The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-10-28
Head Waters of Salt River,

/ se OCTOBER %, 1876.
To The Editor Of the Standard:
Although the "Rag Baby" is dead, murdered,
as 1t were, by its parents, feel like givin g
you one more sbroadside" before "strike my
colors."
A few items in your reply to my communica-
tion deserve attention:
You are utterly mistaken when you say that
| I desire to have the widows and orphans, and
the thirty millions paid the pensioners. forgot
ten. never said a word against the pensions
| allowed to widows, orphans and crippled sold
i iers, and never expect to. If there is any debt
more sacred than others, it is this one. The
man who gave his service to his country, is GER
tafnly as deserving as he who loaned his mon
ey. But because hold that the money which
was good enough to pay the one. and is yet
good enough to pay the pensioners, is good
enough to pay the man who merely loaned his
money, you call me "repudiator."
When argue against the unjust discrimina-
| ton shown by your party, between the rich
man and the soldiers, the widows and orphans
you shout "low iemagoguism," ami yet, in the
same column, reproduce article calculated
to keep up the evil spirit of malice, caused by
| the war No. Mr.. Mackley, telling the truth is
not demagoguism.
do not complain of the legal tender feature
of fie greenback. 1t should have been made a
i
the public debt. But your party made exc ep-
tions OF two cases. Refusing to take its own pa
per on imposts, and obligating itself to pay its
interest in gold, naturally creates demand for
gold, and gives chance for speculation, and,
as natural consequence, gold is at pre-
MUM.
do not hate the bondholder, for he is not to
blame half as much as your party, neither do
make an argument in favor of repudiation, but
I w a q is ha fhan
other people.
1t is not th@mmount of greenbacks that caus-
es them to Be at discount, neither is it the
amount of your Ophir scrip that causes it 10 be
worthless, but because the company is broke. If
another issue of legal tenders would increase
the Indebtedness of Government without a
compensation. it would have tendency to de-
preeiate them. But such would not be the case.
No one expects them to be given away.
You appear TO think that all bonds were to
be paid in gold, and you produce an adve tise-
ment to prove it. That is certainly (?) conclu-
sive. We all know that advertisers always tell
the truth ~.
The act itself would be more satisfactory. Let
US have it by all means, Mr. Mackley.
Your argument and illustration in favor of
paying the non-interest bearing debt first is
certainly conclusive (?). We all know that
there is difference between a government
In said illustration you say: HBut you pro-
test and say that it is hardly fair TO have the
use of your money for nothing" Who has had
the of the Government money for nothing,
and who would have paid the interest had any
been paid? The great mass of the people. Pay
ing interest on the legal tenders would be like
the story of the boy whose blanket was too
short at one end. and who, in order to make ii
longer, cut piece off the one end and sewed
it ON the other.
If greenbaeks are at discount, government
can obtain specie only by issuing bonds and
borrowing it, and paying more for it than the
value of the greenback. Then if I have have a
greenback, can get the gold for it, but must,
eventually, pay the difference with interest, in
increased taxes, &c.
Legal tenders were intended for general cir
culaLion, and did and do answer all the purpo-
ses of money, with two exceptions. The bonds
were intended only for private hands and cor
porations, and therefore are in the hands of a
few, and the fact that they are worth, in mark
ct more than gold proves that the holder has
unjust advantage His interest, including
the exemption from taxation, gives him lar
ger income than if invested in anything else,
hence bonds are at a premium.
Il have lately learned that bonds, on deposit,
are taxable. My ignorance, hereto fore, is GER
tainly excusabIe. have been a reader OF the
Standard for some time)
You say: "Bul the real truth of the matter is
your party would say 10 the bondhoIders,' Here
take this paper, or help yourselves - Suppose
they do MIR. Mackley, what of ii? Your party
has said the same thing to every body else. You
said to those whom the government owe
Take this or help yourselves" You said the
same to those who had previously placed gold
in banks and all creditors, the bondholders ex-
cepted, for about IA years. And more; when
government was in need of men, your party
said: IS You shall go, and you shall take this
paper for your services" The person SO assail-
ed may have replied: 'That is not enough;
L can earn more elsewhere" Would you have
needed him? No, sir, you would not and did
not, unless he had a surplus $780, Now Mr..
Mackl y, would it not be equally as just to
force the man of means to contribute to the
support of the government and take his pay in
greenbacks, as to force the poor man to give his
services and take his pay the same way? An
swer.
Your plan for keeping, the gold here may be
a very good one, but it is too deep fol "igno-
rant Democrat" cannot see how it Will keep
the gold here, by making the paper money its
eq nal. The only way see is to make our ex-
ports equal to our imports. True, foreign mer-
chants pay tariff in gold, but while this puts
gold in the treasury 1t takes out of the country
more than it pays in, and leaves with less
than before.
True, the same gold. will pay several debts,
but how is the government to get it after
it passes into other hands? Perhaps
| by issuing bonds and borrowing it. Duties on
imports will be long in supplying the needed
amount. II have not space to pursue this SUBJ
| ject further.)
AS ''specie payment" is now fixed ~ hope
to see your party make some needed prepara-
| tion
| Ist. Reduce the Presidents salary to S25 900.
I'd. Reduce the salary of the General Assem-
bly, of Ohio to what it was in 1861. (S3,0OO)
Sd. A reduction of all salaries that have been
| increased.
4th. And let Mr.. Mackley reduce his Subscrip-
| ton and advertising rates to what they were
before the war, and as he gets the greater por-
| ton of the public printing, this will save the
| taxpayer something. Will he do it?
Bring general prosperity to the country and
you shall have all due praise. Bring bankrupt
| cy and ruin, and defeat awaits yop,
| Now will write Jfnfs.
Yours truly, JOSEPH MILLER