Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1879-10-02

diction to one entertained by Mr.. Davis
| touching the rights of States. we have
not seen it recorded in any of his ora
tionS. And how wicked it is to be go
ing through the old pernicious twaddle
about the bloody provincialiSm that sup
ports sectional cOnceit and arrogance to
the repeated disturbance of the country.
Especiallyis it odiouS now for public
men to be rushing forward State rights,
when we all know the doctrine is invo-
ked merely to embarraSS the General
Government in the assertion of its le-
gitimate authOrity-the suppression of
negro suffrage and the protection of
mOOnshine distilleries. Why, the States
lines are haIdly visible throughout the
Solid South. 1t is the Southern section,
including all the old slave territory, that
is asserting Nationality, and assuRing
that all who do not consent to aid South
ern pretensions, are themselves section
al and unpatriotic. The doctrine of
State rights, therefore, us presented by
the Democratic leaders, Is for use in the
nullificatiOn of whatever in the Consti-
tuition and laws is not agreeable to the
Solid South. The very men who preach
the doctrine that the part is greater
than the whole, out of a pretended SEN
sitiveness to the Importance of local
self-government,s stultify themselves by
insisting that the General Government
shall have the most tremendous, unpar-
allied and unrestricted powers in money
Matters The StricklerS for State rights,
who would use the shield of the State to
disfranchise the freedmen and protect
the illicit distiller, forget all about the
sacred doctrine, the moment all appro-
priation for improving a Southern creek
in proposed and are ready to confer on
Congress and the President the ability
by the issue of legal-tender notes to con-
hscate all the property of the people of
all the States. When a man goes on
nowadays talking about State rights, it
means not that he has any care for local
government, or any knowledge of the
theories of government, or knows
anything about principles of any sort,
but simply that he is tool of the Solid
South in its raid upon the American Ma
tion-that he belongs to the nullifiers
and secessionists, and regarding them in
stinctively as his rightful masters, as
SumeS that they have inherited this part
of the earth from the Lord, and are en-
titled to rule it at their convenience.
| At last Mr. PendletOn comes to the
finances, and says:
THE Democratic party in Ohio demands the
full restoration of silver as a money metal, the
same gold,' and opposes The perpetua-
| tion Of the present National banking system
as a means OF control over the currency of the
| county, and demands the gradual substitu-
| tion OF Treasury notes )"
| Gentlemen Republicans, are you in favor
Of the restoration Of silver as money mdtal
the same as gold? or are you in favor of gold
alone? This Is the alternative. 1t is not a
question of details or methods just now.
| appeal TO hard money Republicans. Are you
for gold alone? l appeal to greenback Repub-
licans, and three years ago you professed that
| faith, every one OF you. Are you willing to
give up silver as one OF the money metals Of
| the country? Your platform is as silent as the
grave DO you agree with the Cincinnati
| Commercial or with the Gold Bugs as IL ele-
| gantly calls them? Or have you no opinion?
| Or have you agreed to truce?"
| We would pity Mr.. PendletOn five
thought he did not know the platform
he quotes was prepared to evade the fl
nancial question. 1t is full of phrases
written with intent to deceive. There
is nothing of the financial portion of the
platform but deception. The position
of the Republicans of Ohio is very sim
pie. They are for the preservation of re-
sumption in gold and silver, according to
the laws and contracts as they stand.
Can Mr.. Pendleton say as much for the
Democratic party? He knows that
his party has been in constant and dead
iy hostility to the policy of resumption,
which is triumphant and crowned with
good results, and he pleads that the
country should be turned over to the
enemies of the policy that has been so
handsomely vindicated. Mr.. Pendleton
understands that his party is in miser-
able position on the money question,
and tries to get out through much speak
ing about silver. He says:
| "sllver has bsen from the beginning one OF
our money metals. with Whatever variation
| in value between itself and gold 1t has main
tam I'd its position and Satisfactorily and hon
| estly performed the functions of money.
Debts, public and private, were contracted on
The Refunding Act of 1870 declared that the
| bonds issued under II should De payable when
due In the coin Of , the United ted states OF the
metal equal with gold. The mines OF our
! country produced more silver than those Of
any other country in the world"
Silver is now one of our money met
ais. 1t is maintaining its position.
Debts are payable in silver. Bonds are
payable in silver. Our mines produce
more silver and gold than those of any
other country. We are gaining gold
from Europe at the rate of two tons per
day. We are crowding the mints to
stamp two million standard silver dollars
per month. And here comes the great
| Greenback statesman to tell us that the
essential money question is whether we
shall have forced or free coinage of sill
yer. We tell him in the first place
that when he goes back to the doctrine
that Treasury notes must be speedily
and certainly convertible into coin, he
has right to talk about silver, but he
has no right to speak Of money metal un-
til he reaffirms the old truth that he once
proclaimed in the House of Representa-
tives. In the second place, what has
been done in the restoration of silver
has secured to the people the option of
their debts in silver-which was the
great demand of the public justice-and
has made resumption secure and per-
petual by adding to the reserve of gold
the essential reinforcement of the sec
ond metal These things had to be done
on our own responsibility without wait
| ing for the action of other Nations, as !
matter of fair play to our own people
and the fortificatiOn of our resumption.
We are opposed to the resumption of
specie payments in gold Only-when we
had at the time of suspension gold and
silver-and we resumed as we suspend
ed, in two metals. Still Mr.. Pendleton,
who has been pleading for paper, is dis
satisfied. We are aware that he is not
expected to be pleased with anything
the opposite party may do, but let us
look into the nature of his complaint.
He says:
| "Sliver was secretly and surreptitiously de-
| monetzed. I say secretly and surrsptitious-
| ly, because Il membe OF the Congress which
| passed the law will avow that he knew of the
| provision. Nor did the President who signed
| II.
| 1.-The result was exactly that which waH
| sought silver fell In value compared with
| gold and other property, and remains depress-
| cd. The great mineral product OF our country
| was shorn of Its function. and therefore of Its
| full value. Gold rose In value. II command
ed more labor. Private debts payable in coin.
even those payable in green backs, which
! were To be finally redeemed in coin, rose In