Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-08-01
The Farmer Pays.~


The Greenbackers-andb by that term we
mean men who desire an inflated and IRE.
decmabie paper currency. not those who
merely wish to substitute treasury notes
| for the present volume of bank notes-havs
been closely pressed as 10 the means they
would use To get the additional paper cur
rency into circulation. and have generally
avoided answering that question. Com
monty they have contented themselves
with pointing out the readiness with which
the Treasury put out It's notes during the
war. and intimating that issues OF paper
money can be made as easily now as then.
But at that time the Government was en-
ploying million Of men to do its fighting,
and hundreds OF thousands to provide for
its army. II WAS buying immense quanti-
ties Of provisions and clothing, OF iron and
powder and other articles necessary 10 the
prosecution OF warfare. 1t could easily
expend tor warlike purposes alone mil.
lion OF dollars = day. Not having the
money to pay its bills il gave its notes. and
these were generally taken, though often
AT trightful discount. Now In order to
force its notes into a. rapid circulation Il
must pursue the same course. and though
ii has no need Of the amount of provisions
and clothing and munitions of war which IL
consumed during the rebellion it must still
buy these things. II seems absurd that
any class OF men should labor to bring
about this result; but that Is just what the
Greenbackers are seeking. They must
pursue that course or else provide that
the Government shall distribute its paper
currency among the people per capita.
This last proposition they reject with scoru.
What else remains 10 them but the first:
MIR. II. NJ. Bearce. one Of the leading
Greenbackers of Massachusetts, and sn ed
itpr OF the Standard, the representative pa
per OF the orr aniza,ion in that State, writes
= letter to the Boston Journal denying that
the Greenbackers propose To issue money
To the people pro rata, and further denying
that they expect 'the Government 10 go
into the banking business. and loan all
those who need money greenbacks without
colla.eral." This letter. which Is approx
ingly copied by Gre.ubsck papers In this
State, Intlmates that the new Issue OF paper
money is to be put into circulation by a
vast expenditure on the part OF Govern.
ment for public works. Al! the Idle men
In the country are TO be employed In con
structug buildings aud other public works
That is, the country, already impoverished
and debt-ridden, Is TO run still deeper into
debt and commit itself TO vast expenditures
for useless purposes. The Idle men are 10
dustrious.
Now who is to pay for all this: Some
one must OF course. The labo:er must get
bis hire. There Is al old caricature, pub
lished in France many years ago, picturing
nobleman, priest, soldier. aud
farmer. The nobleman says, IL rule for
all. ;" the priest, ''l pray for all, :" the sol
dier, Il hight for all, and the farmer. Il
pay for all" That expresses the truth
The land aud tie produce OF the country
must pay for all these public works. II
the government puts up custom house or
a post Office costing many millions OF dol
lars the taxable property Of the country
must pay The bni. Sometimes these eX-
penditures are necessary, bu, unless nee
essary they are gross extravaganza. The
Government may In time OF peace eNpend
millions OF dollars on the forts Ia Portland
harbor. aud the land of the country pays
for It. Ii may spend still other millions
In ''improvng" some obscure stream In
Virginia and the land Of the country pays
for IL. The contractors who make thou
sands OF dollars out OF these public work.
can take tncir money aud luvc-t II IN secu-
rifles Tar out OF the reach OF taxation. The
land OF the farmer which cannot be moved,
and the produce OF that land, which cannot
be concealed, Is held 10 pay the taxes and
to pay the contractor and the government
supervisor money which these gentlemen
hasten 10 put In some place where II can
not be called upon TO contribute 10 the rev
enues OF government,
Now this is the feast 10 which Green
back farmers in Maine or elsewhere are
Invited 10 sit down-to sit dowa and hun
grity gaze while others eat. They are in
vited 10 pay the bills while others feast and
grow fat Nearly every article they buy,
the clothes they wear, the coffee they
drink. the sugar they use. the carpet upon
the foor OF their houses, must be taxed In
order 10 pay the men engaged upon pub
lie works. There Is no other way, the
Greenbackers acknowledge, to get the pa
per into circulation. The Government
prints these paper dollars. Itcan only pay
them out TOR services rendered. As Its
ordinary expenditures are equiiled by its
ordinary receipts IL must In order TO put
out the new money, vastly Increase the
number OF its servants. That Is. the num-
Der OF otiice-holders must be tre5led or
Quadrupled. and their salaries must be iu-
creased. Government, from the very ma
ture OF the case always extrayagant In it,
expenditures must become stili more ex
travagant. The reduction OF expenses and
ofiice-holders which has been going on
ever since the close OF the war, mist be
stopped. The public expenses must be
again increased. And the farmer and
householder, the owners OF real estate,
must foot the bills, while others may profit
by government employment and contracts.
and take their gains beyond the reach of
taxation. Ii is wisdom for the farmer to
remember that in all these cases "the
farmer pays. Portland Press.