The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-11-29

| WI 10 AO SPOhC vi tuC IOsS Vi Tic
| Iaboring classes amounting to $3,OOO,-
600 day, or $9OOOOO,OOO year, and
| mentioned statement made to him
recently by the President of the Day
ton s. Southwestern Railroad Compa-
ny In Ohio, to the effect that hundreds
of men had been Offering to work on
the road for bread and meat. Nothing,
said he, for clothing nothing tor wives
and children; nothing to lay up in
store for winter, merely enough TO
keep the poor human body that was
doing the labor able to exercise the
necessary force. Oh. God that bread
should be so dear and flesh and blood
SO cheap [sensation. and applause. ]
The law, be continued. was not going
to stop with the fall of values. Who
ever hugged the hope that bottom had
been touched had only to look at the
facts to know that lower and lower
ground had to be reached, further
fall of values had to be witne essed.
There had also to be witnessed an in
crease of poverty and suffering, the
practical cOntiscatiOn of property, and
a reputation of a large part or the
public debt of the country. He ap-
| pealed to the money men whether they
would persist in their scheme of in
fatuation. Had they not heard enough
to warn them to stop? What meaning
| had labor riots that almost civil war
six months ago, The meaning CT them
was that labor had been trainpled upon
as much as it would stand. Go, said
he, to any OF our cities, and see hun
dreds and thousands, and tens of thou
sands of pale, worn, ragged, hungry
| people. l have seen them dubbed out
of the parks of New York City at
| night, men who went there hoping to
lie down on the grass and get a little
fresh air and a cool resting place. The
tn ing has been pushed just as far as it
will bear. What are we to gain by
inflicting such losses on our industry
and labor2 What is the great advan-
tage to he accomplished. 1t costs this
country in loss of productive indus
tries, in unjust transfer OF wealth from
debtor TO creditor, in unjust increase
| OF taxation, in loss of labor to wage
people, more than all the wastes OF the
rebellion combined, and what are we
to gain by adding to the enormous sac
rifices of the rebellion a seIf-inflcted
sacrifice even more stupendOus? Why
we are 10 get back the banking system
which existed before the war modified
litile-a little better in one respect
| than the old State bank s,s.,'.n, but a
| system the very genius OF which will
| be panic; "a system W Aich, in the
very nature O! things, cannot be stable
| He spoke of tue law Tor the pa, men,
OF bonds in golt; a. an act OF repudia-
tiOn OF S2,Oo0,OOO,OO 600 of contracts,
whose values rested on il, and declared
that the repeal of the law and putting
back of those contracts to what was
the understanding of the parties at the
time they were made was an act de-
manded by every consideration of IN
diyidGal int crest and of national honor.
IT the repeal Of that law were repudi
alton, the helpless sufferers would no.
be the people ut large, but the men
probably who had instiga,ed the pass
age of the law. He quoted Edmund
Burke 10 the effect that it is 10 the
property of the citizen and not to the
dem ands of the creditor of the state
that the original faith of the nation is
given, and that the claim of the citizen
is prior IN time, paramount in title and
superior in equity. In conclusion he
said no greater question than this was
eyer presented to an American Con-
gress for its action. 1t touches the
happiness, the prosperity, the future OF
three-fourths OF the men. women and
children OF the land. Thousands OF
men have been driven by the resump
ton law to insanity or suicide. Hun
dreds of. thousands have been cast
down from competency 10 poverty.
Millions have been deprived of EN-
ployment for their labor on which
rests the dependence of their families.
! 10 to- l,4 is,ot
but we may avert any greater wrong
from them, and millions by prompt
action Oh the part of Congress and the
President. lido not appeal to that
money power which seeks its fortune
over the wrecked happiness and ,sccu-
| mutations of its fellow n,cn, d bower
to which our unhappy civil war gave
birth, which has grown so enormous
through unjust financial legislation.
which now bestrides our narrow world
ike Colossus, which subsidies the
press, w!licta captures statesmen and
parties, aud makes them its subservi-
ent tools, which hounds down and vii
lilies every public man who dares to
raise his voice against it. That power
in the flush and arrogance of its euor-
nous and i'll gotten gains, has q heart
VI otohC, hot ~ OC
sympaty and compassion. Iappeal TO
the masses and 10 their faithful repre-
seutatives, L thank God, of both par
ties on this floor. Tie true aim of
the government is the greatest good to
| The greatest number, and VI hoover, by
leg isla;ion aud otherwise, changes the
value OF u contract is as accursed as he
who removes his neighbor's land
marks. For ten years past the finan-
cial legislation OF this country has been
dictated, one would think, iu Lom-
band street, OF Wall street. and the
people have been plundered by every
fresh enactment. They have suffered
The tate of the giant Gulliver when
tied down by rLiliputhians. Thank
God they are now about to rise to
burs, the bonds which their petty foes
nave fastened upon hen. white sieAp
lug. and o walk abroad again i'll their
own maj stl. [Appiause.j f:-
All tne conclusion OF his speech,
which WAS listeueG 10 with the closest
attention ON both sides of The Chama aer
Mr.. Ewing yislded the floor to Mr..
Fort, who moved that the House adj
jOurn.
Mr.. Hale dsa> ored u haze. the
House a,ljouru Ill Monday. ,n.t. lis
proposition was rejected and the House
adjourned Till tomorrow. .e