The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-08-29
THE DISHONESTY OF THE
GREENBACKRRS' PLATFORM.

The argument of Judge Roberts, that
the Greenbackers' proposition to con
vert all the bonds of the United States
into fat money would be as uncOnstI-
tutionsl as wrongful, has not before
been presented. The rebel States,
through their legislatures, when they
ratified the constitutional amend
ments, pledged their faith that the
interstate war debt should never
be repudisted. This war debt of
the Union has been bonded, and
81, 300, 900, 900 of these bonds are
to be called in at once and converted
into ''ist" money, so-called. Every
bondholder and livery honest citizen
must confess that such procedure in
wolves indirect reputation, and it &C.
curs to US that Governor Davis and his
Jealous Radical adherents who accept
these Greenbsck heresies codified at
Waco, and commended by Wash Jones
and Hannah, become traitors to the
only clauses of the Federal Constitu-
ton which they do no. deem '1eague
with death and covenant with hell"
Except the fifteenth the loyal league
people have ever pronounced that con-
stltutional amendment most sacred
which compelled the rebel States to
pay the Federal debt through tariffs
and navigation acts, while the East,
holding the bonds and having all the
factories, were even the more enriched
by this compulsory patriotic honesty
whose burdens fall upon the South and
West and whose blessings are pocketed
exclusively by the East. But the South
assented and the war debt was agreed
to be paid even by a constitutional
amendment accepted in good faith.
AS an honest people we propose to exc
cute the contract honestly, while Gov
ernor Davis would not only rob those
who trusted the government but par
ticipate with those who perjure them
selves if, sworn as Congressman to
support the Constitution, they repu-
diate, directly or indirectly, the war
debt. Two years ago one TIlden, rep
resenting the South as its candidate for
the presidency, pledged the faith of
the South to the proposition that we
would never demand compensation for
the loss of slave property. Truer
friends of the Union than the North
ever knew were made beggars by the
blow that made the slave free. New
England and Northern States sold their
slaves to the South, or imported them
in New England ships, delivering them
to purchasers in Virginia and the Caro-
linas. To give the country peace and
States unity and repese. the South as
sented to the proposition of Tilden and
voted for him. We are thus bound
by the Federal Constitution to pay
the war debt of the North IN honest
dollars and good faith, but Tilden, in
order to WIN Northern votes for him
self, sold US out and entrapped US, on
the eve of an exciting election, into an
agreement to present no claim for com
pensation for slaves. We are helpless.
If we sought to repudiate the war debt
of the Union by converting bonds, as
the Waco philosophers and patriots
would have US, into "fat" money the
Constitution interposes its ''fat" of
prohibition even as good faith would
silence an adherent of Tilden who
asks compensation for slaves. Hon
esty is the best policy for men and in
finitely more, if possible, for govern
ments, and we cannot help thinking
that there is a deal of dishonesty in
propositions embodied In the Waco
platform.