Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1878-10-25

human appearances Under this seeming at
tempt to do 1t, and all the uproar raised BY
clashing opinions and projects, the national
banks will emerge safely, with privileges and
bonuses untouched, their representatives In
both houses having adroitly shown to an adj
miring constituency the way show not to do
it." In the meantime, some quaek remedies
are applied, such as giving the west more ma
tional currency by withdrawing some from the
east, or increasing the whole volume and the
passage of some buncombe resolution or laws
about specie payment, and with a general
howl for economy, retrenehment and reform,
our Legislators expect to satisfy the people and
have them say, "Well done, thou good and
faithful servant"
Not one word is said or suggested about TAX
ing from the national bank bonus that they
have enjoyed too long and which they do not
need, and giving to the tax payers the benefit
of the exercise by government of that attri-
butte of sovereignty, coming money and fix
ing the value thereof, by taking from the
banks the privilege of issuing money and is
suing it by the government thereby saving to
the tax payers more than fifteen millions of
dollars annually, and more than the deficit in
the treasury will be for the current year, it is
to be hoped, and enough as a sinking fund to
pay all our interest bearing debt In few years.
All this can be done without disturbing cur
rency or values, whenever there is, in proper
quarters, an earnest desire and intelligent
purpose to do it. But it is folly to expect
anything of this kind to be done so long as
the national banks have so strong q represen-
tation in Congress.
1t is said that more than one-third of Con-
gress is directly interested in these institutions
either as officers, stockholders 3r attorneys,
and probably three-fourths of the remainder
would not disregard what they were informed
were the wishe and interest of the banks in
their respective districts upon questions affect
ing the currency. And those who are accom-
modated by the banks are an influential class
in any state or congressional district and that
man is holder politician than members of
Congress generally are who would dare to go
contrary to their wishes. So no wise or use
full legislation upon financial or kindred meas
ures may be expected SO long as Congress is
constituted as it is now. Nor can we expect
any change in that respect until there is an
awakening of the people to a consideration of
their own interests. The public attention has
been given to the settlement of the gravest
questions that ever agtated a nation, and it is
not strange that, incident to great war and
great constitutional changes, abuses in our
financial and revenue systems should have
crept in and been perpetuated. The tear
of the restoration of the democratic party, OF
reactionary party, has kept the same men, or
men of the same ideas, in power; but the
time has come for closer scrutiny of men.
The reform will begin when earnest men take
hold of it. The evils that afflict the body
polite arises from the fact that the control OF
all legislation has fallen into the hands Of
those who control our railroads and our banKs
The general government pays direct bonus
to the banks, and the state an national gov
ernments practically allow the railroads to tar
all productions of the country, and all that il
consumed by the country that requires trans
portation, just as much as they please, or jus
the sum that each product will bear.
These are the questions that must be me
and settled, and it is useless to expect tina
the old party hacks have the will or the power
to settle them properly. They have worr
the gilded collars of special favor too long t.
change their ways.
Earnest men of will and brains must do THU
work. and when the people are reused, thu
weak and timid will become bold and strong
and when the power of monopoly is DIES royed
as it will be, we shall look back and wonde
how the people bore with mon poly and ring
rule so long,