The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-05-20
OUR NATIONAL FINANCES.
BY HON. JOHN MAGwIRE.

uioymcnt and the means TO provide shell
r. they became vicious and violated the
law. 80 1t is with the children IN our
metropolitan cities, for want Of shelter,
consequent upon want of employment,
they are exposed to temptations and fall
INTO vicious habits that rarely ever can be
eradicaJed.
There Is an other evil that atficts society
more than ali others. In Its consequences,
when We critically trace II 70 its source, It
rs found Ia he unjust and unequal tax the
the government has imposed on the labor
ers of the country. lapproaeh the branch
of my argument cautiously; because OF It's
tender delcacy. It's, nevertheless, a mo-
meutuus question that ought not to be
overlooked-it is the sOceal condition OF
American women IN certain localities. 1t
Is aWelI established doctrine indeed, it is
a dogma N the 81 stem Of civilization Incul-
careu and enforced by the legislator Of Ju-
dea--rhat society must be founded on
WouAu's dignity That dignity cannot oe
maintained II women Is deprived Of her
rights her rights as spouse, As wife, as
mother. her civil rights. Now, this asser-
tI0u Is founded ON the tact that there are
IN some NJ the States from seyenty-hve to
one hundred more women than men (ride
census repOrts) " here are the men that
ought % mate those women IL is his
.orlcal tact that there are as many male
thlIlr,u Dorm AS females the same mum
beer VI males dad at some time exist IN the
same locality. Butt consequent upon the
ht-h rate ut ttNatIon on labor, thereby alb
rhiug the net productions Of labor and
capital capital has been Withdrawn from
industrial pursuits and concentrated IN gov
eminent bonds and III national banks
.hartcIed by the Congress without author
.ty fram the Constitution; consequently.
tn- mrn have transported themselves to
other localities tp tiud employment, leaving
-le uuu.-u. thatlt is mans duty e protect
4ni provide for, lonely, helpless deprived
t Co... means necessary for the tulhlmen
w rle duties required Of them by the Law
.f their creation. As a consequence OF
-h-i- sad condition. many Of these must 20
mad leave this melancholy statement
~ tscts facts that have touched the hearts
wy t0e fur--t PATRIOTS among us and pro-
c-ra IVY -.yg THE facts that have produced
thr evils that exist
" " Z facr that the high rate of taxation
tA. Congress has by law, established and
-.trrs Iu tile nay VT interest on the pub
vi. debts HAS. AS A consequence, resulted IN
uNIctrg uu society the evils now com
planned devils that cannot be endured
uUcl longer Now, wherefore, was this
ul-n rate ut taxation established by laws
.. Congress Was il necessary IN order to
Carry ou tile machinery of the government
ID cau be made appear that IT was not
-sary, then the question Is narrowed
down to the single point Of inquiry, name
NV M THO are the parties that ought to be
La,u responsible
iue legislative department Of the gov
trwrnt IS solely III the hands IF and con
Quoted uy the agents the people appoint to
transact their business IN the Congress Of
-h, nation. 1t II can be made 10 appear
rl8t they have acted III a manner, that
either through mistake OF otherwise, IN
conducting the affairs Of the government,
-yl "A .Ls. gueuces have been the result, then
the inst inquiry is We're those agents
capable, W=re they qualified and possessed
.aa necessary skill for carrying on the ma
e.lfry RI the government
Second. Have they been faithful IN at
feI dung To the duties Of their station
10 K lan As made appear that those agents
In E.t possess Prerequisite know ledge and
Sail tlat \ Ia qualify them for the position
K. (Which they were appointed, then the re-
u-iuiIty rests manly upon the exRmln
G- committee or caucus that recon.
u....tu their appointment. IT, on the
other hand, il is found that those agents
hsys Teen unmiudiul " The dignity Of the
position they occupy as agents Of the
sovereign people, or II it can be made to
appear that they have been neglected or
WaJtentye t. the duties of their station,
then, ami in that case the responsibility
rests solely upon those agents, whether
they are qualified or not
we wIll now consider that part OF the
machinery VI the government which re-
luires the Congress to furnish the National
Treasury with a sufficient amount Of legal
tender tokens of the sovereign power to
meet appropriations made by law keeping
boz v,-@ the fact, however, that Congress
mas no power OF authority IN the COnsrtu-
uon on out Of Ut, to furnish the token of
sovereignty tor any other purpose Vhstso-
ever
Now we come TO the inquiry How
has congress supplied the wants of the
treasury : And We viii con6ne the in
qutrty to the period IN time dating from
lAe commencement Of the war IN 1861
~ hem the war began, IN order to save the
hiu of the government, armies ana navy
mad t1 be organized and equipped. The
,ime had arrived when the nation could
blgej It's attributes.
Ne could equip, and did equip, the ar
mics and navy with all the implements Of
warfare necessary Tor carrying on the war.
J ho army must nave soldiers and amunl-
tluu, guns and cannon balls, supplies for
feeding the soldiers. These we produced
40 abundance. and Of such quality a-l
materials best calculated to answer the
purpose. The soldiers needed something
to send back to their families, in order
that they could have a support while the
husbands and fathers were engaged in saw
ing the iie u the government, and thereby
protecting the lives and property Of those
Aho remained at home.
the treasury soon became empty The
Con ,ryss possessed the same power to sup
Fly the army with implements Of warfare.
AT state banks that had emitted bills Of
credit founded on a false basis, failed.
There was no money left in the country
lut the legal tender tokens the govern
tuent had impressed on gold and silver.
Those metal tokens were speedily hid away,
and most 81 them transported to other coun-
tres. The government tried the expert
ment ot offering bonds for the loan Of gold
and silver The bonds of the government
before the war, commanded premium of
twenty-five cents on the dollar After the
war commenced, eighty cents on the dollar
was the highest bid received, and only for
small amount. Then the exigency had
happened when the nation was forced to |
exercise her sovereign attribute of inherent
power for self preservation. Congress
authorized the Secretary of the Treasury !
70 issue a sufficient amo int of the token 81 |
sovereignty upon paper to pay the soldiers !
ard for supplies The law authorized the |
issue Of the greenbacks as passed by the !
Lower House of Congress, made them
legal tender for all demands. When it !
went 10 the senate for concurrence. the