Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1875-01-12
Spirit of yetfersm.
CharlcssOwn, Jefferson County, West Va.
TUESDAY HoxXING. JANUARY ~, 1919.
FINANCIAL.

EdiOr of the Spirit 81 have for the last
hVe years, IN your paper, and in many others,
too, maintained the proposition that no mau's
labor, or the product OF his labor should, by
legislation, Lave any special advantage over
that of another; and for that reason sud upon
that principle OF equality, that no one will
controvert, that it is wrong to make money of
| any commodity whatever; as to do so would
| give that commodity an immense advantage
over all others, and, indeed, endow it with
the power of raising or sinking all other values
| at pleasure. This advantage has been given
to the products or commodities, G old and sill.
yer, aud has worked out, not only in this coun.
try, but in the world at large, all the Unequal.
tiles OF property, education, and condition ex
| lstIug among men, to a greater extent that all
| other causes combined. The people have, in
this country, in the last ten or twelve years
especially, been made to feel the effects of
this special Legislation in favor of gold and
silver, until, with one consent, they have ex>
pressed in the late elections, their resolve
that their currency shall be radically exam
ined, and put upon basis of equality and JUS
tice. l, also, plead guilty to the charge of
using every effort in my power to proseyto"
to this opinion, aud further to the opinion OF
a currency large enough to do the exchanges
CT the whole country upon tho cash scale, and
rsncy, when loaned, SO that it should never
exceed the net annual increase of labor; about
three per cent. per annum. l shall, not now,
OF course, enter Into argument to maintain
these positions, as | have done SO in mnny
tormer articles. My purpose, now, being
only to restate them, in order that they may
be present to the eye, in brief review pur
pose to make Of some opinions lately published
in your paper as cuteItlned by the distin>
suished gentleman lately elected to Congress
~ this district. In doing 80, to avoid all
mistake, will quote his opinions as they were
published: find then, iii your issue "f tho
lst OF December that, in visit of Mr. Faux
ucr to Mr.. George Alfred Townsend, in a con
vcrsation between them iu regard to the late
elections, MIR. Townsend reports Mr.. Faulkner
as follows:
The third term entered into the contest
and that lie did not ''thiuk it was resentment
at Grant, u.ueh the result and continu-
of his ofico~ho!ders The regime, the |
const"b!cry, had become separated from the
agitations OF the people. The use of troops. |
too. in the South was not approved by the re-
pubIlcans The currency question was minor
one in cur State" said Mr. Faulkner. There |
are Jc'c men thoro hotly for more currency,
who 20 about sill day prOselytZing for it |
Bat the G"/h of the people seem tu think that |
we have enough money. if it would onIy come |
out. The money has rotreatod from the pco |
pie, aud not from existence. In MuSsachu. |
sCttS, where they have $40, ,U00, 900 more than |
their share, it is boarded up, as with US in |
old Virginia the State does not pay interest on !
it's debt. know thai, as a bond holder
Why not because the people will not pay |
these taxes They can pay them we'll enough. |
and it the State would collect the taxes aud |
N IL, L. /
in Virgins But the people soIAce them
selves with the reflection tha, they lost their
slaves, are poor and not able to pay the Com
monwe"ith. Hence negligence makes panic
worse"
Now having quoted fully the opinions cx-
pressed by Nh Faulkner IN his conversation
with Nj, Townsend, my purpose, at prcscut,
is, ooly to take issue with his opinion in re-
gard to the main cause of the late uprising of |
the people, and vindic"ton Of their wrongs
and grievances in hurling their opprcssors
from power | will first, however say, in re,
gard to old Virginia and her debt that. in nv |
opinion, as it was not only tho negro holders,
and debtors, and land holders who we're rar.
ties to, aud responsible for the late war, but
Bond holders aud other creditors as we'll that
every description of property should be made |
equally responsible, and that the losses should |
have been equalized by fair system of !
equities among all. l hope this may be dono
yet, and when the rule is cs,ablis he'd. that !
even where settlements have taken place. those .
who have contributed nothing shall, in some
way, by taxation, or direct responsibility to
those who have lost beyond their proper por-
tion, be made to contribute their full share
Al! ;hc citizens. whatever their species Of prop.
erty, were joint partners in the var, and when !
the firm proved insolveGt the effects Of all /
whether debtors or creditors, negro, holder. or
boud-holjcrs were jointly and equally liable
| cannot sec why rebel ncgro~noldcr, or
land holder, or debtor should lose his all. and /
the rebel bond holder and creditor, should 60
Scottrec, and tsunt his copar,ncrs and CO..
debtors in the same broken firm.
But this by the way And come TO Mr..
Faulkner's opinion of the late popular vote,
and what it means. think he erTs greatly in
ignoring the main cause Of the movement,
and that all the other causes he has assigned
would have weighed as a feather, but for the
stn"nat'on of all Industries, and shrinking in
the values of property of every description,
brought on by tho most fraudulent money
system that any people, in any age, have been
cursed with His causes are insufficient to
account fog this sudden and stupendous un>
rising and revolution in the popular mind :
There is but one movement of the people, in
all history, that resembles it, and the causes
in that case were identical with our own.
refer to Roman history and when, the people
robbed Of their public lands and ground down
by usury. their army, with an enemy at the
gates of Rome, marched out of the CITY 20
the mons S0ccr, and was soon followed and
Joined by the mass of her population They
refused to strike blow for Rome unIass ms