The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-08-15
A Statesman's Views.

A Statesman's Views.
While the country is being agitated from
one extreme to the other, over the labor and
currency questions, it is refreshing to read
sentiments so logical and philosophical as
the following from Hon. Horatio Seymour,
Of New York, brought out by reporterof the
New York Herald, and published in that
paper Of the 10Th. Mr.. Seymour is Demo-
-crat-an apostle in the party, il not the
chiefest of Democratic apostles-and his
wise utterances should be read and digested
by those who claim to be Democrats. By SO
doing, they will discover the fallacy of the
greeEback bottoms of that party, and the
wild fancies they encourage as to all the in
tcrests of society and the methods to subserve
them. What the country wants is more
honest study and less demagoguisTn, so that
a proper understanding may be reached of
the questions entering into governmental
policy.
The Importance and appositeness Of the
views of Mr.. Seymour will be readily
appreciated by our more intelligent readers,
who are honestly DESTROYS Of doing what is
right, regardless o. party affiliations, and
we therefore quote largely from what he
says for the cdificaton of those who desire in
formation. The correspondence is dated at
Utica, N. T., and will be found below:
''Governer what in your opinion is the politi-
cal condition OF the country at this time ?"
confusion
General distress makes general discomfort. These
give birth to various theories about government.
labor and finances Many OF them wild; still they
are of interest.as they show what thoughts are in
the minds of men. and what views are held by large
classes. While their theories may be false still
they prove that those who entertain them are
in trouble and they will bring out many facts
which Will be OF value The discussions of this
year in the end will be OF great use. To cure err
rors they must be brought to light. Many crude
fancies perish when men seek to bring them out
and to defend them, and nothing cures discon-
fed get up parties and try to organize
and manage them. AS rule such parties fall
into ruins before they can be brought into the
field OF action. This year will explode many err
rors, will shatter many parties and, it is to
truths
"Do you fear any trouble from the Com
munists or other socialistic parties who seek to
divide property ??
Oh, no in this country they are the most
harmless of men and will do more good than
hurt They make clear by their idleness and
their follies the need of sound social organiza-
| ton. When they talk of gaining their ends by
force and their desire to wade up to their knees
| in blood, they only teach our citizens the need
| OF good laws we'll enforced. their impotence
here shows the strength of our government be-
king and shake a State. but maiorities cannot
be assassinated. 1t is blunder to interfere with
their parades with arms in their hands. It would
be good thing il they were obliged to show
| themselves with all their weapons, and banners
| and notices, on frequent occasions. Not only
are the majority OF our people owners OF prop
erty, but not one poor man out of a hundred in
this country. would give up his chance OF gain
| ing wealth for all that the Communists could
give him if they had full sway such parties are
| only dangerous in countries where society is SO
stratified that the laborer has no hope,no chance
turn the social and political condition under
which he lives
''But what will other new parties do who hold
less destructive ideas than the Communists ?"
"They may elect some OF their nominees F.; they
may qualify the action OF the old parties, get
them out Of their ruts bring up new topics for
| discussion, and in these ways may be of use.-
The existence of these new organizations proves
and they will force the governing party to look
| into their causes. do not tn ink these organi-
cations will be long lived. AS a rule, they ap-
| citizens. The past history of our country shows
that outside organizations pass away with the
| causes which give them birth.'
what do you think of the greenback ques-
| of the currencv?''
| 81 think not in the end, although imitation is
| popular with many at this time There is also
prejudice in the minds of the people of the
into debtor and creditor States. This is increas-
| ed by the stupid and selfish way in which the
| privilege of issuing national bank notes was di-
| vided. Most of it was given to one corner of our
| country where currency was less needed than
elsewhere. protested against this at the time,
banks Of this state to come under the law of Con-
gress. The excuse for this Partially was that
| all States were offered an equal chance, but the
| West was not in condition to take its share
| But il the rule had been made that no State
should receive more than its share of the ma
| tional bank currency Eastern capitalists would
| have established banks at the West, for at that
time the privilege was one OF great value. Now
| tional bank capital is heldin Pennsylvania. New
| York and New England. 1t is so local that the
| hostile to the system. But do not think the
West can afford to have an imitation of our cur
| rency. 1t would be more harmed by this than
now made with some effect to their prejudiceS
| against what are called bloated capitalists or
| bondholderS-a class of men who do not exist in
| this country. We have some rich men, but they
are rich in lands, in railroads, factories kinds
of property other than money. The government
| bonds owned in this country are held by savings
" for Iaboring men or persons of small fortunes.
The whole amount OF banking capital is small
| item compared with other forms of property.
There cannot be a more CHASTITY satire upon
Wall street than to speak of its bloated capital
lists when it is charneI house full of the skele-
| tons OF dead corporations, while those that are
left are shrunk to skin and bones. A list Of its
| bankruptcies will show that there is not spot
| on earth where the financial epidemic has slain
| such multitudes OF bankers. brokers and specu
at the East will die out, as every day shows more
clearly that these suffer most OF all from the fl
tors must go down with them. The East suffer
ed most for the heaviest losses were in railroads
In the main it held the bonds .and the
stock which were lost, and the West has the
roads or other improvements, which are in
profitable use by it, The West will recover from
the financial shock much sooner than the East.
| PODulAtl States
value to its lands and great increase to its pro-
auctions, The wealth and the power of the
| country have moved westward 1t sells more
| than it buys, it deals with the markets of the
world and it wants the standard of value used
West: for it made the cost of its routes for trade
threefold what they should have been. The
| charges for carrying their products kept them
| out Of the markets of Europe
'Since the contraction OF our currency so that
it has raised to the value of coin, the West has
| grown rich faster than it ever did before and
more rapidly than any other part of the Union.
The vast exports of our country for the past few
years have been drawn from Western fields, and,
| although they have loaded down every channel
OF commerce, its grain and provisions have been
taken to the seaboard at less than one-third Of
| rency was inflated. 1t has not only gained by
cheap transportation, but it has sold amounts
which Viii could not have gone to to Europe or the
er before sold so much nor paid prices so low
for all it has bought. Grain has been carried
from Chicago to New York at seven cents bush
el. and other things at the same rate, Formerly
they paid nearly four times as much
war in Europe is ended. It must compete
with the grain OF the Black Sea and with the
fields OF Europe for the markets of Great Britain.
It can do this if 1t holds to sound currency land
it will soon control the wealth of the country as
it now does its political power. am satisfied
after looking the field of politics. that what
at first sight seems to threaten confusion and
disorder, in the end will give more sound
views about labor, government and finances