The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-12-06
THE MESSAGE.

| The Presidents Message, sent to congress on
Monday, will be found on the inside pages of
to.day's FREE TRADER. Though of unusual
length there is very little in it calling for spec
lal remark, It's only salient points are the rec
ommcndatlon for the gradual withdrawal OF
the greenbacks from circulation, the stoppage
Of silver coinage, and the gable about civil
service reform In regard to the greenbacks,
the President and his finance Secretary Shcr.
man differ, the latter tavoring a reduction of
the total issue to S300,0O00O and taking from
them their legal tender quality. The PreSi-
dent, 1t Will be seen, Is also opposed IN his
scheme by pretty strong combination OF west
ern republican congressman, among whom
Col. Fort Of this state and Price of Iowa lead
Oft In point of fact, the President gives no
tangible reason for the destruction of the green.
back, and whatever motive he may have for
his recommendation it is seen to arise from u
desire, Grant like, to concilate the great Wall
street and national bank money powers, which
alone are interested in the destruction of the
greenback 1t will not do for western con
gressmen of any party to manifest a subser
viescy to those powers, for the west can never
be made to see that the national finances can
be adversely affected by floating an indebted
ness Of $346,000000 without interest, or how
the business of the country can he injured by
the circulation among the people of $346,0OO
600 of the best paper currency the country has
ever seen If the greenbacks must be with.
drawn their place must be taken by an issue
of $34G000,000 of government bonds, nvolv
ing an annual payment of nearly $l4,0OOOOO
of interest What Is the sense Of saddling the
taxpayers with such an expense for no other
purpose apparent than to enable the national
banks to make money by floating larger Is
sue of currency, If we have too much paper
money the common sense of the people natur-
ally says let the national bank issues be cut
down. AS to taking from the greenback its
legal tender quality, that is matter of indltt.
erence so long as the treasury is full Of gold to
redeem 1t.
The Presidents recommendation in regard to
the stoppage of the coinage of silver is equally
power and against that Of the people. To say
that silver makes poor currency because so
cumbersome to handle is nonsense, for gold is
liable to the same objection, the difference be-
tween that and silver being only one of degree.
In point of fact, neither gold or silver circu-
lates ia any large extent, paper taking the
place of both :; and whether our S750,000000
of paper are secured by $3.50 600, 900 of gold or
silver piled up in the national treasury and
the banks is a matter OF perfect Indifference.
The paper representing either is equally cur
rent at par and equally light to handle.
The gable of the President about civil ser
vice reform is, to put it as mildly as possible,
shameful hypocrisy. How can he have the
cheek to mention the subject at all in view of
the disgracetul fact that to every one Of the re.
turning board thieves he has given place in
the civil service, if not as a reward Tor their
scoundrelism, then for no other purpose than
to debauch the civil service, for the welfare OF
which he processes regard No reference to
the thousand other instances during his adj
ministration of shameful disregard of every
prctence Of civil service reform need be made
That one fact IN regard to the returning board
scoundrels is so black and damning as to en-.
velope Hayes forever in rredeemabe infamy
|