Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1878-08-17

are always with those of the majority Of his
! district. for he is not such fool as 10 deprlTe
/ the country of his valuable services IN conse-
/ duence of any such little thing as a difference
in political principles. lie thinks him dull
/ man who cannot accommodate himself 10
circumstances, aud change his politics as often
as state or national administrations change.
| In little while, beartless, petty note
shaver, who has his hole in the wall near tie
Office Of the rising statesmen, suddenly bursts
/ on the community as a bank director, next as
n railroad director. nest Us the owner OF the
finest residence in the neighborhood, next as
connected with half a dozen or more cut-throat
corporations, and talks very emphatically and
decidedly. and is ambitious to be called in the
newspapers b IRAN OF substance" The peo-
pie have never seen him DO anything except
sell, on a chattel-mOrtgage, some poor widows
last cow, break up some industrious and
enterprising mechanic who has been O little
unfortunate and owes more than he can in-
stantly pay, but could and would pay In a
little time If let alone, aud trot round 10
attend meetings of the directors Of half dozen
skinning machines, such as Gas cotnpaaics aud
the like aud perhaps, with great occurrences,
attend meetings O. the trustees Of sctne rcli-
eious organization This worthy patriot is
convinced of the ncapacity Of the people to
govern Themselves, says VIC must have a
stronger governtDeu, 20 protect the property
of gentlemen" that the people are all becom-
ing communists" and we must have
standing army Of City or a hundred thousand
men to keen them in subicc,ion and protect
propcrty-holders from being moes:cd by
Al .Ia 1,r o. 10 4 ho
70 leave this unpleasant country aud take up
his residence in Paris, &c, &c.
Now, ! candidly submit 70 yor and your
readers whether this is not an accurate photo
graph of the condition Of things in most
towns hnd cities of the United States and
especially In the upper Mississippi BASIN
You have seen duplicates Of il at least dozen
times right in Racine, aud so lRs every ono OF
your readers who has had observation enough
10 look about him have seen tin Milwau-
hee aud 10 plenty Of other points 10 the state
For twenty-five years, with rare exceptions.
the effort has been not 30 make laws 20 benefit
the industrious poor, but to rob thom, and
enrich tho sharks and pcttifogges. The
unremii,ing aims and efforts Of tho members
Of both the old parties hsyo boon 10 construct
legal pits aud dead falls into which Tho pro-
aucing classes would tumble, thai they might
be riilod OF their substance.
What difference was there IN Tho platforms
Of tho two old parties 10 tho lato presidential
election Can anybody TOLL Both wore
mado 10 tickle The monicd and speculative
Interests and fool the producers, aud thOy
accomplished their purpose.
During Grants naturalization. tho lcg'sls-
l. q. ~
Of the nation, cost II more than the entire
expenses Of the war; and prominent democrats
in both houses aided the republicans In fasscn-
ing these terrible and runous measures on The
nccks Of the people. Tic hon-tnxation of
government bonds, tho passage OF the national
bank law hy which the government lest
$500, 0O0, 900 n. one swoGp, the act Of 1870 |
providing for funding the grecuback bonds |
with coin bonds, by which the government |
was robbed Of another $500 ,00e 900, the act
demonetizug SILVER, the ruinOus resumption !
bill, and the votes 10 retain IL since Hayes !
came in. have ull been sustained 10y democrats |
as well as rcpgblicans It's trnc three times
more republicans than democrats voted for
them, Int the d, mocrats who voted for them
have never been repudiated or cast out by
their party
The resumption ill was passed in the first
instance after speech from the democratic
member Of congress from your then district,
who. it was said, made the speech on that
side Of the house That member has never
been reproyei for such action by his demo
cratic constituents. On the contrary, am
advised hc IL using every effort 10 have bis
nephew and vice president nominated aud
elected next fall over Mr.. Lynde, as q rebuke
to the latter for voting for and with thopeople
while in congress.
The money power is compact, wary, and
/, works with an eye single
to its interests Principle 1t throws TO The
winds. aud taken in connection with the
republicans, /. furnishes John sherman with
the best drilled, most supple, aud most heart
less and wicked organization that ever existed
10 this country.
The Hon. Jno }. Thomson. Of Summit
Point, West Virginia. says =" The annual
productions Of the United States ere Ten
fkousG,d mRions of doilars in value. The
banks now exchange these productions at the
rate Of tea per cent. on the average Ten per
cent. on ten thousand millions would be one
thousand millions If dollays for converting
your products into money. This enormous
tax-c.ual to one bali the great war debts
paid by the people Of the United States TO
mouied oligarchy, when by retaining their own
money power in their own hands. and issuing
notes, or grecubacks direct to the
people, they can eject the came exchange OF
the ten thousand million dollars Of products
AT one-qunrter or one-han q. enc per cent.
instead Of at ten per cent.
"Only think Of il, people Of Tie United
States, that you are now paying one thousand
millions Of dOJldTs, year after gear-that Is
annually-to effect the exchanges Of your
annual productions into what you want TO
enjoy or use, when you, goTselres, by Issuing
your own money through your constituted
authorities can accomplish the same exchanges
for Just what it costs TO stamp aud distribute
your money"
They 10 more. The government not only
gives this great advantage TO the moneypower,
but Il pays il bonus for thus skinning the
people Of nearly S2G 600, 900 a year. That
is. the citizens Of your congressional district
pay an annual tribute to the national bankers
,u interest on the government bonds, on which
,heir banking is based, Of about ( 500, be-
sides giving them tie privilege Of fleeing the
people, as Mr. Thomson describes.
The rroicciug classes Of this country form
.bor, ninety per cent. Of its population. Is
il not about time that this great proportion oil
our people combined to protect themselves
from fuiher abuses and aggressions Of ihe ten
per cent. Of parasites who ere rolling 10 wealth
they never earned
Wm. Leggeii, 10 The light With ihe monoy
power about the rs-chsrior Of Che L. s. bank