be the law of the land notwith-
standing President Grants veto, and
it would seem to comein bad taste from
bold fnanciers to set themselves up to
dictate to the wealth producing class,
and intercept or thwart their reasona-
bic wishes, as expressed by the free. ac-
ton of their representatives in Con-
gress. r.