Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1875-08-03
THE PEOPLE VS.. TIE MONEY
GRATIS,
NOTES ON THE s1ruATIoN-No. 1.
IFrom tho whee1ing standard.I

s "H0 n1s "oatue0 up EeHuy money pies
dollar on dollar with astonishing rapidity,-
but the larder of the laboring man, be who
produces the wealth of the country, he who
trades labor for money,-a drop of sweat for
penny-beoomes barer and barer day BY
day.
Our moueycrats ape royalty. They are
aristocratic and exclusive An income of
SIC, 900 makes an earl; revenue of $780,
600 makes marquis, and $50, 900 year
makes q Duke.
The poor man, and every one is a poor man
now days, who does no. have an income
from Bank or Railroad stock, is rapidly sink
ing down into helples dependency.
Five years more like the last decade and
these moneycrats will have SO entrenched
themselves in power that they will laugh at
and ,ridiculs the impotent masses.
He who pilots our people out of their pres
ent troubles will be canonized and perhaps
,ee may set nbIer hands at work:
Cruel times are upon us. The papers of
financial centres may speculate aud philoso>
phize about speedy recuperation, but the suf-
ferings of the middle class, the scanty dress
and meagre faro of tho wife and chill
dren OF the Industrious mechanic which are
disgrace to his manhood, the accumulated
interest on the farmers mortgage, the honest
distress oc all sides proclaim that times are
growing harder.
Those who bear the brunt Of public suf-
fering, those upon whom these hard times
press most heavily are not able to weave some
fine spun theory upon toe ecicnce of finance,
but they can and they do answer back tha.
tho rich arc growing richer, and the poor are
growing poorer. Here is theory exploded
by fact. Every one can see that this is
harvest for the moneycrat. but drought for
the poor man.
Our national finances are run in the in
terest of Wall street. The result of this one>
sided policy is nevitable-disastcr comes to
the producer.
Tho press of financial centres clamor for
hard money, and the speedy payment of the
debt in gold. That press has trickcd ;he
Democratic party into lighting tho battles of the
bond holder. Hard money and speedy payment
means contraction anil increased tarotion,
whereas the blunders o. venality Of Congress
(we don't caro- which you cali it) have made
this nation very sick and weak, and the nation
wants expansion and light fares.
Let all the people pray God to save them
from the rule of moueycrats, for this country
viii: iud no relief until this mouied- aristcc>
racy is driven from power. "And Jesus went
into the temple, and overthrow the tables of
the moueychaugers, and the seats of them
that sold doves" To do this, wc must mass
tho American people against Wall street
AID the only political problem of to-day is
how can we wake the people up to the NO.
cessity Of banding themselves together
against th at monied- aristocracy which has OBJ
tanned control Of the government and which
wields the influence of the leading papers in
the land.
Only see how they have prostrated this
country. When the war ended we were sad
died with an immense debt, but every branch
of industry was then stimulated to the ut
most production, and all was labor and pros
perity. Amidst our prosperity, came tho
Wall street cry Of contraction. ga crash is
coming" they said, "there is too much money
in the country, there is an unnatural activity
in business"
There was q man once who was strong and
healthy, but the doctor came and said, al
have scientific theory that this man is up-
naturally fat, he is growing too fast, SO will
bleed him and starve him until he is brought
down to skin and bone, and then will apply
my scientific theory"
Now mark you, when that cry was first
heard, every one who was working was max
ing money We all can remember ten years
back. Then came contraction.
The mau was \ tool5 he ought to have
kicked that doctor out of his house; now, he
is sick, weak and powerless, and the work of
prostratiou still goes on.
In 1865 the Northern States had $40
bead. Those States had population of %
millions, and they had 1000 millions of cur
rency.
This money did not circulate 10 the South
until after the surrender. But Peace opened
the Southern country to this circulation, and
ten million people came in to share this cur
rency. After 1865, this l 900 millions had
to supply both North and South, viz: 35 mill
lions of people, which was only s3S per head.
Hence Peace operated . contraction Of 80 per
cent.
But the wonderful resources Of this country
enabled US TO sustain this blow without falling
to the ground.
Next came the contraction legislation of
1867, which reduced the currency from S1,s
000, 900, 600 down to sTO0, 100000 But
the population has largely increased, We now
number forty millions So We have only
S700, 200, 600 to forty millions of people,
which is only $3.50 per head. Here is
contraction of over Sc per cent, in ten years,
and that, too, in an expanding country
These are facts. Let some moneycrat pick
= hole in our figures. Mark what We say, the
moueycrats will dodge the calculation and
spin US theory.
We remember that ten years ago We had
$40 head aud all the people were prosperous.
Why did not the political moneycrats let well
enough alone?
We want to keep before the eyes of every
hard working man Who is obliged to stint his
children the fact that these noneycrats have
curtailed the currency Sc per cent. in ten
years, aud yet keep up the taxes, for this has
brought us into our present misery. In 1865
man could make an honest living by honest
labor,-to.day he can't.
We cali on the country papers, tthas part