The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-04-19

ltl-Monopollst
let US not make the great mistake of the gov
ernlng classes in France, England, and der
many, where the wages Of the operatives and
Worklngmen are reduced to q bare subsistence.
It is this ignorance II want Of patriotism
that stands IN the way of the public veal, both
IN the management Of cur finances and the
adoption OF judicious tariff The people alone
can vlndlcate their rights and secure their own
welfare BY taking an intelligent and proper in
| terest in the administration Of their own gov
eminent. Let them require from the admin
istration a return to the principles Of public
Justace and eq ual rights. Let the government
De required III some proper way to restore to
the people the tools Of their trade and COM
merce, which have been so uniustly and cruel
~ taken from them. Let these be provision
made tor the return Of the whole Of that cur
rency found in circulation at the close OF the
reDeillon, which was worked out and paid for
~ the people in the labor, material, and SER
vice which they had rendered to the govern
ment during our struggle for the nations llfe
1t was currency which had lifted the Amer
lean people into state OF unexampled pros
Derlty, never before known in this or any 9th.
er country. and which can be restored to the
people by the issue Of greenbacks, paid out for
the necessary expenses Of government, for the
execution OF great necessary International
works. such as the Northern and Southern
Pacific railroads, which when made, will
strengthen the bonds of the Union, and open
vast country. with the untold wealth, fer the
enterprise and labor OF the people. have
sounded thsse notes of encouragement, warn
ing, and advice time and again, because be-
lleve they are for the peace and happiness OF
our country. At my advanced age have no
personal ambition or motive left Tut the well
fare OF mankind and the prosperity of my be-
loved kcountry. If it were the last word I
should utter with nv dying breath, shou
warn the people OF this country against the III
lsidious wives Of protested poiti laus who are
seeking for the spoi of Office aud the attrsc-
tons OF power-men who are ready to lend
themselves to all special and partial acts of leg
lSlatlOn, II they can only advance their own
individual interests. Such men oppose s'civil
service" because it will curtail their political
patronage; such men barter the rights. the
prosperity, and even the bread of the people.
IN order to share in the spoils and the Tempo
rary gains which are thrown into the hands of
. few by pernilious system OF banking, Of
which the periodical plnics Of our country
bear frightful record. They are the natural
outgrowth of the same injurious system.
My arguments will be confirmed by . refer
ence to the facts stated in the following letter
in relation to the currency by E. Il Spinner.
to the former assistant secretary of state. H..
Spinner says that there was pat in circulation.
In all the forms Of six Ger cent and Is: n.r
cent Of legal-tender money, s.. 1863. 024 500.
besides the seven thirties, 1888, OOO, 900, winch
Mr.. Spinner says, We're intended, prepared.
and used as currency. This amount had bee n
paid out as SO many dollars, aud had become
the peoples money, which the government was
then and forever bound to receive from the
people as legal tender dollars for every form OF
taxes, duties, and debts. The fai ure of the
government to do that duty has cost the nation
thousands Of dollars. 1t will b. recollectrd by
many members Of this club that We were 70.
vored on a former occasion by Prof. White of
Cornell University with an account of tia
losses sustained by the people of France by the
use OF the assignats authorized by that govern
ment. | have always regretted that my es-
teemed friend, Prof. White, had not poue far
enough into the trus history of the rise, pro-
gress, and use Of the ,assignats of France. to
500 that the injurious losses occasiOned by them
did not arise from an Improper action OF the
republican government, b t 10y the combined
powers OF the internal cit m of the republic.
This will appear by the following facts. III :
asslgnats OF France were based on the coniis-
Gated property Of the clergy and the nobility
had deep interest. that led them to denounce
the aSSlgnat as based OH theft and outrage
There was another royal party that united in
declaring that their lands had been taken with
out any Of the forms of law and the efore the
Title still remained In the clergy. The parties
all united In declaring that the ass gna 5 were
utterly without any tasis to secur. their re-
demption. The parties never cea .ed to agitate
and war on the credit of the ass;gnats. But
finding the revoluti too strong for them, and
that Its cause was being SO successfully
strengthened by conquering the enemies OF
liberty and Of the nation. that other nations
| ND hot
re victorious, and that its principles, as de-
veloped by the constitution and laws, were
such as reason and humanity approved history
tells Us, that all the enemies of the new French
government united in an fort to destroy the
power OF the new government by circulating
, counterfeit asslgnsts in every direction The
c0unterfeltlng cOmmenc. in 1892 in Belgium
and Switz fland, aud was used extensively as
the best means OF destroying the power of the
republic. 1t was found by the nobility Of B l.
, GUM and Switzerland We're two much in SYM
pathy with the revoutionists to BE- trusted
They then extended their operations to London
, where they found more scope and greater OBJ
| portunities for uninterrupted work. History
| charges that England lent her aid by allowing
Seventeen manufacturing establishments ID
| operation IN London, with force Of 400 men
] in the production of the assignats"
/ 1t was found that Il, 900, 900 900 of counter.
J felt francs had been circulated in France, when
, the government, showing that the danger O
! an ovsr-issue was from the enemies of the gov.
, eminent, and not from the government itself
The assessed value Of the property on which
was based the 1850, 900, 900 OF francs was. In
1895, 5000, 900, 600, showing that as long Al
the confiscatlon of property was maintained b,
/. the government the assignats had good securi
ty for their redemption.
Its more than prof. able that we shall see agai,
. what are called prosperous times" when tn
: banks have annihilated our greenback curren
r cy. and have substituted their own money. OF
: the old aud false pretense of s.specie basis,
/ which makes their money s'as good as gold
e until the gold Is really wanted But war,
G my countrymen thst this will he baseles
V prosperity, that can only last while there ar
1 any securities or property, that can be pledge
q Tor loans, the loans themselves being pulled U
5 under the concei. that they are payable in gold
: then another crash will come, and we sha
q have the same scenes of desolation and suffer
q Ing we have experienced as a people for th
b stthree years. do most earnestly beseec
5 the American people to see to it that thei
i chosen rulers are men imbued with the spiri
4 and letter of the constitution, which after
o great struggle was enacted s'to establish jus
' uce, promote the general welfare, and secur
!. the blessing of liberty To ourselves and on