Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-06-10
THE GREENRAcK CHIEF.

In the occasional absence of the regular
House chaplain, Rev. Mr.. DE La Matyr,
Greenback Congressman from Indiana, is
called to ofticiate in that capacity. His in
vacations To the Throne OF Grace are
doubtless listened tO-as they should be
with becoming decorum and humility. But
when Mr.. De La Matyr sinks the clergyman
i'm the Greenbacker and takes the floor with
his poor stock OF worldly wisdom he throws
the House into dts of laughter. The con
trast between the hushed Solemnity with
which his prayers are received as chaplain
pro tempore and the roaring mirth which
greets his greenback bills and speeches
must be very striking. Powerful in prayer
he may he, but certainly he is weak in
finance. If a safe pilot to another world,
he is no guide To earthly prosperity. In
fact, Rev. MIR. De La Matyr is 4 standing
warning against the too common mistake
of suppoSing that large infusion Of pull
pit eloquence and goodness In Congress
would necessarily increase the sagacity of
that body or make legislation purer and
better
Rev. Mr.. De la Matyr is the recognized
Greenback leader OF the House and the
most capable man of his faction. IL he Is
admittedly the best, We need not trouble
ourselves about the precise degrees OF fee
blencSS for which the others are distin-
guiShed. IL is because the gentleman from
Indiana is fdciIc priHceps among the Green
hackers OF Congress that this class is now
SO powerleSS and little feared. Men of
sense throughout the country can afford 10
laugh heartily with Congress at bills so
tranSparently visionary and absurd as those
which DE La Matyr, the great exponent OF
Greenbackism, is now Introducing
one of these crazy schemes calls for the
issue Of 81 900, 600, 600 Of greenbaCks To be
loaned for flfly years 10 private corpora
lions requiring national help. The corpor-
atiouS would give rs security for the repay
ment OF the funds, their bonds free of in
terest for the first Ave years, but bearing )
per cent. per aunum for the next forty-iive.
The author of the bin is good enough 10
name in il the companies which should re-
ceiye this remarkably favorable loan. They
prove To be railroads and canals, all OF the
West and South, where imitation ideas
most abound. In cutting of New England
and the Middle States from this gush OF
national bounty, We fear that Rev. Mr.. DE
La Matyr INDUCES toward these sections
feeling or revenge which is not pleasant 10
behold in one OF his cloth.
The latest grand project Of the green
back chief is 10 issue unlimited national
paper. on the same terms as the above, We
presume, 10 take up all the municipal III
debtedness in the United States. We do
not understand that any section, however
odiouS to Mr.. De La Matyr, is to be ex-
Guided from this beneicence. He wants 10
make ii immensely popular. 1t will OF
course be cordially approved in every city
which owes more than II can comfortably
pay, and wants % rcpudiatc or readjust It's
debts But the general public OF honest
men. who believe that debts should be paid
according To contract, and who ask nothing
from the general government except " be
let alone, will only laugh at these grecnback
schemes rs the most harmless OF vagarics.
They provoke nearly everywhere the same
ridicule that salutes them in Congress-
" !. Journal Of Commerce.