The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-02-14

VS. ooHlPpteu VI thIec hundfoh ana seventy
nine nembsrsi In this number there were 81
lnmbermen, thirteen manufacturers, sever
doctors, fourtosn merchants, thirteen farm
sn, three millers, ono land surveyor, on,
priest, one professor OF LAlln,. one doctor o
avs, one barber, csc mechanic, ninety-nin,
iswyers,. and one hundrsd and eighty-nne
bankers ,.whishlnolnded sIoet-holders In ma
usnal banks,
This statement, which presume Is correct
will give como idea Of tho Immense political
influence welded by these corporations, pcr.
meating tho whole country AZ they do with
their crowds Of officials and dependents, and
their power over the press, and We can un-
derstand from Il the reason for tho earnest
yigor with which Andrew Jackson denounced
the bank Of the United States for using its
money and power to influence the people and
cont oil elections. ltlsthe power OF tho banks
which up to this time has defeated the thrice
repeated demand Of tho people for free coin
ago and full restoration Of silver, and, whilo
nominally legal-tonder money, has reduced II
to insgniicanco In tho business and com.
merce Of tho country, The reason Is plain (;
the less silver we have the greater tho room
for bank-notes. They donounce silver M
dishonest money, because silver bulions dis
counted slightly by the side of gold; but
that power demonOtized silver In 1873 when
silver outvalued gold three cents on tho dol
lar, They will not have il on any terms It
TO be avoided.
But one single thing remains 10 be done 10
make THESE corporations supreme over all
the labor and all the values of all the people
IN TINS great county, and that IS to demon
etize the S3i6000,00 Of legal-tender notes.
The money circulation placed thereby OK
ciusiVely m Their own CONTROL It's volume to
DO expanded or contracted Mt their pleasure,
the last remaining check upon theirpower will
w gone ana tney WIN DC the eomplelest ana
most powerful monopoly That over existed
under any government once intrenched IN
power 1t can never be dislodged. 1t would
perpeluate the puDhc debt on which II Is
based Itself centralized power 1t would
Tor It's own protection consolidate all political
power IN a strong central government and be
aided IN the work for the same purpose by
the other great corporations, If the strong
man with mailed hand shall ever come to
erect an imperial throne. over the ruins of
popular liberty IN America, which God for
oid, the way VIII nave been prepared and he
Will come AT tho bidding OF organized con
centraled capital 1 Will never add by
vote or act OF mine to this already
overgrown ana oVershadowlng power
Ii stani Is ever to DO made against
u, at least 1t Is not too early to make
1t. The real issue is between the money
power and the people, This, issp2, rex
tends far beyond any mere question: RFnRhey;
it involves the continuance of free represent
alive government and popular liberty. We
cannot doubt this If we heed the solemn nd
monitons OF ono of the wisest and most far
seeing patriots who ever impressed himself
upon the history OF tins or any other country.
Whatever may be the opinion of the duty of
the Government in respect TO furnishing n
sound currency for the people, there can be
no doubt of u paramount duty to protect the
country against the danger of domination
by corporations of its own creation. Wherever
such danger exists the high duty arises to
remove 1t, and If no other means can be de-
vised it would be far better that the Govern
ment issue itself the volume of paper needed
by the country and abolish the national
banks.
1t is infinitely better to have paper issued
directly by the Government than to build up
IN our midst banking power which, in the
experience of some of the wsest men, is a
standing and growing menace to the
liberties of the people. That the
Government can constitutionally issue
currency less expensive and more
safe than any other | have no doubt. The
question before the Senate and the country
now is as to the expectancy of doubling the
circulation, and consequently doubling the
power, of the national banks, already too
powerful to be controlled, by demonetizing
legal tender notes, for this would be the effect
Of the adoption of the resolution of the hon
orable Senator from Delaware. All who |
favor hard money must oppose this measure,
because it will install in undisputed power
force hostile to silver, one-half of the hard |
money of the world, and will visit
the little we have of it with |
swift destruction. All who believe in the |
democracy Of Andrew Jackson, who crushed |
out the old National bank, and ofhis successor
in the presidential office and in the leadership
of the Democratic party, Martin Van Buren,, |
whose battle-cry in the contest resulting in |
his election was Eternal hostility to a Ma |
tional bank" should oppose this measure 4,
All who believe that "monopolies and per-
petuities are contrary to the genius of free |
government" and that no power should be
tolerated which experience proves will cor
rupt the press and destroy the freedom of |
elections should oppose it. All who believe |
in the old Democratic maxim of equal
rights for all and special privileges for none"
and are opposed to exercising the powers of
Government to enrich and make powerful
few at the expense of the many and are OPP
posed to class legislation should oppose it.
All who desire the supremacy of the great