Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1875-08-10

HAILTowN. w. Va, July IA, 1875.
That there arc many intelligent persons,
who earnestly and honestly believed that
"Goid and Silver, or Specie really aud abb
lutely existed, was, and can be put into
practice again, as a 3isffncttUe financial basis,
of the business exchanges of this nation,
would be in this enlightened age, matter of
wonder, was it not that the cupidity, and dar-
ing of avaricious and inscriptions men
prompt them to parade before the people, in
dazzling light and pompous speech, the
sophtstry that Gold and Silver, arc legiti>.
np0tely and digincly the only true money.
Wildman, Mc4Alister and other scientific
legerdcmainists are honest enough to tell you
before they take your money that they de-
sign to deceive you before presenting to you
their delusions hut ..Wall Street" and its
minions and satellites throughout our land,
boldly, blatantly and with an airsof honesty
present TO you this political sophikm, urge it
upon you as perry Dogma, to be fastened
and perpetuated as sound and safe principle
of governmental policy. Men have been
known to tamper,s SO far with the credulity of
their fellow>mnn. as to attempt in specious
manner to prove that marble could not be
shot across table, and so ingenious, conyin-
cling and refined was their theoretical argu.
ment, that conviction had been made upon
their auditory, that they could only be nude-
ceived by the ieatOf the marble being shot
across; thus the reasoning delusiOn had to be
removed by practical demonstration. Ems
couraged by such evidences of human weak
ness, the artful and designing money strate>
gi>t seek to force upon the honest and un-
sophisticated, that nothing is money which
does not glitter. This fallscy has obtained
almost national proportions and endorsement
by people and press. And singular to say in
no nation has it more devoted aud infatuated
votaries than in America this fact wall
Street" professors have long since discovered
and they have been very persistent, very
lavish and INDUSTRIOUS in Substituting through>
out our country, every available iustrumen>
tality in the shape of a merchsntable press
aud politician, for the PRONUNCIATION of this
dazzling but running idea, to the prosperity
and business of our country. They fnan>
ciallythrottlcd our government duringthe war,
and they have continued their death>lke
grasp, upon its business vitals. and vampire
like are really taking away our life blocd and
if net speedily checked will destroy our re,
publican form of government by concentra-
ting the money and capital of this country, in
the hands of the few am not dcclaiming
for any personal or party effect, but for tho
perpetuity of free government, equal rights,
justice and truth.
l challenge the most profound political
economist of the present day to cite an in.
stauce of tho people of any nation, doing or
even approzinating its business exchanges
upon purely gold basis. This being the
fact, what a bold and mrtious absurdity
it is for n set of men to be prating about our
contracting currency and return to gold ba>
sis. Such practice never did exist within
tho history Of this nation our nomenclature
specie basis, under our former banking sys,
tenn was dcccptire term, there was not sin.
gle bank of issue, within the limits of either
State in the U. S. that had within its vaults
specie sufficient to redeem all it's paper is
suo. The thing is absurd on its face; if they
had to have a dollar in gold for every dollar
they issued in paper, why issre PAPER money
at all F.? Banks were allowed by their char
ters to issue three dollars in paper, for every
one in specie, and many of them transcribed
their legal limits. Now, where was the truth
or honesty of tho declaration specie basis p
At present the estimsted amount of gold and
silver within the U. S. would not afford over
four dollars per capita, for our business ex>
changes this would be about one eighth the
amount necessary for healthy and active bu-
siness enterprise.
1t is shown BY the coin statistics of our
government thst the productions of the pro-
cious metals in this country have decreased
in the last twenty years, from 1858 to 1873,
from 65 down to 3G million dollars, aud that
there is great increase in its consumption
in the firc arts. With these facts before US,
it is evident design and trick upon the part
of the hard money adVocates, and weakness
and forbea-ance upon the part of the people,
to be tolerating in place or power any nan
or set of men who prate about contracting the
currency, and return to specie basis.
There is but one practical solution to this
question in the United States. Our governs
ment has the power under its constitution,
and it docs issue and fix the vaiuc of all
moneys; therefore if it cannot supply a sur-
fciency of gold and silver, and of necessity
must resort to currency,'or paper money, it
should make all and in justice to the labor
ing, producing, manufacturing classes, as
we'll as to the money lord-equal in value
aud distribute its issue to the States, ard the
States to the counties according to population
the first paying a nominal interest to the
general government. and the latter to the
States. This would properly destroy class
favors, aud create revenue 70 the govern
ment TO pay its debt, tighten the burthens of
the people. and equalize governmental bless
ings. j. II. S.
A Texas paper says: "We have been
asked why we stopped publishing the list of
marriage licenses issued by the clerk Be-
cause a great big stand-up>in. the-mud ont
there in the sand hills said We published his
daughter as married when she weren't, and