The daily gazette., 1878-01-08
PRICE ONE CENT

ness. They have no need to buy gold
dollars with silver dollars, as neither
OF them stay long enough in their
pockets to create any uneasiness as
TO the relative weight of the two
CONS.
10 the apprehensie of wiser men this
is thick stnpidity. am also persuaded
that 1t IL incurable, for the people look
at such matters in broad and practical
way, and not with microscopic vision
Ihey cannot consent to have a silver
dollar refused by a man who gave less
than half Its value for dollar in our
bonds, upon the pretext that IL is not an
"honestx dollar" Their ethical training
mas not been so severe as to smother out
all inquiry as to wbolt is that clamors
for the "honest dollar when they offer
him coins of the year 1900, with the
American eagle and the liberty cap
graved upon them, and he refuses IL for
bond that cost him fifty cents on the
dollar. Those dollars have paid Presi-
dents, statesmen, generals, Sand soldiers,
for honest and great services, in better
days than these. They have sustained
our government, and built up our nation
in all emergencies aud adversitles, and
have opened to liberty and civilization
the broadest and fairest land on all the
continents. When, they ask, and how
did these dollars become dishonest dol
lars Who has scandalized them with
this reproach, 80 that an honest man
dare not offer them to his neighbor in
payment Of ten-dollar debt These
and such like questions will come up,
and when these plain men deal with
these PLAIN matters in their plain way
statesmen will find use for their highest
abilities to find the gentle answer that
will turn away their anger.
How will Congress answer these people
except to say that the silver dollar,
weighing 412t grains, was an honest dol
lar until the 18th day of February, 1873
when we destroyed the money in your
pockets, and left a vast debt hanging
over you, since when our bonds have
been sold from hand to hand in the
markets and among the stock gam blers
They knew we had stricken down your
rights, and trusted to our honor that your
rights should not be restored. 1t would
be dishonest in us to restore your money
to its value and vitality. 1t is bullion
nowhere pig-metal-and is NO longer
money. As such it has fallen in value
five and one-half cents on the dol
lar. We have forced it to this depressed
condition, and will make the honest
owners of these dollars the scape-goats
for our 81 ns by branding you as dishonest
men, and your dollars as "dishonest dol
lars" if you force the bondholders to ac-
cept them in payment of the public debt.
A debt that was, when created, payable
In greenbacks, was then advanced to Ia
coin debt, at cost of $500, ,0O0, 900 to the
people, and it is said, without any new
consideration, and now stands upon a
gold basis and demands the blood with
the pound OF flesh.
Mr.. President, L cannot discern the
faint of reputation of our public faith
and pledges in a resolution that merely
restores TO our people a right that has
been virtually robbed away from them,
and makes some advance toward that
necessary policy which will enable the
people to bear the heavy burden of our
public debt They must pay it, and will
pay it; and we should help their virtuous
determination to pay it, which they will
perform even if it mortgages the labors
of twenty generations of their posterity.
The only relief we can give is to
strengthen their broad shoulders and
weary arms, and to cheer their sinking
hearts with words of comfort.
To adopt this resolution will do
more for the good of the country than all
the empiricism OF financial jugglery. 1t
will do honest, even-handed, and long
delayed justice to forty millions of our
people, and will only deny to few here
and abroad the coveted power to oppress
Without mercy.