The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-07-29

son LnaJ he IL DfOau ana llUbThl Ill ulS
views, it abandoned its triumphant
strains, abandoned its self-laudation,
boasted nothing of its economy in the
past, promised nothing for the future,
forgot to recommend free banking, but
did declare itself in favor of our public
school system and of separation of
church and State Gentlemen, on these
two points Democrats can have no argu-
ment with the Republicans. Democrats
established the free school system; Dem
ocrats perfected it; and Democrats put
into the Constitution that there should
be no division of the School Fund. APP
peals will be made to your preiudices,
wicked efforts will be made to awaken
the fervor of religious zeal and the bit
terness of sectarian differences; you will
be told of an alliance between the DEM
ocratic party and the Catholic church;
but remember there is the full and COM
plete refutation in this one fact that DEM
ocrats have made the division of the
School fund forever impossible, and their
cardinal doctrine and practice are, and
always have been, religious indepen-
dence and absolute freedom of opinion"
In striking contrast is the declaration of
principles by the Democratic Convention.
Read it: Adherence to the principles of
government established by the fathers;
opposition to all encroachments of one
department upon another, or by the Fed
eral power upon the constitutional rights
of the States; equality before the law of
all citizens; one term for the President;
retrenchment wherever there is eXtrava-
gance; reform wherever there is abuse:
no subsidies; public land for actual set
tiers; tariff for revenue only equal and
exact justice to all religions; free secular
education in the public schools; opposi-
| ton to the sumptuary laws to interfer-
ence with social habits not criminal, to
malignant espionage. And on the fnan-
cial questions Cessation of contraction
sound and sufficient currency; promo
ton of industries the surest road to the
appreciation of paper to par with gold
greenbacks instead of National bank
notes; greenbacks for customs to the eX-
tent that the necessities of Government
will permit.
There is the Democratic faith. To this
it is pledged, and upon this it asks your
concurrence in giving it power in the
State and in the Federal Government.
Read the declaration of the Convention
and tell me if have not given true
analysis. Consider this analysis and tell
me whether it is not wise and just and
full of good promise to youl Tell me if
there is danger to our interest or our
honor Danger of deprecated Curren-
cy, OF wild speculation, of faithlessness
to pledges in any of its provisions Read
It, you who have so bitterly denounced
1t, and IN very shame repent Of your mis-
representations.
have been amazed at the misrepre-
sentatlons. Newspapers and public men,
able, influential and generally candid,
understood to be generally truthful, not
given to lying for lying's sake, have de-
nounced this platform in terms whose
bitterness is equaled only by their falsity.
1t would be charity to believe they had
never read it. Their choice lies between
ignorance and malice, unless they should
take refuge in blind prejudice and bigo
try which does greater injustice to their
intelligence than either. "Rag money ?"
Infinite inhation?" Paper manias p
"Repudiation w Indeed In behalfoftwo
hundred and fifty thousand Democrats Of
Ohio, | denounce the falsehood resent
the aspersion! Gentlemen, we are enti-
| tied to truth; but if that be impossible
with them, we are entitled at least to
decent exaggerations. In any event
however, we remember that "the lip of
truth shall be established forever; lying
tongue is but for moment" Whenever
they condescend to reason at all on the
subject, they tell us that the government
should not interfere at all with the cur
rency, but government does now, has al
ways, under our present civilization,
must interfere with the quantity of the
currency 1t declares what shall be legal
tender, stamps the coin, prescribes its
weight and fneness, regulates the num-
ber of banks, limits their issue, prescribes
the security for circulation and Furnishes
counterfeiting, and these objections ap-
prove the legislation.
They raise a cry of holy horror at the |
words: "We demand that the volume of
currency be made and kept equal to the |
wants of trade" Well, gentlemen, if the |
wants of trade are not a fitting measure |
for the volume of currency, pray tell us
what amount would you have? A volume |
less than the wants of trade demand? A |
volume greater than "the wants of tr de |
demand?" If you will have the volume |
of currency neither greater than the
wants of trade, nor less than the wants of
trade, nor equal to the wants of trade,
perhaps you would like to reverse the
proposition, and say that the volume of
trade shall be made and kept equal to
the wants of the currency?
The craftsmanship of the civilized |
world has always been directed to this
very point. It has recognized the ne
cessity and ability of currency only as an
instrument of trade, and its inCessant,
unfagging effort has been to make and
keep" the amount equal to the wants of
trade. Every issue of government paper,
whether legal tender or not-every re-
stricted banking system-has been All ef-
fort to make and keep currency equal,
according to the judgment of the Gov
ernment, to the wants of trade. Every
free banking system has been an effort
to make and keep currency equal to the
wants of trade, according to the judg
ment of trade itself. rhe foundation idea
of free banking system is that circula-
ton will be expanded or contracted as
the uses of trade will increase or dimin-
ish its value. The Republican platform
OF 1874 declared that banking should be
made free, SO that the circulating medium
may be expanded or contracted accord
ing to the demands of commerce and
trade" And Amasa Walker, the hardest
of hard-money men, speaks of the natu-
raj volume of currency, and the volume
of currency regulated by the laws of
trade. Away, then, with this folly that
the wants Of trade are not the true meas
ure of just and useful value of sound cur
rency, and candidly admit that the OBJ
lection is not to the rule, but to the power
which shall apply the rule. You fear to
commit the application of the rule to
Congress, lest the temptation to make
good times" and "plenty of money" may