Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1880-04-06

official luxury increased more than 80 per
cent. The salary of President increased
from S25 600 to 1000; that of Congress.
finally reduced to $4,000. IF such was
the condition of things under our imperial
government, no wonder that Senator Sha-
ron, more candid than his fellows, should
write in his own organ, the Nevada
Chronicle, "We need a strong govern
ment, ",he wealth of. the country demands
ii" "the capitalists need protection" "their
rights are as sacred as those of the paupers
who continually pirate about encroachment," ~
"we have tried Grant and know him to
be tho man for the place. He has nerve.
Will turn canister and grape upon the
communistic mob of the country who cry,
bread or blood The moned interest of
the country for self-preservation must sus.
tain the Republican party" This is frank
svowal of the purposes of his associates, and
reflects the sentiments of his more cautious
CO. conspirators. Yes, Grant has nerve. So
had Cromwell, Napoleon and Cm.ar-nerve
sufficient to trample upon the liberties of
people. Who can deny it? Caesar, in frail
bark upon the raging water aud in imminent
peril of death, calmly wrapped his cloak
about him and exclaimed to the trembling
mariner. "Q"d Tmes-what fearest thou2
You carry Gear and all his fortunes" AT
the head of our government the nerve of
Grant, directed by selfish aims, and mon,
archiai ideas, would work the ruin cf consti
tutional Limitation, and plunge US at once
into an oligarchy of power, oppression and
despotism.
THE SILVER QUESTION.
To the financial policy of erasping Repub-
| iicanism 10 the secret decentralization of sill
| yer we owe the financial crash of 1878, mn
| underhaud aud silent movement. most care-
ivily kent from the congressional records,
which show trace Of its history A scheme
arranged hv the bankers of WalI'stree With
John Sherman at their head. and successfully
executed as it was. with it's inevitable con-
| sequences plunged the union into utter bank
rnptcy AMI rn'r. I'sc1usr we can readily dis.
| Germ il the fear hist the abundant production
OF metals would cheaper the value Of gold
| and silver, while the decentralization of one
would enhance the value of the other The
end was accomplished snd not until its i'm
| mediate Consequences. closed furnaces. aud
suspended industries. did our people perceive
| the depreciation of their substance 10 order
to make gold dear. ENGLAND. Germany and
France had pursued similar policy, but the
disastrous crisis in India, the stsrna,ion Of
commercial interests in Germany, checked
upon the bi metallic system political econ
omists in Europe, the verdict of the silver
| commission have shown concusivelv the wide
! disasters thar followed that fatal step TO
the Democratic party are we ind.bted to it's
Reconsideration. At the outset of its lease of
power, in the House of Representatives,
came its restoration though not as thorough
| ly ns they should lave done Nothing can
represent to us so forcibly the aim character.
and tendency Of Rerublicanism than this re-
cent selfish and fraudulent act of a secret
eonc!ave of Wall street fnanciers And the
| reason for IT is nprarent, "a a political econ
omist has said. "If metallic money becomes
insufficient by means Of demontizetion of
either OF the precious metals, or from any
cause, one of tho two things must happen ::
the commercial, industrial and numerical
progress of mankind must he arrested, and if
the decrease Of money be continuous one
and cover a long period of time, it must end
in an absolute check 20 progress and possibly
the destruction of existing socinl and polit-
lcai institutions, or what is most probable
relief would be sought in an extension and
pcrpetustion OF existing systems, of uncon>
trovertible money which owe their origin to
the pressure of expanding population and
commerce, against the restrictive bounds of
a stationary and perhaps declining aggregate
supply of the two metals " The result of a
continuous system in which silver is dcmoni-
tized, as the supply Of gold is clearly insult.
hcient TOR MONETARY purposes, would be
therefore either that the increase of popula-
ton must be checked at once, or if not our
commercial and industrial pursuits must be
limited, which is but another name for abso>
lutte decay.
| SUBSIDIES.
tk,t hoFo IL. l.
remarks, he desired to call the attention Of
his audience to the Inequalities of govern
ment aid under the Republican regime, and
in order TO do so he asked their attention to
the Pacific Railway grants. That in 1855
the Democratic Convention had adonted as a
part OF their platform, with mar ed unanirn>
10y. the necessity of lending government sup>
port to the con >trhctiDn cf an alI-Iine railway
| communication between tho east and the Pa,
| chc shore, that this was n constitutional me-
cessity they had no doubt Mt that time, recor.
nlsng the TACT that wagon road was mad
cquate for purposes required. and a depeu-
dency upon the comfy of foreign nations for
a connection by sea equally hazardous and
impoiltc. In 1860 the Republican cnnven>
! ton had adopted "A s'milar policy. and in lS62
| two railway companies were organized the
one Receiving" ir'n the government the mu-
n'h'rnt Subsidy Il LIS 0u0, 900 the ether ST.
| OOO. 900, acres oi land, the most magnificent
ard. with the exception Of one, ever vouch-
sailed hy nation, {" any enterprise and rival
ing in its splendid extravaganza the gran, to
the Fast India company ny the government
| OF Great Britain both mf these lines were
to be built north of 37th degree of north
lati'ua". Wnh this costly cx,mp'e before
u-,over 500 900 of the peoples money
exnendcd IN that manner, for the convenience
| of the northern s"ctIna of our land, it is n
matter of some surprise that when the people
| OF ieXas California ami the III: &C eIIitnrics of