Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-06-21
PETER COOPER'S PETITION.

An Address to the President and Con.
gress.--An Issue of $1,000, 200, 900
Greenbacks Wanted-..A Sure Way to
Set to Work all the Idle Labor of
the COnntry-.-Oyer S15.OOO.OOO IN
terest on Bonds Saved.
The representatives of the national
party who have assembled in Washing
ton, in response to u call issued by
Peter Cooper, present the following
memorial, prepared by the venerable
head Of their party:
TO ne President W ne United states, ne SET
ate and tie House Of Representatives., hose
IN session
The urgent request made of me from
all quarters Of our country to address
some words of counsel and appeal,
coming from one who has now no
other object in life than the good Of his
country, must be my apology for max
ing this address 10 your honorable
body.
The country has become alarmed ut
TIE resolution of congress proposing to
adjourn on the 18th inst. without Civ
ing the people some relief from the
honorable body must be aware that
property has already greatly declined
in value, and no one can doubt that it
will continue to decline under the pres
ent and future financial prospects, due
wholly to legislation of congress. OF
these acts of legislation the resumption
bill, so called, is the most disastrous,
and takes away all hope of any anne
Iteration until it is repealed Bank
ruptcy and distress are covering the
land; the courage of the people has
thus far been sustained by the hope
and the expectation that congress would
give the relief required by the whole
country in the repeal of that obnoxious
act.
We pray. therefore, of your honorable
body, not only to repeal that law which
has thus shrunk the value of all proper
ty but specie, stopped the enterprise of
the country and taken the bread of in
dustry from the mouths Of hundreds of
thousands i'll our land, but also to give
us further measure Of relief by turning
large sums of money from an invest
ment that now only taxes the industry
of the country to the channels Of enter
prise and active investment.
We petition for Il law that shall issue
81 ,500,000,OO0 Of government notes,
made full legal tender, and buy up
the and 5 per cent. bonds now due,
as fast us they can he purchased, at
coin valuation, or some other practical
BILE method, by which this sum may be
returned to the people at once. With
this issue, thus returning his money to
the capitalist, he would be obliged to
seek active investment in real estate,
railroads, iron mills, manufactures and
other extensions of trade and commerce.
This would at once benefit every exist
ing enterprise, and set TO work all the
idle labor 0! the country. II would
save this overtaXed people over SIS ,000,
600 Of revenue, now necessary to pay
the interest on these bonds.
In behalf Of these hundreds of thou
sands of our suffering countrymen, |
beseech you not to adjourn till you have
some such measure of relief.
We have reason to be alarmed at the
attitude of large bodies of misguided
people toward the claims of law and or
der, and, although there can be little APP
prehension i'll law abiding country
like this that the power of our govern
ment cannot be made respected, yet
something is due by u paternal govern
ment to those who are driven by sheer
want and desperation to disregard the
wholesome restraint of law.
1t is due, therefore, to the dignity Of
your honorable body, as well as to the
great distress of the people over whose
interest you are now presiding, to con-
slider at once the measures of relief
which we have been led to recommend
by strong sense Of duty, and the inn
pcrative demand Of the whole country.
PETER COOPER
New York June II, 1878.