The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-11-20
THE LIVING ISSUES.
BY COL. JESSE HARPER.

The struggle is upon US, the fight
already bugan. 1t Is as widespread as
civilization. A system of Finance has
been enacted into law, by which the
rich man daily grows richer, while the
poor man constantly grows poorer.
And this condition of things-rob-
bers on one side and the robbed on
the other--is the result uf class legis-
lation.
The main issue is between paper
money $50 called) united by bank cor
porations and paper money emitted
by the government.
1t is the war of the Blackjack"
against the "Greenback." 1t is war
of determination. One or the other
must go. 1t is bank issue one side
and government issue ON the other.
One or the other must perish.
1t is hank corporations, aided and
assisted by all other huge corporations
against the rights of the people. 1t
is in fact n struggle for self govern
ment. On one side is class of the
people. creatures Of class law; on the
other side is the mass of the people,
asking for law, based upon equal JUS
tice to all with special privileges to
none.
We must wage our fight squarely
against the national banks. They are
the danger TO our institutions, they
are contrivance Of monarchy. They
are as much opposed to our form of
government as was slavery. They
rlise an irrepressible conflict with lib
erty. They divide the house-and as
divided house cannot stand, neither
can Republic with monarchial sys-
TEN of meney fastened upon it.
The national banking systsm, gives
by law, the right, the absolute author
ity Of the few, less than five per cent.
Of the people, to rule all the others.
1t twas the principles of the Nation
al Banking Act-an act which Mr..
Lincoln was over persuaded to acqui-
esce in Cf not in fact unduly and un-
wisely coerced to sign) that he used
this remarkable language: Monarchy
itself is sometimes hinted at as pos
sible refuge from the power of the
people.
We charge that the very life power
of national banks is n contrivance, en-
grated into law, by which it is sought
to get rid of power Of the people. The
whole system operates as certainly
As the laws of nature, to Gre
ate class. 1t divides the people into
two equal sub.divisions-mi millionoires,
and eyen billionaries, few in number
on one side, and paupers, serfs, slaves
and criminals ON the other side.
We must concentrate all our powers
against this hydra.
For, when it is out of the way
other questions--as free coinage of the
precious metals, gold and silver, th'
paying of the bonds instead of fund
ing them, the control of the unbeara.
BILE dominancy of other vast corpora
tons, will all be Of easy solution ant
Just settlement.
Remember the fight is not wha
the money shall he made Of, but VIII
shall make the money.
We claim that thegovernment shal
Issue all the money, no matter of wha
material composed, and that all Of
shall be full legal tender for all debts
Therefore, bank issue must go
the greenback lives. For, the ulti
mate object of national banks is t
entirely destroy the greenbacks.
This great fight we are engaged i
is to undo, repeal the criminal, tn
the murderous laws that now disgrac
the national statute books--whic
places capital above labor.
1t is a system of tyranny engrafte
by law--class law, upon the body c
liberty. 1t is the process by whic
our government is to be subverte
and monarchy established in its steat
The martyred president, the in
mortal Lincoln, saw the danger an
warned US against it. The wrong VIZ
then only an "effort" of which /
spoke:
ut is the effort to place capital o
an equal footing with, if not abo,
labor"
The great president knew tn
could not be done and free instit
tionf live, so he said:
Labor is prior to and independel
Of capital. Labor is the superior
capital and deserves much the hig
est consideration.
Yet, in spite Of this warning,
spite of the history of murdered labo
written in the blood of the slain, '
have enacted laws, not simply putin
capital on an equal footing with lab
but far above it.
The chief of these laws degradiI
labor down 10 ultimate serfdom al