The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-16


birth Of our Government Here Mr.. Voorhees,
culogized the silver dollar.l, The enactment II
completely unknown TO the people. and. indeed.
Ia four ilfths of Congress itself. ms tho pres
cnoc Of burglar in house at Midnight IL 20 its
slccping inmates. The silver dollar was clint
mated from our money system under cover OF
The law Of February. 1873. taking away silver
money from the people. aud the law OF January.
1878. fixing the day. now less than year in adj
vance when the grccnbarks, shnll MISC perish.
arc twin monsters Of evil. born OF the same
parcntage and linked together for the destruc-
ton of all money save gold. In the entire cata-
lugue Of crimes against huinmn society. not ono
can be found so awful in all its consequences.
both immediate and remote. IA "a Governmrnt
commits when II deliberately destroys the
money of its own citizens No shrnkagc in the
amount Of money. no contraction Of the currcn.
- in the hands of the people was ever enforced
by law TO- any considerable extent, except amid
broken lives, ruined hopes. despair. lost honor,
and all the vices springing from the lowest
depths OF poverty and human misery.
u is said that at this hour there arc three mil
lions OF our own people unemployed. who have
no other dependence for food and shelter than
the labor of thor hands. and one-hali OF whom
ar now trnmping from placeto place Tor crumbs
After dcduding the amount due rs interest
on the bonds. there ARE not this day nffy mil
lions of gold in the United Stat IS Treasury
and in nll the national banks besides Ii rg-
sumption il To take place ON that bnsis, the
stand good for the redemption of $3.50 .0uT 3pS5O
Of lcgql-tcud"r notes and s29l s7i.23G Of ma
t1ellHl bank note ptr'tilutiOn masking ia all the
sam of sGil .ssl .5i4 50. The state and munici-
pal debts of all kinds. ana the private duits Of
the people. had been NariOusly est mntcd at from
six Ia ten thousand millions OF dollars. aud
every dollar ~ this vast indebtedness would
call for gold after Jan. !, 1879. Where are the
people has shruuk not less than thirty five per
cent. in value. This is a criminal conilscation.
In this vast shrinkage Of all values, arising
from "" shrlnknge OF money in circulation. ~
TO be- found the immediate caus" oi that general
bankrurtry and ruin which now M the land.
II the policy ui this Government has been 10
innlf the great - misery On the greatest num-
Der. its success has boon complete. During tho
period which Is now s,iEmati1td as on" nf in
nuiuu. thc windows OF business houses were
not dark oned. and business mon did not gc IA
muurners about the streets. The lnhorcr did
not 10 home without bread to his wife and
rhiliran. The ruhli, pnar" WINS not broken hy
RIOTS in resistance to starvation wages. The
courts were not principally occupied in cniurc-
~u"riil's sales or punshing the destitute and
the OutU Every act of legislation thus far has
been dictated hy invested capital. and not one
Money is lie crcnturc Of Government. both as
To quality and quantity. shall Il be furnished in
sufficient amount To- AFFORD "a Just equivalent for
labor and for every otter thing Of val-cY On
the answer 10 this question has depend
ed H." prosperity or the adversely oi tho
Gov rnmcnt which for any reason f3uis to make
supply adequate 10 the business prosperity uf
IT. ritIN ms violates TINT fundamental compact
ui duty which must prevail IN every irn' POLITE
cal commonwealth. TIL. system Of national
scheme for making the propl" pay trihut" To-
wealth in order o. obtain a rir.uinfinr mcdium
ever known III the history 81 the world. There
IA NOT u dollar to-day in the hands IF the people
IN which thrs nav. uNf paid Cd tax. If the ma
uunnl banks ar" q l'l' s-inE. then unr debt il
blessing. for Ia" dsif supports the banks
ON tn" one hand here II the vast money power
Ia all it, various Development. uf bonds. banks.
ami savings asspriniions; and on the other are
"a" great industries. tho active business. and
the lalorlug lrupln. The is-ts hus hs,n wears
in inak ins ~, nui II is now joined nobody need
he dec, ivrd. The power of money IA times like
these IL Nry great hut am much deceived IN
The pnnpl" II They have not turned at last in de-
ilanec and bold warning upon their opprc~sors.
Ihry are not IN favor 90 rrpuliaiing u single
dollar 80 their public or prvut" debts. They in
tend to pay everything they owe. but they intend
10 submit toun more changes Of contract. Viola
IN order e. increase their Indebtedness or take
away their means TO pay u. They demand
n'"nditionally, ~ the at 81 Jan. -. 1873.
comp Hing q resumption Of specie payments IN
January. 1879. that the NATIONAL banking sy--
tom ir removed ana a rlr"niminE medium IN
sufficient quantity be- provided 10y tn" Govern
mrnt ihm TINS curr,n'Y snail hr made a i"s'n
waite: and thHt hereafter the financial policy ~
thu country he framed permanently IN The poo
p"'s interest. plead for Ia. financial credit
of the Government. IL rests on thu popular will
alone. and that viii can no longer Doe deil-i or
rienarcd With IMMUNITY. The people are SOY.
tie money power II advised with wisdom.
il will stop and retrare is STEPS. Il con-
~
free ueOpl" az the ballot noN. iunlmed and
united ly a sense II injustice and oppression.
IT, however. IL Is joined g. il golden idol. II H.
heart II harden ID and lt- neck stiit.ned hy iis
vast roSs' ~-ion- If the burning lust Of avarice
has nude II druf Ia IN" volrr o! reason. and
pima 4 All human experience. II Will push on
III lis career until 70 works It's own destruction
Tor. sooner or later. tho people. irrcsp ective Of
party namrs. wi unite III their own defence
and establish justice"
| have nownri of menace 70 utter on this floor
but, in behalf ~ every lahorer and every owner
Of the soil whom represent. warn all such as
value their investments that when these doc
trnes 81 desuOtism are sought to he enforced.
this fair land will again b. CONFUSED in agony.
aud the fires OF liberty will blaze forth again. as
they dld one hundred years ago. in defence Of
the natural rights ~ man. Nav the wlsdom Of
our fathers and the bcnignty Of our God avert
such An issue But II IL shall come--if infatua-
ton has seized our councils. the result will only
add one more instance To- the long catalogue Of
human crime and folly. whore Hvaricc. like am
btion. ovcrleaps itself. and. in its unholy
attempt 10 rob others OF their pos-essions loses
Its own. Great applause in the galleries.