The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1876-05-02
eT We copy from tue Cincinnati Com

- " ~ 'aO'b StuNthouo SOHt
n'ercidl its reply 10 our comments ON
what seemed to US its chang, Of base on
tue currency question. II the CONNER
cial Is right VIC want our readers to be.
lierc as it does: i'ut il cannot hc right an
at the same time he inconsistent
We find ourselves much less rem ,te
from the Commercial than We had sup
posed II comedies that there is no ' xe,l
standard of value" notwithstanding its
many impressive exhnrtations urging a
speedy return to that FL Dorado. And
now il it will understand that this PAPER
Is not s'ir fatipnist,'" as that term is &C
copied by ALLEN, CARY and the Eaqui
rer, and will further understand that We
are not opposing the substitution Of sill
vcr for fractional currency. it nay meas
ure our differences with a shorter line, and
economize its invec,ive
In reading the Commercials reply it
may be observed that it inn ,cently over
looks our suggestion that gold fluctuates
not only from generation to generation,
but from decade to decade. But notwith-
standing this fuctuation we readily agree
tha: gold is the "nearest" ''ixed stand
ard of value" Still We are little curl
Gus to know why in using the phrase 8
thousand times the Commercial has
never before seen the propriety Of qnali.
flying itswitht the wprs "ncarest !" 1t is
to be feared t1at the Commercials style
is sometimes too vigorous to admit Of
The CONNIE, ciol says it has "never ad.
vocated the entire destruction OF paper
money" and thatit is"aware Of the uses
Of paper money, but it should not be is
sued Of small denominations" The
Commercial readers, of whom we have
been one of the most diligent, have no.
before found it discriminating hetwee,
small and large denominations. II has
denounced "rag.money" With wonder
ful fertility OF invective becauss it was
"rag-mo And now, for the frs,
time, VIC learn that it's wrath wa. kindled
not because the money was made Of rags
but bccauae units iastead of hundreds
we're printed on it.
The Commerciai notices that "the
SrlRrr ignores carefully that silver has
and paper has not Intrinsic value The
SPIRIT however does not ignore that bill.
of small denominations have as much
s.intrinsic value" as bills o. large denom
nations. !.
We alleged that the one uncorquerable
objection OF the bullionists to the green
backs is that they are "depreciatel."
The Commercial takes US by surprise
when it Gays this is not true. Onr recol-
lection OF the space devoted BY that pa
per to battling against greenbacks is. that
"depreciated" bore about the same ratio
to the other objections that volume
does to its ti,le-page.
itseems now that the objections, whose
magnitude has heretofore been nsingularly
overlooked, are, that the greenback "has
NO intrinsic value" and is "forced upon
the people by an unconstitutional law as
legal tender" But as the Commercial
has .'never advocated the totsl dcstruc.
ton" OF this money which has no "intrin
sic value" we may assume that that oh
lection is not fatal one. And as to the
unconstitutionality Of the legal tender
feature Of the greenbacks. the Supreme
Court Of the United S ,ates has forestalled
any profitable discussion OF that poin,
by declaring it constitutional.
In conclusion we presume so far as to
remind the Commercial that there 10 now
large audience in Ohio willing to listen
attentively to sound, clear and temper.
ate exposition Of the currency question
Heretofore few have been converted t.
the one side or the other because there
has been too much of reviling an
too little Of judicious reasoning-to.
many fallacious theories supported BY
fallacious arguments too much looking
aside to see what political leader would
be lifted up and what one pulled down BY
lone side or the other prevailing. II thu
masses of the people cannot be brough
Into entire harmony they will at leas
come very near togetser,and he very nea
right, after the suhj,ct shall have beer
presented to them fully and fairly.
But this approximated harmony o
opinion is not to be hastened by claiming
for specie merits which it does not pos
sess, nor by applying to greenbacks epi
thets which they do not deserve.
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