The Lamoille news. (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1877-1881, 1878-10-30
FALSE ISSUE.


Since the astonishing result OF the
September election, the Free Press
has been seduousN endsavoring to
make AM issue in THIS District between
the crazy extremists Of the fiat money
party, represented, as they have false
Il claimed, by Mr.. Barlow, and the
hard money party. Because Mr.
Clarke, in response to some criticisms
from Mr.. Benedict on communica-
ton in the Messenger, saw fit to state
some of the Arguments Of the advocates
os fiat money, and because MIR. Barlow
eleven years ago proposed, instead Of
a national bank currency, VIC should
have one thousand million greenbacks,
the Free Press has endeavored to place
Dir. Barlow on the entreme wing of the
neutrality-suspicious. party, and as
sail him there.
On the first point we can readily see
why the Free Press cannot conceive
OF the publication by any journal of
any fair statement of the facts or argu-
mcnts of an opponent. On the con-
trary it has always been characteristic
of Mr.. Clarke to give an opponent the
full benefit of arguments, and meet the
same to the best of his ability, leaving
the public to judge Of the truth for
themselves-which, by the way, is the
only method of journalism that is OF
much value to the reading public.
Secondly, Mr.. Barlow has con-
stantly referred people to his let
tiers, when they sought for his financial
views. How much imitation or repud-
iation would the adoption of his ideas
have entailed. The war closed in
1865. At its close the slave power
was PROSTATE and the American nation
stronger and more stable than ever
before in its history. Its debt was
large, but nothing, with good manage
ment, for such q nation as ours. The
great South was without a currency.
Mr.. Barlow proposed that the peoples
money be increased from eight to ten
hundred millions, that all bonds, pay
able in lawful money when due, be
paid in greenbacks, or if the holders
chose, they could refund them at low
rate of interest. Do you know that,
since the war, we have paid in interest
almost twice the face of our national
debt? Add this item to the bonus we
have paid the national banks, and then
do you wonder at our hard times? II
is said by some to be over-production
and want Of economy. We declare il
to be largely due to the payment Of
from three to four hundred millions Of
dollars annually to national banks and
bondholders, when one-half that would
have met the strictest demands of JUS
tice and honor. Had the nation fol
lowed such leaders as Wade, Morton
Stevens and Barlow, the result would
not have been the destruction of the
many for the good of few. In
iettel, printed last week in the Spring
field Republican, Hon. Wenueii mi
lips, the great anti-slavery orator o
Massachusetts, states quite clearly thu
real issue Of our third district fight 81
far as finance enters the contest:
The question is not what the money
shall be made of; the question to-day is
who shall make the money, banks or thu
government? money kings or the people
This is the reason why banks and money
kings hate this movement so bitterly, ant
pour out their money like water to kill it
They feel and know it is hand-to-hanC
fight between themselves and the people
one of the last battles between aristocrac!
and democracy. The most cunning weap
on they use is that of confusing the ques
ton. They fool their dupes, and instruc
their agents to drag in the questions o
paper-money, initiation, bonds, and
score of others, in order to hide the rea
issue, which is simply, Shall the natio
make its own currency, or put itself unde
the guardianship of capital-sheep in tn
keeping of wolves.
Mr.. Barlow has been for the pas
twelve years, and is now, for the PEG
pie, while General Grout is simply tn
attorney of the national banks and tn
bondholders.