The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-04-23
ISSUES OF THE CANVASS.
The Democratic Party and Financial
Reform.

There is no reason for any man whC
claims to be member Of the Democrat
ic Conservative party to abandon 1t ane
Join the new tangled combination call
ing itself National or Greenback party
/ if his real motive is set forth in the
platform of the latter-viz, to reform
the financial policy Of the government
as executed by the Republican party
for the robbery Of the masses in the in
terest Of the blooted bondholders and
other privileged classes.
The evils of which the Nationals
complain, and the consequences Of
which they propose shall be counterfeit
ed by judicious legislation, are;
"The changing Of the coin bonds into
currency bonds.
1.-The decentralization Of silver.
"The exemption of bonds from taxa
ton"
The contraction Of the circulating
medium
"The forced resumption Of specie pay
ments"
Now. it must be remembered that the
Democratic party was in the minority
in every department, and in every
branch Of every department, of the gov
eminent, when these measures were
adopted; and therefore it is not to be
held responsible for their enactment
Nor is it responsible for their remaining
unrepealed on the statute book to work
out their calamitous results to the great
mass Of the working and producing PEG
pie. The Democratic party has opposed
them unsuccessfully because overbornt
by the superior numbers Of the Republi
can party whose leaders were the suppl,
tools of the privileged classes.
CHANGING THE CONTRACT.
First. ''The changing of the coin
bonds into currency a violation o.
solemn contract and a gigantic fraud by
which the tax payers were robbed o
from six hundred millions to eight hun
dred millions of dollars. Auth GRITTY
for its preparation was given in the act
of 1869. One year before its passage
anticipating the fraud, the National
Democratic Convention of 1868, by a
UNANIMOUS vote, passed the following
resolution:
"Where the obligations of the government
do not expressly state upon their face, or the
law under which they were issued does not pro-
vide that they shall be paid in coin they (the
bonds ought IN right and practice 10 be paid in
hWtid money ofHe money Of the United States--
viz: legal tenders (or greenbacks.)
To this was added, the following:
Gone currency for the government and the
people; the laborer and the office holder; the
pensioner and the soldier; the producer and
the bondholder."
How completely does the foregoing
fit the following clause in the platform
of the Nationals:
Second. There shall be no privileged class
of creditors; official salaries, pensions, bonds,
and all other debts and obligations, public and
private, shall be discharged in the legal ten
der money of the United States strictly ac-
cording TO the stipulations of the laws under
which they were incurred.
True to the pledge contained in the
1868 platform of the National Democra-
cy, every Democrat in the House Of Rep
reseatatices sare one, and egerg Dem0caat
in the Senate in the year following voted
against changing the contract. There
were only corporafs guard of them,
and there names deserve TO be recorded.
They are as follows: Messrs. Bayard,
Casserly, Davis (Ky.,) Stockton, Thur
man, Vickers.
When the Democrats obtained control
of the House, they passed a resolution
declaring that the outstanding bonds
were payable in greenbacks.
In 1870, when, to clinch the nail upon
the nefarious transaction Of 1869, the
refundingact was passed authorizing the
issuance of new bonds in place of the
old ones with the pledge written directly
upon their face that they were payable
Gin coin," instead of greenbacks as
stipulated in the original contract be-
tween the government and the bond
holders, it was opposed by the Democrats
in both houses.
DEMoNETIZING SILVER.