The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-03-10
Reported for the Press.l
The Voice Of the People.

Chairman, and Capt. III. {. Greiner was
nominated as Secretary. but not being
present, DIR. Martin Kagay was chosen
Assistant Secretary. Mr. Cnrran, on as
suming the Chair, said he highly COM
mended the object which assembled this
large meeting to find common ground on
which we may stand upon the all i'm
portant question of the currency. This
object il above mere party considerations,
and one in which all felt deep interest.
He thanked the audience for this dis
tingui=hed mark of it's confidence, and
for the honor it conferred upon him.
On motion of P. H. Binckley, Esq, it
was
Resolued, That a committee of nine be
appointed bv the Chair to draft resolu-
tions expressive of the sense of this
meeting, with instructions TO report at
the time to which it adjourns, when it
does adjourn. Adopted.
HON. wM. e. FINCK
being present, was loudly called, and
responded in a few pointed remarks in
favor of the repeal Of the Resumption act,
opposed to the contraction of the cur
rency, and extravaganza in public ex-
penditnres. He wanted the legal tender
note receivable for all dues, public and
private, and made equal to gold by fair
treatment. His remarks, at the close of
his short his speech, were heartily
cheered
Z. H. BINCKLEY, ESQ,
was next called. He said the Govern
ment cannot decently demand a better
currency of the people than it pays to
them. Repeal the Resumption act; re-
peal the act demOnetizing ami debasing
silver; repeal the act refusing green
backs for duties; and pass an act making
the greenback intercOnvertible with g.
65 gold bearing bonds, and redeemable
in silver coin.
CAPT. A. P. ASHBROOK
was loudly called for. He responded by
saying: There is something wrong.
have no remedy. know one thing-we
are short. Great fnancie-s differed.
After the panic in 1873, money seemed
to shrink out of circulation. l don't
think there was great contraction Bnt
I do think our clothes are not so good as
they were before the panic. We don't
spend so much money. ( A voice-"we
have not got it to spend.") l don't say
you ought not petition for a repeal of
the Resumption act. We have been de-
nying our families all the luxuries and
even some of the necessities of good liv-
ing. 1 acknowledge to being radical,
but do say the time is here when we
must consider and vote on measures, not
as party men, but as citizens. The re-
marks of Mr.. Ashbrook were we'll re-
! ceived and highly gratifying to his at
tentive audience.
MR.. p. H. SLOUGH
next responded. IF economy is wealth,
we ought all be rich. I vote for more
greenbacks. Tobacco was, in our early
history, legal tender, and very good
one. Thad. Stevens said gold payment,
forced upon us, would bankrupt the
country and the people. Mr.. FRIEND, Mr..
Ashbrook, has referred to the saving of
clothing. / am a tailor, and have not
had call for coat for SIX weeks.
MR.. SAMUEL CAssEL.
[ am in favor of greenbacks, but how
are we to get them?
Hon. VIM E. Finck responded to this
inquiry. He remarked, in substance,
that the greenbacks were limited to
S40O, 100000. We want this Limitation
repealed, and greenbacks substituted for
National bank notes.
Numerous calls brought
DIR. MARTIN KAGAY
to the front, who read his remarks from
manuscript as follows:
| No sane man who belongs to the debt
or class, or the laboring class, is satisfied
with the present financial or industrial
condition of things.
We want a change. IF return to
specie payments means the utter ruin
and bankruptcy of a large portion of
ourselves, our neiehbors and our people,
we prefer to demonetize specie, and ac-
cept legal tender as currency. If we
may return to specie payments without
disastrous consequences, there is no paper
dollar more readily brought to par with
gold than the legal tender note, made re-
ceivable for all dues, public and private,
and convertible at the will of the holder
into bonds of the United States, bearing
low rate of interest.
The National Banks may get ready to
close business. We want no middle men
to stand between us and the Government
to furnish US our currency at the mod
est charge Of six per cent. per annum.
and at an aggregate cost of $4,000, 900
yearly.
We can do without this middle man
he costs too much, and does too little for
his pay. @ t-.s
MR.. A. B. LEACH
being called ont, said he did not under
stand finances very well, but he found
that if he had anything to sell he could
find buyer for the products of his farm
Being requested, DR.. Kagay replied:
That if Brother Leach could sell his
products, he could not get as much for
them az in times past, and he wonld find
that it took fully two bushels of wheat to
pay debt now that one hu.hel formerly
paid. Bro. Shough, who had spoken,
had labor TO sell, and he could not find a
buyer, for the labor of making single
coat for the last six weeks Thousands
of laboring men were in the same fix.
As Mr.. Ashbrook remarked, "there is
something wrong" Labor is tramping,
and hunting, and suffering and starv-
ing. Women in our streets are begging
bread for helpless infancy. The Amer
lean citizen who, in full view of these
appalling facts, prefers his party allegi-
ance TO voting relief to starving men,