Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-10-07

point ON the coast and so they devised
The father of the creenback. the old Con
l,inentaI note and they set the printing
nresses going. and printed. the first year,
Ten millions of dollars of them; and the
next wear they printed more, and the next
wear vet more, until, when the war closed,
there were three hundred millions of dol.
lars OF these Continental notes 10 circula.
ton. They then were brought face to face
with the very question that you are CON
fronting tonight: and, after careful
thought. they decided that, for at least one
year longer because times were hard, they
would print more Continental notes, the
greenback dollars Of the Revolution. They
printed them l hold one in my hand.
Let me read its language 10 you, tonight
1t il stronger. even, than the greenoack'
The United States do you recognize
the name of the United States This bill
entities the bearer to receive five Spanish
mill dollars ! read its exact words; 'or
the value thereof, in gold and silver
still read from the bill according to a
resolution by Congress, Sept. 20, l77s,
That money was paid to Sour grandfath-
ers who fought the battle of the Revolu-
tion. 1t was the price of the birth of the
nation. as much as that bill was the price
of its continued existence. And as that
money has never been paid, not one dol
lar of it, your Government and mine has
repudiated it because, when the test hour
came, the people said, we will initiate
rather than pay.
| INITIATION Is REPUTATION.
And so to-day charge you by the mem
orv and the exuerlence of the past, thai
imitation to-day means reputation TO-
morrow Applause Think Of it
There is q 81 gold piece; there Is the
greenback worth eighty cents less than
the gold there is the Continental note
which bears the words. Give Spanish
mill dollars, or the value thereof in gold
and silver on its face, and it is worth alb
solutely nothing.
i THE DUTCH REPUBLIC.
| call but one more witness TO the stand.
There was a republic in Europe, with the
story of which many Of you German citi-
zens here tonight are familiar. You re-
member the old Dutch Republic founded
by William the Silent, so strong that once
she dictated to Europe; so strong that hei
fleets swept the channel, and her armies
swept the continent The very name oil
the nation is all that remains, and the
Dutch Republic is thing of the past
There is 3-gulden piece coined more
than $50 years ago. The men who made
it are dust. The very nation whose i'm
print it bears lives only in song and story
and yet that piece will buy $l.35 in Amer.
lean silver money tonight; Sl.35 will
bring 81 .48 in greenback fractional money
That money. the silver coin of dead re-
public, is worth more in dollars and cents
tonight than the paper promise OF liv
ing republic. Applause One is
promise made; the other is a promise KEEP.
Applause
:. WHY TRADE Is PARALYZED.
But few words, and am done. W.
want restored business. Why does it no
Gomez There are tonight. in the bank
of Chicago, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Cleve
land. Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Baltimore
Wilmin gton, New York, Boston, nearly
two hundred millions OF dollars that arr
not earning interest. Whyp Because
the men who earn that money dare moi
trust any business. Don't you who work
want the best wages you can get for your
time? Certainly you do Don't You think
the men that own that money want the
best interest they can get? They do, pro
yding only that interest Is consistent Will
safety: they don't want to lose the princi
pal in order 10 get high interest. Why i:
not that money used? Why does not bust
ness start? What is credit? Have YOU
ever stopped to think what is credit?
Suppose you are not paid till Saturday
night during the week you want some
lar; I, cQvQd ANYTHING with
which to buy it; you go to the corner gro
Gerry store, and il you are an honest man
and have always paid your bills before
the grocery man trusts you for what you
want till Saturday night, and when you
get your wages you pay him. lie knows
You are honest and will pay, and he gives
YOU credit Credit is the belief OF one
man in the honest intention and ability OF
another; and precisely what credit is in
the transaction between the poor man and
the corner grocery store, that is credit in
every office and department Of business
and commercial life. Why don't rich mer
invest money to-day? Simply because
credit is impaired. Why Is credit i'm
paired Because great party in this
State, and for years in this Nation, has
been endeavoring to destroy the CONNER
cial credit Of the country by threatening
every day and every hour that it will
not keep faith with the bondholder. Be-
cause it threatens that it will destroy the
greenback, Applause, the poor mans
money.
And 50 we go, dividing and tearing
down our own credit, and then wonder
why capital don't engage in business.
[Applausel And, my friends. we need
confidence. Confidence is based on hon
esty. simple, resoute purpose to do your
duty wherever you are. lftimes are hard,
God help you. But you will make them
no easier by endeavoring to gamble your
way into fortune; you will make them
no easier by pulling down the credit and
the stability of your Nation. Like blind
Samson, you may pull the pillars OF the
temple down. If you do, God help you,
for its crumbling walls will bury you be.
meath the fall Loud applause.l
One parting word, and have done.
have sought to appeal to your manhood
| have sought to rouse no prejudices. We
stand within the shadows of the Centennial
time. We have already kept the centen'