The daily gazette., 1878-01-31
Leel. QUO Tor nrssLers.lr lab


mens from the date President Grant vas
first inaugurated down to the meeting Of
the present Congress was altogether in
the interest OF the rich bondholier and
gold ring, ana at the expense Of the la
Dor and business Of this country. The
Baltimore Ne,us, one Of the ablest papers
in the country, thus speaks Of
THE BAsrARD DOLLAR.
There has been much said of late up-
on the necessity OF protecting the honor
OF the country, the infamy of violating q
public contract, the shame and injury
which anything savoring Of repudiation,
even to the extent Of few cents on the
dollar, will infiict upon the spotlcss puri-
ty OF the American name. We love to
read these homilies on honesty, they are
so cool and refreshing this very mild
winter, that they have absolutely proven
seasonable. We have to put hot brick
to our feet and sitfin our fovercoats to
properly enjoy them. f4 fk n
But, as we said, we are delighted to
see SO much and such a fine quality of
morality being handed around, and while
IL Is fermenting and leffefyescihg we
would like It 70 absorb and purify the
magnificent infamy, to which memo
rial from merchants in this city 10 about
70 call the direct attention of the United
States Senate. In yesterdays Ness we
published this memorial froin commis-
sion merchants and jobbers, which asks
that Congress pass an act authorizing
the redemption Of our present silver cur
rency or Its acknowledgement In such 3
manner as will relieve them Of their sur
plus change. These merchants princi-
pally deal with retailers, hucksters and
small traders, who have TO take silver
currency from their customers, and they
pay II In turn to the merchants In bulks
that cannot conveniently be handled.
These merchants cannot deposit such
bulks In their banks, because the banks
will not give . greenback dollar, which
the Government Acknowledges, for q
metal dollar which the Government has
repudiated. They cannot take It, as they
did the paper currency, In five dollar
packages TO the sub Treasury Of the
United States and get large paper money
for 1t, because the Government furnishes
no such facility now. In plain English,
the thievish, swindling Government has
repudiated its own Issue and debased 1t
BY demonetizing Il. - tk+s t1f
Thiskis plain language, but We will
make It palmer. The government OF
the United States printed its promises
and indorsment upon paper, which 1t
debased to certain extent by refusing
to receive 1t In payment Of customs
dues. This YVES bad enough, but
ryDody understood the contract and
knew the reason for it-knew. that the
government must have a source of gold
supply TO meet Its Indebtedness aud
had kept this one gold funnel open.
But the government always ,acknoWled-
ged its paternity Of paper currency by
receiving IL in other channels, by re-
deemIng its dilapidated or mutilated
pieces, by giving large notes for pack
ages Of small rnes. Then it. issued sill
yer, stamping its solemn proclamation,
certificate and endorsement upon dura-
bic metal. 1t put "Llberty" npon one
side Of the coin and first caioled and
hen stra kltd The com ~ by brutal
loace into taking il. IL first played the
"smart" dodge of the confidence man, Q
kind of three~card-monte aknavery, by
affecting TO hold this silver change In SC
high regard and with so plausible q
pretence of impartiality TO the people
that IL could only let 1t out by the
gill, five. dollars worth at = time, to
each individual. tA ga t4Ya
The trick worked beautifully. It was
worthy OF the most accomplished
swindler. The unsophisticated masses
rushedsto the sab treasury TO get theiI
five dollars worth In exchange for good
currency, and, 30 egregiously were they
fooled, that many boarded the shining
money they had not seen for 50 long
| To keep its price up until the people
were completely gouged, the govern
ment pretended their was hardly enough
silver on hand for the demand--it fear
ed it could not supply allsthat was cal
led for Thus the game was played
upon the, people, until suddenly the
masses stood astoundcd at the repor
that paper currency was at a premium
They could not understand IL. How
was 1t that, after silver had travelled
hand In hand with gold for all thu
years of the past, equal In premium
was discovered that as soon as th,
masses got hold Of little of 1t, as soor
as 1t touched the popular palm, it be.
came suddenly, not only less valuable
than the paper they had just given to
it. Yet there 1t was, with Liberty
on one side OF it-liberty on the part o
the government to swindle and on tn,
part of the people to suffer and oil
the other the solemn endorsement of tn,
United States government, with tn
mocking motto, the jolly irony of tn
jaunty swindler, ain God we trust" All
lis looks as If the people con trus
nothing lower.
When the startling fact struck th'
people, that this silver money, whicl
they had been wheedled into taking
was a whitened lie, they said, give u
back then the handy paper currency
we want no more of your spielmarkt.
And what answer did they get? Thi
honorable government took them b.
the throat through their business an
told them, "your paper currency b.
been burned, and you cannot and shal
rot transact your business unless yo
take this bastard child Of mine, thi
cross>breed between fraud and corruI
tion, this debased aud disgraced wa
/, which I Irepudate and deoy." And th
l~.o.io mara onunalIad at tho noint &