The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-01


nation in such conyeniens form. ..r.-,-a.~-.-,~
Contrac tom WIN Never Lead 10 spe.
cse-Psyments-I Interview With b.
Graiz Brown.
correspondence Cincinnati Commercially
ST. LOUIS, June 20. 1875.
Graiz Brown Is generally said In Missouri
10 be their leading public mar. His defeat
In the Greeley campaign did him no great
injury, as be Immediately entered the Demo-
cratic party, with v hich be bad the afiutties
Of q southern birth and updoub:ed mental
and physical courage. The Democrats
understood him, aud at once accepted him.
lie was 10 the habit of doing more indivi-
dual thinking than The bulk of the Demo
cratic leaders; his careless, open, and stolld
. Democratic manners rather endeared him to
the ultra western populacs. lie had fought
a duel With ex Governor Thomas Reynolds.
and borethc !ameness Of the wound in bis
knee. He had enfranchised tue rebel eie-
mcutalmost by his sole personal Initiative.
The Germans Of The State, who owed debt
of gratitude 10 Frank Blair and his cousin
Gratz. bore the latter no malice when be
unarreled with Carl Schurz, as the latter
was ut best their national idol, while Gra'Z
Brown was their old aad gallant Beighber.
Mir. Brockmeyer, of The Constitutional Con-
yention,$ German OF the importation OF
1887, said TO me at Jefferson City: 4
We have, or rather had, two men ln this
State, not exceIled, If they were equalled, in
this country as young and promising leaders
of a Commonwealth, Blair and Brown"
G,atZ Brown is student and something
of an ideaiist. He Is, for example, writing
q lecture at this time on Pure Mathematics.
He has built twenty-five dWelliDg-houses Oh
bis n ground in the past sixteen months.
He resides in the euvirons of the city, In an
old-fashoued, drab.colored brick house.
with O large yard and garden appended 10
it, ard he has faro near Pilot Knob, from
which comes the red granite used 10 the
foundation Of your new Cincinnati post
Office. A small man, with red hair and
beard. cold blue eyes, and wholly indi-
vIdual address, slow and dry, but, kidding
at Times, be seldom speaks without saying
some thing.
l met Gra'z Brown On Saturday morning
at the Lipdell Hotel, and gratitied desire
had felt ever since entered the State TO hear
his views.
"Gath," he said, 81 have notion to go
over to Ohio and make speech in the CAM
paign there"
.'For Allen!"
"Or course. But it Is not so much Allen
] care about as the financial attitude OF the
Democracy there. believe can make res'
sonablc, reasoning people see that the posi-
ton Of the party is sound, and not lncon.
sisient with correct principles OF political
economy"
| said that ] was surprised TO hear this
from a man who had been a free-trader in the
Senate of the United States, and always a
severely logical political economist. Gov
ernor Brown remarked:
"My position is perfectly clear to my own
mind, though may not be able to formulate
il in conversation. IL is this :: hold that
the effort to bring about specie.resumption
through contraction is faliacy. That while
I do not distinctly cal ter infitlon, chal.
lenge TIE Administration purity to the proof
that to contract the currency is to hasten the
day of mptioD." =.
There seemed to be some casuistry or no.
yety n this position, and Governor Brown,
in his cool, semiindffcrcnt yet forensic way
proceeded:
slam not Obvious of the advantages of
haying Il uniform currency with the world,
We, believe that the creation Of a national
debt of $2,5O0000, all bonded. and 10 reality
a form of currency, has altered our relations
with The exterior world. The STATE of things
here is phenomenal. The cry of the country
for av cation, for business, is the necessity OF
The hour, and the year, and perhaps the
years for things grow no better. / think
can put on the Administration party the onus
r. f1onfoESnd nj ho
people anG trade" ..,
"Wel," SAID +, "Governor Brown, have
you no proposition to maker TO point 10
The depression is not to Lclp the country oft
Of it,
He said. with d kindling sensitiveness {:
" Yes. have proposition. i never attack
without advancing something. l hold that
the national banks ought TO be absorbed in
the Government and the greenback Replace
their currency. For what are these banks
existing upon except the credit Of the Gov.
They are an institution between
the people and the currency, adding to our
burdens by their exactiOns and etJoyiDg
almost monopoly Of what should DE the
own function-to issue cur
reucy. / would begin by taking from those
banks their monopoly Of the Government
credit. After the greenb back has become the
only form of currency it will appreciate, il
not in the market, certainly in the minds OF
men. Then would make the greenbacs in
whole or in part receivable for customs du'
lies, and thus, instead Of the Government
bullng' goll, as it DOW does, the enlarged
uses of the greenback will bear gold. Do
,ou understand me2" -
said was beginning to. His eyes seemed
to grow bIuer and his beard, redder as be
proceeded: y
"The credit of the Government of the
United States Is such that 1t can meet its 1n-
terest by borrowing gold on contract ut
very low, steady figure. At present the CO.
yernment is the principal uphold r of high
rate of gold, as it is always buiing large
amounts, and compelling other people to do
the same, to pay their customs duties. 80
YOU observe that ten years after the war god
is at lit. IF the Government will give credit
to its owe notes the whole moral power OF
the United States will be exerted in favor CT
the greenback. The way to specie.payments,
| affi nm. is not BY contraction. 1t may not
be by infatiop; but it is By the appreciation
of the greenbsck instead Of its degradation"
l explained to Governor Brown that |
was still befogged to know how contraction
was not the way to speeic-psyments. He
said: -.... .-.
"Coutractp Contract whats You don't
contract the bonds themselves, which are
DanksDle, exchapgeabie, indeed currency.
These bonds now supply the place OF cotton
to- give US commercial credit in Europe.
The banks will take them to meet your note.
There are more than two thousand millions
of them. You don't contract that currency.
But you do coutract the small ma gin Of
paDk-notes which we Don-bondholders use,
and which is necessary for our daily Indus.
try. You let the national bank use all the
s,onds II will hnt Voil cut The shoDkpeDer's