The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-09-28
WHY SPLIT uP?

1t is admitted that whatsoever difference theac
may DC between the Democrats and the Ma
tionai ticeeabackers lsss refercncc't" lere Suan-
cial OF currency question. Both arc agreed
i.,ay the national bank currency should be
Withdrawn and in ITS place natS9Hal treasury
notes w greenbscks ISSUED, and that the ps
per thus issued should be used i'm taking up
and stopping ttle interest on Sn equal amOunt
of government bonds. There are some green.
hackers, however, who insist that in addition
to enough grcenbacks to take the place Of the
national bank bills the government shall issue
u large amount of other paper m,ney-not
srcenbacks or promises to pay,--but paper
bilcts, stamped This is Dollar or This is
100 Dollars" &C., and that these shall be made
full legal tender in the payment of all dues
or debts, public or private; and this is exactly
what rs meant by stat" money. This project
the democrats oppose. They are willing, after
enough currency has been issued tc take the
place of the national bank circulation, rs much
more may be issued AS the government can
keep at par with gold and silver, but no more,
This would afford safe and definite rule 10y
which the issue of paper money by the govern
Klent could always b. gaugcd with precision
20 go beyond this point the democratic party
SAY would involve dcprcciation-disc redit-
dshonesty-dcsHTntion Of national prestige
and credit, and financial ruin. The National
GrtenDackcrs are alleged 10 deny this, and TO
insist that at least So OOO,O0O000 of greenlracks
or fiat money shall be issued, no matter what
may be the depreciation Of such paper, This is
supposed Ia lie the line Of difference between
the Democrats and National Grccnbackcrs.
There are, however, many honest so-called
National Grcenbackcrs who totally deny that
they are in favor of the issue OF any OF this
"fiat' money, or paper bllcts, or legal tender
scrip OF any sort that shall not be kept by the
government at all times at par with gold ana
silver. But it is manifest that such National
Greenisackers are outside OF the pale OF their
own party, and are democrats
Now it happens that Mr.. John s Armstrong,
the grecnback candidate in this district for the
state senate, is just one of this class of socalled
| National Grcenbackers. He scouts the idea
of the issue of fiat money, or any paper
money by the general government that shall not
at AIN times be kept ut par with gold and silver.
There are now 100000, 5000 Of paper money in
circulation in this country within I. per cent. at
pax with gold and silver and which, if made
payable for customs dues and government
bonds, would be altogether at par with gold
and silver This is demonstration that the
government can safely issue at least that
amount of paper money. If it can issue one,
two or three hundred millions more and keep
il thus at par well and good, says Mr.. Arm
strong, but rs soon as the government paper
falls below par, stop all further issue.
| We submit this is democracy and not green
backism This is exactly the position of Ly-
man II. Tower, the democratic candidate for
! the state senate in opposition to Mr. Armstrong
1 Such being the case, now what is the sense
of running two candidates for the same office
4 standing on exactly the same platform? Is it
to make sure the election of the republican
candidate? The democrats and greenbackers
at the recent election in Maine were guilty OF
no such folly. In democratic strongholds like
Portland, Kcnnebec, &c, greenbackers and
democrats voted in common for the democratic
candidates; but in red-ho republican districts
the two parties united ON whichever candi-
dates gave the best promise of defeating the
common enemy, the republicans. The result
/. was splendid antIrepublican victory,
r Now, what shall we do here? Run two can
didatcs or shall one haul off? The democrats
I, in this district number ut least five to the
: grccnbackcrs one. WhiclI-thc democrats or
grccnbackcrs-w would dcccncy indicate should
be allowed to name the candidate? However
1t may not be necessary that either candidate
should haul OIL The voters can adopt the
!, Maine plan and haul of" the weaker candi
date themselves by voting only for the stronger
one, or the one most likely to win, and that is
leyactly what we recommend them 10 do.