The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-05-13

by the Secretary of the Treasury is found
ed upon. II is founded upon Law that
has been approved by the Congress and
signed by the President "A law ti.at de
cares the legal tender token Of sovereign
power that the secretary has rendered TO
the party whose claim against the govern
ment has been regularly approved that
a tender of the token shall be valid full
gllinent Of all obligations for payment
within the realm, whether the climant ac-
cept II OF not.
The question as to what may be the
value Of the legal tender token to the par
ties accepting it after it leaves the treasury,
Is not Of concern To the government nor to
what use the party may choose to make Of
it. The government is only concerned in
enforcing obedience to laws If Congress IN
regard to the token Of the sovereign, the
same as in all other provision of the laws.
This brings MS 70 the question, where
does the power reside that can enforce tie
laws In the states the power is i'll the
executive officer Of the State, who can call
out the militia If the State If there is re-
sistance offered. In like manner can the
supreme executive officer, the President,
who Is commander in chief Of the army and
navy, use that powerful necessary, ID en-
force the law.
But it is contended that a Law OF Con
..ress that will oblige a claimant "a take a
token of the Sovereign impressed upon pa
per, that has no inherent value IN itself as
a commercial commodity is an unjust Law
1t is, says some, Reputation e. offer for
services OF for values furnished the gov
eminent, paper that is valueless as a com
modify, that cannot be sold IN foreign coun-
tries.
Such a statement is pervertIon Of the
facts. The government does not Tx the
value of its token or power, its value Is
liked by the party that has consented to
accept 1t for services or values.
The Congress fixed the number and
amount Of the token that will be rendered
To those who may consent to accept ap
puintments TO offices the government needs
fulfilled, but the Congress does no possess
power to compel men t. accept an office
Ii they do accept. however, they accept
on the terms offered, and they are the *
elusive Judges as To whether or not the
compensation offered is adequate IA the
services to be rendered CT tor the values
voluntarily given. The Congress has hNed
the salary Of the President at SON, 600 for
the term of four years, but Congress can
not force anyone to accept that offer un-
less he pleases. If he does accept. he
fixes the value of that which he has agreed
to take, and 50 Of all other officers.
When Carl Schurz was roaming over the
country for the past three or four years.
in his long, windy speeches denouncng
greenbacks as worthless rags, the people
could not forget that he accepted green
backs for his SIX years services as Senator
and that he exerted all Of his ability aud
cunning i'll trying to yet back to the Sen
ate. and take his pay in What he called
worthless rays.
And so II is when the government does
not tx the value, that Is done by the par
ties who offer to furnish what Is wanted.
In no instance has the government the ex-
elusive power to hz values, except when
the soldier is conscrlpted, his pay is fixed
at the same rate Of him who has voluutari-
" enlisted When the government takes
private property for public use, the value
thereof Is determined by Jury
Now | have stated, as well az my feeble
ability will permit. the facts which think
show OF tend TO show, the theory upoa
which our republic is founded. and alluded
to the modes and instrumentalities neces-
sary, IN order shat every citizen may enjoy
the right t. fulfill all the duties required
for his own preservation.
Because of something wrong in the ma
chInery Of our government, where there
are wheels within wheels, some have got
ont Of gear, and this has, to use mechan-
les phrase, produced backlashes that are
wrecking the entire fabric When a ma
chine is constructed ON correct philosophi-
cal principles, and becomes deranged and
entangled, the fault is to be found in I'M
sklllful or unfaithful engineers having been
employed. This rule is as applicable t.
the machinery Of the government as to the
mechanical arts.
That there "a at the present time some
thing wrong in the working machinery If
our government, is evidenced by the fact
that in the midst Of a superabundance Of
the productions Of the earth, capable of af-
fording every individual in the land a
sufficient supply Of all things needful for
their sustensnce, industrial pursuits, that
tend every year to add to the nations
wealth, by the general development If our
resources, are paralyzed our railroads are,
with few exceptions, bankrupt our factor
les, in many localities, are at a stand /;
others have failed, consequent upon their
profits first, then their capital being alb
sOrbed by a high rate Of taxation thereby
turning out Of employment thousands of
laborers, skilled and unskilled, naked upon
the world, deprived Of the means for shell
ter, driven BY necessity, in numerous in
stances, to beg, to starve, to steal, to vio-
late the laws. Many, unable to endure
their sad condition, destroy their lives as
if TO afford relief.
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