West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1878-09-14
Opinion of a Jackson Democrat.


Editor Irgts:
The present singular condition of po-
liucal affairs in our, and tho adjoining
! counties of West irginia, deserves the
most careful consideration. The two
regular political parties have suddenly
found themselves confronted by new,
large and enthusiastic party-tho Greens
hackers.
What caused the sudden growth, and
what this party will accomplish are in>
teresting questions.
The Republican party alone CAP bc
held responsible for the creation OF this
new party. They have controlled the
Government since the war. and their
financial misrule brought about the
present general distress They enacted
bankrupt laws, allowing fraud and
encouraging perjury, They caused Tia
contraction of tho currency Ia force
specie payment irsteac p' fostering and
ecung uur depressed commerce and
manufactures, so thlt specie payments
would come naturally through the pros
peritv Of the country. They habi'uallv
encouraged class legislstion-fHv favor u,
cer,ain opeIty holders at the cncul
expense and establishing pigluic
monopoliss t. eat out the subsistence of
the people. They allowed great pecu>
lations III office from the highest to the
lowest
These are the chief causes of the pres
ent popular discomfort.
What is the history of the Democratic
party on financial questions? They have
always agreed that bonds ought to be
taxed as other property. They opposed
chartering the National Banks, and
have tried To- abolish them and have the
General Government To issue greenbacks
in their stead, thus saving over $40, 900,
600 to tho people annually. They or.
posed the act To make bonds payable i'm
coin when, on their face, they showed
they should have been paid i'm green
backs. They remonetizei silver, thus
increasing the amount of coin in the
country and making IL easier To pay the
bonds in coin. They passed bill In
the House OF Representatives to prevent
the further retirement Of grecnbac ks;
and another repeating the resumption
law, but IA Republican Senate insisted
upon forcing resumption on fixed day.
The foregoing is now the policy of the
Democratic party as so clearly stated by
their great leader, Judge Thurman.
The question natm ally arises, who
defeated this wise policy OF the Demo-
cratic party? TIE answer must be. the
very men who now have gone fur be.
yOnd the policy f that party and wish to
pay of ali the bonds in greenbacks at
once. They wish to create an irredeem-
able and unlimited currency-a theory
which the history OF tie world has mapy
times shown TO be fallacy and its con
sequences have always been disastrous.
Let us hope that time will enable the
honest people OF Preston to understand
that both extremes are to he avoided
That the policy OF the Democracy is, and
always has been, to expand tbs curren-
cy as much as possible without causing
it to be DEPRECATED in value, proper leg
islation allowing the interconve rtibility
of bonds with greenback5, fostering our
commerce and manufactures aud "A total
cessation of all Legislation favoring classes
anu III .hplDAltHs ny ShNh iltdnA tUt
currency of the country can very soon
be expanded equal to the necessities Of
the people. and we will again have pros
perity and have the ability u pay our
debts. Let us hope that the Dom ocrdtic
party Of Preston county will not be led
astray either by the money power on the
one hand, or the agitators OH the other,
who wish 10 food the country with a
mass Of irredeehablo paper money Of
about the value of the old Continental
currency, just previous 10 the siege OF
Yorktown, when IL took an armful 70
buy breakfast.
The Democratic party is now, and al
ways has been, in favor of that policy
which will do the greatest good 10 the
greatest number. But they will never
sanction the robbery of one class to al
leviate the su1erngs of another, for
such a creed is worthy only OF com.
munist.
a JACKSON DEMOCRAT