The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-12-18

COME p6OpiV HdNO J"'' $500 ~ =
clothing the Greeubacks with the quail
ty Of legal tender was a great wrong, and
must be abolished at once. No doub'
great wrong was cted,thereby in the
first few years. All over the country
money in coin nad beea loaned and the
obligation made payable in coin. In
consequence of the Government reflis
ing to receive greenbacks at paEfor du-
ties on imports, and not regarding them
good enough to pay interest on the Pub
lie Debt, this currency soon began to de.
preciate. When they had deprecated
to fifty per cent. or less, persons owing
notes payable Ia specie, took advantage
Of the period and offered pay in legal
tender greenbacks. Such payments were
at first refused, and more than one case
got into court in Stark county alone, and
in every instance the prOffer of legal ten.
der greenbscks was sustained, and the
wrong inflicted upon the CREDITOR
Many good lawyers thought then that
those decisions were violation of con.
tract, but they were enforced in the days
of war and violence.
Now, the same party, indeed the same
men, are denouncing the very paper
currency they thus forced upon the peo-
pie, and thus deprecated and by means
of which honest confding creditors were
robbed. The Greenbacks now ratea par
since the Government itself receives
them for all government dues at par.
This is resumption, and all the re.
sumption, in fact, that we have. We
might have had resumption long since,
if the Republican leaders in power had
permitted the Government to treat its
own legal tender paper as gold. During
the Grant administration, the constant
policy was to buy the deprecated green.
backs for gold, as cheap as possible, and
pay them out at par. Such shameless
bartering and vilainy was eminently
worthy the drunken and corrupt Grant
rule.
And now, the same party leaders, the
manipuiators ofall the foregoing iniquity,
want another change. They are not now
satisfied with their own resumption !;
not content now with the legal tender
Greenbacks that they created, and by
depreciating which they doubled the
National Debt; not easy ia conscience
now to think the Constitution has been,
and is violated by creating paper money
and making it legal tender in payment
Of all debts between citizens. The new
scheme now is to get rid of the Green.
backs and let National Banks alone
have the field. Hence the recommend
alton of Hayes in his message and Sher.
man in his report. As tha thing stands
now, greenbacks have the advantage,
being legal tender in payment of all
debts under the law, while National
bank paper is not:
The trouble in all this constant change
is, that it disturbs values to the injury of
honest business and honest lab or. Men
whose values take the shape Of money
can usually protect themselves from
harm, and even take advantage of the
occasion and reap harvest, No coan-
try can move on in an even and fair
prosperity with this constant scheming
and disturbance of values. 1t is the
curse of all honest business, and op-
presses and despoils labor.
The Constitution in constituting this
government intended no such state of
things. We have utterly failed to find
in that instrument power for Congress to
authorize and sanction National Banks
of issue. For, remember that Govern
ments are organized to protect person
and property, not to endanger; and not to
hand them over to irresponsible and
soulless corporate creations of their own.
Shylock forCibly says: "You take my
life when you do take the means where
by l live."