, 1875-09-20

tile adyisabilisy Of rcloening the green
backs according to their promise, md its
effect upon the commercial interests OF tho
country. The position which Mr.. W1IpEa
assumes-shat of opposing tho resumption
Of specie paymonts-is a very singular ono
for gentleman who is apparently in the
service of State which pays tho interest Of
its debt in gold, and who is aasocinted with
men who ara almost universally in fnvor Of a
sound, stable, ind honest currency. How
ever, We will try to answer his questions cat
ei3or.ally;
!. 3Ir. WILDER wantsto know whether THE
TR1nrSE Company has notnoro money owing
to it than 1t owea md therefore has pecl-
niary interest in wanting the currency to DO
in,proved in value md stability. We reply
in the negative. Since the tiro Of 1871, when
Tur TRIBUNE Company suffered very henry
loss hy that contlngrntion, it has owed more
than it has Ind coming to II, md in attvocat-
ing good money it iA not actuatcd by the
short-sighted, selfish motives which Mr.
WILDER nSinuntes.
., The balance against the West and South
in power Of tie East consists nninly in tho
ADVANCES nlatle On the exchange Of commodi-
tics. The East tnkcs tho agricultural
products Of the sYost and South, and the
West and South purchnse merchandise from
the East. If wo have bought merchandise
which We haven't paid for, it n,ust be paid for
eventually ; and if the Government rostpone*a
resumption of specie payment until this
difference, which is removed from month to
month autl year to year, shall be settled, We
fear TINT there will be no redemption of
groonbackH during tho present generation nor
for the generation to come.
.. In regard. to what this country owes
abroad, wo do not sco how 1t cuts any figure
in the controversy, since we must pay our
foreign debts in gold in any event. Green
backs aro not recognized as a currency
nbroad, and if wo have purchased and en-.
| joyed foreign MERCHANDISE, or borrowed
| foreign money, VIC ire under the strictest
obligation to pay those debts in the money
of the world, according to contract or
promise.
4. We have frequently explained that there
arc no distinct debtor and creditor clRsscs.
| Or course there arc men who have more
coming to them than they owe, aud others
who owo moro than ia owing to them but
| tho whole country cannot DO arbitrarily tii-
| vidcd into two distinct classes Of debtors and
crcditors, as VIC divide it into white mon. and
| black men, or into males and felnalcH. II a
1nan owes mora than he has coming TO him,
mud has not the resources to pay, ho is
bankrupt, aud it cannot make much differ
cnce to him whether the currency il good or
bad; he can't pay In either case. The debit
/ ors arc tho men who havo had the use and
possession Of other mons property, aud they
should ray for it; the creditors are tho mon
/ who have loaned tloir property or sold it,
mud they are entitled to receive their pay !;
hut III most men arc bath debtors md credit
orr, tho appreciation OF the currency bal
ances itself. Thousands who are moro debt
or than creditor to-day become moro creditor
than debtor tomorrow.
g. "Increasing the value OF tl,s dollar. |"
| This cannot be <lohe. A dollar IL 100 cents,
or alout II grains in gold. Nobody Asks
that tho value Of the dollar be increased. 1t
il certainly not wrong to demand that the
greenback, Which purports to represent a
dollar, shall bo made to be worth what it pre-
tends to be. but is the conyorse OF Mr..
"uDEns proposition tTus? 1s it right to
dcpreciatc the yalue Of the groonbsek? This
IS what tho Democrats in Ohio, Pennsylya-
Mn, and other States. md the inilationists
everywhere, want TO do.
u. Wo 10 not think, IN Afr. WILDER init
, 'nates TINT our financial troubles were owing
u tho appreciation Of onr groenbncks 95 per
+ cent "nder GRANT and NourwEL1. In reply
, to this allegation, we will let hIr. DouTwgLL
speak Tor himself. lu tho course Of an nd.
dress delivered D icw uights at,o in Ciuciu.
natl. Mr. BOUTWELL,, speaking OF tho great
appreciation IN tho value Of the currency bo.
tween 1868 mud 1s7., said:
Whist hsppenod ue8t7 Tha price o. go,d fell from
39x premium Tor the year 1856 TO 33H for tbs ytas
lH7D triae less thar Is Per cant Tor the year iB7,
or tfe less than II per ceu for the year lb7a ard
for ths year lB73. II 8+l00 rer ee,t psetun.-est,
h4hing beyonl Ill question ths fact that The Govern
.ueut could 70 Oh BY wise pohey diminishing III,
premium gold without embarrassing the ,udu.trie4
Of the country, And appeal to YOU geatle1ueu M,
chants, mauufactufcrs, mechanics. labo.s.s, III VIII
are teAftng mo, whether the country sysr w!tue.se,
within your knowledge. or upon your acquaus.uc
with history tradition. svsr experienced four ytur
u ,aoFs taintrruts4 srosp<rsty thAa ths atzt fuu
rears of Gen. 0EAxrs administration.
! 7. Iu regard to contractors being tletesre
! from borrowing what money they want b
b The prospect that it will appreciate in value
i they wcro not laterred from doing this bs
tween 1sGs mud 1879, when tho apprsciatio
: was twice III great as that proposed With
J, the next four years, and wo do not sec VII
t they should 10 deferred from it now. Cor
l. tractors, undar fiuctuatiug currency, alway