Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-07-09
Farmers and Resumption.

Suppose you, Mr.. Farmer wanted some
gold to go to Africa with lyon don't need il
for anything here now more than YOU did
when you got more than ten cents pound
for your butter how will you get it? Let us
examine the legal way of getting gold. The
law says that any person presenting green
backs to the amount of fifty dollars at the
sub-treasury in New York city, shall have
them redeemed in gold. You will sell two
of your cows for fifty dollars, (ten years ago
one would have sold for as much) and when
you count over your money will find that
about five dollars are greenbacks and the
other forty-fve dollars are National Bank
bills, which are not money; YOU must take
these forty-fve dollars to some National
Bank and get greenbacks; then you can take
your fifty dollars in greenbacks, go to New
York, and you can get the gold. This is the
only legal way you can get gold, and by the
time you get home. you will not have much
of your fifty dollars to start to Africa
with. How do Won like this kind
of resumption? And to accomplish this
delightful journey in order for You
to get little gold which you don't want,
everything on your farm, including the farm
itself, has been reduced in value one-half,
while your taxes are the same, with bond
debt Of two thousand millions of dollars upon
the whole country to run for thirty wears, the
interest of which must be paid with butter at
ten cents pound and other productions at
similar prices. And now the bondholder who
eats your best beef, your best butter. and all
OF your good turkeys and chickens, tickles
you up by telling you the republican party
has resumed. One more resumption like this
and you will become homeless, houseess and
moneyless. -Natioaat Tribune
Now, Mr.. Farmer, if You think the above
is a fair and candid statement of facts. bv
the greenback organ in this city, you are
deceived in the matter.
If you want gold to go to Africa or any
other part of the world. or for any purpose
for which money is wanted, you can get
all YOU want at the banks in Augusta in
exchange for greenbacks or bank notes
dollar for dollar. If you were going to
Africa, however, it would be more con.
venient for you to get your gold in New
York than here, as you would probably
take passage at that port for your destna-
ton on the other side of the ocean. The
idea in the Tribune that you would
have to go to New York to get your gold
then return home and set out arait
for New York, to take ship, is moi
one that would commend itself to vo,
as particularly bright. 1t may b,
legal way to go to New York to ge
your gold, but it is not illegal to get it il
Augusta, nor legally necessary to max,
two trips to New York when one vii
answer as we'll.
We know of farmer selling "a yoke o
oxen to person in this city the other day
and receiving his full pay in gold for them
gold which was drawn from one of tn,
banks for that purpose. You can sci
your cows for gold, if you like it bette
than paper, but the gold is no better thai
paper since resumption has taken place.
Ten years ago says the Tribune, one COW
would have sold for as much as two
will now. Possibly, in greenbacks, but il
you had then wanted to go TO Africa O
Europe. it would have been necessary fo
you to exchange them for gold, and to dc
that you would have been obliged to Civ,
two dollars in paper for one in gold, 5,
that your cows would have brought yo,
of sound, hard money, no more then thai
now.
As companion piece to its ficttiou
picture about the low price of cows nov
as compared with that ten years ago, an,
being obliged to 90 to New York to ge
fifty dollars in greenbacks exchanged foI
gold. the Tribune presents another pictur
OF the distress occasioned to the farmer b,
taxation TO pay the national debt Now tin
expenditures for the national government
including what is paid for interest an,
principal on the national debt, are paid b.
taxes or duties on imports and by the in
ternal revenue tax. Neither the farm
cows. steers, butter, hay, house or barn o
the farmer is taxed or only very slight,
and incidentaly--to raise any of the rev