The daily gazette., 1879-12-08
A Step In the Right Way.
For the GazettA


Mr.. EDIToR:-If you will allow mo q
little room in your paper to express my
views, on the Joint reso luton Offered by
Senator Bay ard In the Senate Chamber,
l will be glad toldO 30. When theseitreas-
ury notes were issued by the Govern
ment, II was done to meet Its demands,
a. time when money was greatly need
cd, and to make them acceptable to the
people the illegal tender" clause was en-
acted when the bill was passed by Con-
gress. While these notes have been ac-
ceptable to the people the legal tender
clause, was thought too arbitrary ard Of
doubtful character as far as the right of
Congress to force them to be taken in
the payment Of debts. Congress has the
right to coin money and fix the value
thereof; but to coin, means to stamp me-
tai, and convert IL into money. The legal
lender notes never were meney, but
merely promises to pay. and 1t was
wrong then TO make them legal tenders
in the payment of debts. have always
been among those who believed that
our constitution meant the same in time
OF war as it did In time of peace, and
these expediencies 10 do what is wrong
that good may follow, never were right
nor never Will be- But an expediency
TO do what is right is not, and cannot be
wrong. Some argue /. il Eot right to
make this alteration now with this
idea, let well enough alone"
But the legal te nder clause that Is at
tached to the treasury notes at this time,
is Of no value, for the reason that they
are at par with silver and gold, and no
one will be harmed, but every person
benefited.
And then 1t is doubtful whether the
issuing of these notes in the first place
IL in accordance with our constitution,
and the matter is now in the Supreme
Court, aud IL may decide the act OF Con
gress making these notes unconstitu.
tiOnal. Therefore, it would be better
for Congress to pass the resolution of
fured by our Senator from Delaware
Mr.. Bayard, and that would relieve the
Court from passirg their judgment upon
them. A nd lhen again some nay say ii will
curtail the volume of circulation of these
Treasury notes. For my part csnno,
see that II will have such an effect, fol
they will be as good as our bank notes
aud the Government will be bound t.
redeem them in com, the same as they
are now. And again, while this resOlu
tion will be benefit to the public al
large, and that ought to be the intent Of
| All The acts of Congress, it is in accord
ance with Democratic principles, Of {
life long usage, to pay our debts in coin
| which has the Intrinsic value In ltSelf, II
honest. But to force creditor to tax,
a piece of paper, which only has ;
promise to pay on it, is not a payment
hut only changing the debt INTO aDothe
form; and 1t is high time that an homes
way of paying our debts should b.
brought about, for our country is a
peace, and prosperity covers us as
mantle in all our borders. 1 will take
| the privilege of saying that no Demo
crat in Congress, who is one from prin
cip'e, can vote against this resolution
tor two reasons at least, and they ar
that our Government should be run eco
nomically, and topay our debts in homes
money. Economy and honesty is
platform long enough and wide enougl
for all 10 unite on.
Let me say, in conclusion, for hav
written more than in ended, that it
always right to do good ,and always goo
to do what is right, and when a thin
has been done wrong, 1t Is not wrong
make il right. Pass the resolution, an
as far as my knowledge of our money
concerned, we had bel ter let it rest fo
The present, and wait and see what tn
future may turn up. A. L.