The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-01-17
THE NATIONAL BANKS.

IN recent number Of the PTuiTfe
FtrBssr we find the following scath-
Ing but merlted rebuke of the un-
principled greed exhibited by the ma
tlonaI banks In their cxertions to de-
monetize silver:
"T'he entire country was startled
last week when informed o. the rev.
olutIonary action OF the New York
and Hudson banks in combining to
drive the silver dollar out Of circuIa-
tion and thus attempting to nulIify
d law Of the land. No law ever en-
acted by Congress received such de-
liberate, searching and exhaustive
criticism as the law re-enactiBg the
silver dollar as legal-tender money.
That great struggle demonstrated be-
yona doubt that the old silver dol
lar be Femonetized; II also demon.
strated that the gold clique In Eu-
rope and America wero It's bitter, un-
relenting opponents.
The Prairie Farmer rs an agricnl-
tural journal has never forgotten
that the politics Of the country is
outside Of It's mission. We have
studIously avoided the rock on which
so many agricultural papers have
run, and given our untiring energies
10 the development Of the hgricul-
tural resources Of the nation. We
have been contented with giving our
readers the political news, but have
burposely left the discussion Of polit-
ical questions TO politicians and the
political press, where 1t properly be-
longs. The action the banks Of New
York and Boston in combining 10
drive silver from mclrcufationas money,
and thus In fact again demonetIze
silver and restore gold - the sole
monetary standard, Is not IA political
question nor is II even, PR 80, a finan-
cIal question. II il an unhoIy and
arrogant combination for the purpose
OF nullifyIng law Of the land, and as
such ought to be smashed, without the
intrinsic merits Of the controversy
between the single aud double STAN
dard Of coin.
A few years ago the great railroad
corporations of the country had
grown so overbearing, selfish and ex-
acting, resting upon fancied "vested
rights" the timidity OF courts and
the corruption. Of legislatures, and
they considered themselves above
the law and beyond the power of the
people to control or regulate; but the
people rose when their exactions
could not be longer borne, trod them
under foot and procured reeogni-
llOn Of the power Of the creator over
the creature which We think will not
again be questioned. We warn the
monied men aud institutions Of New
YORK and Boston To beware! In
your arrogance you may pull the
temple down upon yourselves, and
you may he the principal victims.
You say you will excummunieate
from commerce Us far rs IL lies in
your power any one Of sufficient to-
merlty 10 ignore your financial bull.
The time has gone by for brute force
to be successful, and the c1pitalistic
class should understand that the peo-
pie will neither permit the law to be
deliberately traInpled upon nor them
selves treated as ignorant chattels.
You have made In this bull, gentle
men, n stronger argument against
your usefulness and your good inten-
tions than greenbaekerer fiatist have
ever made. We advise you TO take
heed lest you antagonize the country
against the present financial system
| (which Is far from being bad one, !
for you may wake up some morning
and find that you are no longer ma
tional bankers. only brokers.