The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-03-30

| The hard money league, which was organ
lied in Chicago, last week adopted the follow
ing address and resolutions:
TO THE PEOPLE oFTnE UNITED STATES -
| Pursuant 10 a call, a meeting OF citizens OF the
! northwest in favor Of an honest money stand
ard was held in the city of Chicago to-day, anc
! the following declaration was unanlmously
adopted as Il platform Of principles. OppoNi
/ ton to all paper initiation and consequent dc
probation. In favor Of coin and paper OF
equal value and equal purchasing power, and
IcOnvcr,iblc into each other at the will of the
holder In this connection the meeting direct
ed the publication Of the following statement
to which we invite your attention:
/. The industrial interest Of the country
and consequently the welfare and happiness Of
the people, require stability in the standard OF
| value and uniformity in the circulating mcdl
IUmS of exchange
II. The experience Of all civilized and
commercial nations proves that gold and silver
possess STABILITY of value in Il greater degree
than any other commodities, and are therefore
the best standard of value, and in connection
with paper representatives convertible into
them on demand, the only safe and uniform
circulating mediums.
III. 1t is the duty Of the government to cs
tablish and maintain asOund and uniform cur
rency system; the establishment and mainten
ance of such system was one OF the ends con
itcmplacd by the founders of our government
in framing the constitution, and to secure the
advantages of such IA system requires only a
firm adherence to the principles and spirit OF
the constitution.
". The constitution contempates only the
use of the precious metals as IA standard OF
value. These principles are strictly observed
by the government until a great national emcr
gcncy compelled temporary departure from
them. That departure was solemnly and re
pcatedly declared to be only temporary, and
only juStitiable on the ground Of extreme ne
Cessity in time of national peril, and the most
positive assurances have been given by the
legislative and executive departments OF gov
eminent that when the cXigency of the war
should pass away the government would, as
soon as practicable, return to the constitutional
and stable metallic standard and measure OF
value
Y. The emergency that made it necessary
for the government to force upon the people An
lrredecmabc paper currency having passed
away, to now pcrpetuatc that system As per
mancnt financial policy would be violation
Of the spirit Of the constitution, and Of the spr-
it Of the laws and pledges under which our
w al 'ulItllNN hlN lSNuNN, anu, dN lllt tNCl J.
cncc of the world has proved, would ncceSsari.
" be followed by still further depression, to
the great injury Of all legitimate business, and
add to the suffering Of the labOring classes, up
on whom the evils Of the deprecated currency
inevitably fall most heavily.
VII. We have now an abundance of money
to supply all the wants Of trade; our paper
currency is approaching the uniformity and
stability of the com standards, and if LETT free
from further legislative changes, it will soon,
by force of natural laws, go into general cir
culation and general confidence and prosperity
will be restored To the country.
Will We invite all our fellow.citizens who
concur in these views of the nature of money
and medium Of exchange and the functions of
the government IN relation thereto, to unite
with us in an effort to maintain the honor and
welfare OF our common country, and in IA pro
test against the adoption of an irredeemabe
papermoncy policy, which would certainly
sooner or later be followed by all the evils Of
tluctuation and depreciation, ending only in
ultimate reputation and general financial ruin.