Mexico weekly ledger., 1878-10-31
CAUSES OF


concentration Of power IN the
general government, which has cur
tailed State authority, imposed ex-
c~essiye taxes, created national cor
granted subsidies, confer
red privileges, and invaded the domain.
of personal and private legislation,
all of which usurpations it now seeks
to perpetuate.
To understand what is complained
of it will be best to contemplate these
grievances in detail, and for that pur-
pose they may be classified:
POLITICAL CAUSES OF Discomfort.
People, and especially Democrats,
can't comprehend how certain states
st the same election voted for Demo
cratic governors and legislators and
Republican presidential electors. And
submitting to such Interpretation of
ballots il is still harder to understand
why the State authorities so elected
could not assume the duties contided
to them until after a so-called Presi-
dent decided whom he would recog-
niZe.
ECONOMIC CAUSES or Discomfort.
Prominent among these which are
more numerous than the political, are
the advantages conferred upon capital
through railroad and bank corpora
tons whereby, after having been in
creased by grants and subsidies, ii
escapes the Redistribution that ordi-
narily transpires at the death OF it,
owner, and the personal responsibility
that usually attaches to individuals.
The discomfort arising from these
privileges conf rred on corporations
has been increased by abuse of fran
chise. Bonds and share certificates
lave been issuel by innumersble
companies in advance of payments
for stock subscriptions. Though labor
was abundant foreigners have been
imported to reduce its wages. and
when such means Cf obtaining funds
were exhausted these aliens, instead
Of being returned to their native
states, have been discharged among
us TO augment the general embarra5s-
ment.
Alarming as such assumption OF
authority by the Republican p.rty
has always been to constitutionaIisla,
it is insignificant when compared 10
that whereby coin bonds were issued
for the public debt, mainly to increase
the accumulated capital Of i~ncorpcra-
ted institutions, the effect of which
was to depress values and further de-
preciate wages already subjected to
unnatural competition.
Another cause of discomfort is ex-
cessivc taxation. Unnecessary excise
regulations have lesscned competition
ut home for corn and tobacco and
tariffs for protection have prohibited
our merchants ard farmers for fifteen
years from selling produce to its hest
customers because they could not in
return buy from them what they
wanted.
To abolish these evils and provide
against their recurrence the people
demand congressional and prcsiden-
tial return to the limits Of the couslj.
tuition. They also ASK that the civil
service shall he so changed that Local
t. ). officers shall be he selected foI
specific terms by the voters Of Ia,
states i'll which they live, SD tiiat
hereafter no I'resldGnt or Senate shall
he able To reward those that fraud.
emily manipulate tIleiI ballots.
The people also demand empIoy
ment for labor and market for its
products ut remuneratiug prices.
Grain that rots in the stack, corn thai
wastes in the crib, fat cattle that
grow poor waiting for purchasers,
goods that lie upon shelves and cpr-
that remain in mines do not sustain
or stimulate cXcrtiOn,
To restore prosperity our wcaltl
Of whatever character must pass from
producer to dealer and dealer to con.
sumner. 70 this rule even hard cast
struck at the mint forms no exception.
Locked up iii the treasury it blcSscs
no one.
At this moment all eyes centre
upon John sherman, but what can h,
do but obey law. Before Il is nation
can be enriched, these laws must b,
changed.
AS civilization advances govern.
ment has less and less power over
what shall constitute money. II ear
say how much weight OF gold CT sill.
yer shall constitute the coin it names
and iegalizcs, but that eXhausts liz
powers. The idea that money can
be stamped If paper is sheer non,
sense. Coming down the centuries,
from the earliest conditions Of society,"
one common idea, ard one alone has
permiated all classes. That universal.
ly accepted sentiment has been that
gold and silver alone were money.
Government may decree that paper
shall represent the value 1t promises,
hnt it cannot impart currency to it
The verdict Of the people alone con,
fers that quality. In California green,
backs have never had fret circulation
People there have not and will 10
give up gola and silver coin. At th'
same time the greenback is the bes
paper currency the world has seen
They are more valuable now thai
ever. What is wanted is an issue O
them limited only by the requirement
Of !egitilnate business,
These reforms that the public demand
and we advocate are all in strict aC
cordance with Democratic principles
if you wish to secure them vote 70
Democrats.