The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-20
HONEST \GREENBACKERs.
NationalG r. ORGAN .

lievo that the government should issue all the
paper m0,aeY in use, and withdraw the national
bank circulation and that 1t should float as
much of the debt in the form of nOnnterest
bearing notes as can be kept at par with gold
and silver
Said n. g. b. organ is correct. The postu
late that the government should authorize the
issue of but one kind of paper money, and as
much of it only as can be kept at par with
gold and silver, does unquestionably challenge
the assent of most intelligent men, especially
in the West. The agreement on that point l.
common not only among so-called grecnback
ers, but also among democrats and largely
among western republicans. Such general as
sent indeed is not confined to the West but pre-
walls nearly as largely through the Middle and
New England states. The Vermont democrats,
two weeks ago, pronounced strongly il. favor OF
the central idea of one paper currency Tor eV'
crybodv and the withdrawal of the circulation
of the national banks. The Maine dcmrocats
make the same declaration, only asking for a
currency to be kept at par with gold and silver.
In Pennsylvania the democratic sentiment to
the same purpose is even more pronounced and
IN any state west Of the Alleghenles there is
hardly q democratic convention held that does
not pronounce cmphatically IN favor of such
a currency.
The question occurs in view of these patent
facts, if to favor such Il currency constitutes a
man, according to our n. G. b. organ quoted
above, grcenbackcr and all the intelligent
men," democrats, nationals and republicans
alike agreeing on that point arc all greenback-
ers, what is the excuse for the existence of the
separate organization known as the IN. &. Is.
Partyr" While everybody is in favor of hang
ing the coldblooded murderer, or furnishing
the burglar, forger or thief where is the need OF
organizing a separate party to agitate for the
passage Of laws that nobody opposes? There
we're not two confessed greenbackers in the
last congress- yet there is not an honest object
in regard to finance or currency that the so
called National Greenbackers now advocate
that did not find nine-tenths of the democrats
in congress its earnest supporters. They voted
against and stopped the further cancellation OF
they voted for the reconciliation OF
silver; and voted, with less than half dozen
Of exceptions, in favor of the withdrawal OF the
National Bank currency and substituting
grecnbacks, or national bank treasury notes, in
its place. The conceit of the National Green !
back leaders that they can seize upon a popu-
lar idea like that, which nobody seriously OPP
poses, and rally upon il "a strong party under
The delusion that they only are its advocates, |
is one Of the most impudent frauds ever at
tempted in the annals Of political mounte-
bankery.
While, however, the prominent cry of the
yreenbackers is in favor of such currency as
in the extract at the head of this ar
iclc and all honest greenbackers advocate
hat currency, it is not to be disguised that
many of the leaders of the so-calIed n G.. b. |
party cherish very different idess. They do
not want paper currency that shall be kept at
par with gold and silver, but insist on such a
,opious issue as shall make money cheap and
plenty by degrading it below the value of gold
and silver. In word, they want "fiat money"
4 sort of confederate script, by which they can
pay their debts at % cents on the dollar and
make men work for them for half wages under
he deuson that they are getting two dollars
A day, when they are really getting but fifty
cents.
1t is about time the line was drawn between |
The honest grecnbacker and the fiat money"
dclusionst The honest green
hackers will find no difficulty in finding abun-
dance of congenlalty in sentiment and pur-
pose among the democrats; and when they
come to know the real purpose of the founders
Of the National Greenback separate organiza-
lion, they will as readily find that that is no
company for honest grcenbackers to train in
tlA Nf lf,..N,r