Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-01-10
Monopoly and Corruption.

| ucau 10 iuTuisneu o} them, aud tnev alone
are responsible for ia.
Monopoly and Corruption
If these foes to the maintenance
of equal rights have ever acquired
d firmer hold than they now have
upon the political society OF our
Republic, history does not record
1t; most certainly no period has
ever transpired when thinginc
men have been appealed TO with
such imperative voice to come to
| the front.
l congratulate my countrymen
that they are awakening to the
fact that all monetary value Is moi
concentrated in gold, and that the
American Continent, who have
contributed most largely to the
worlds supply of 1t, are the first
to Indicate that they are no longer
In servituJe to its dominion, In
the same connection. while / do
not intend to enlarge upol the
heading Of this article, | summa-
rize the provisions of California 8
new Constitution in the sentimen.
that 1t Is a true exponent Of the
growing thought of this enlight-
ened age. 1t is not saying too
much for the Greenback party
that ii Is due to It's teachings,
which it Is hoped will be as con-
sentative in the future as il has
been In the past, that reforms in
political society are engaging the
best thought of our enlightened
race.
The great want of the CONNER
cial world Is money. He who
thinks that its debts of a hundred
thousand billions is ever TO be
paid In gold or silver. even at
twenty cents on the dollar, has
given little thought to the worlds
product of these so-called precious
metals. AS the Terre Haute, Ec-
press has we'll said, "coin payment
means no payment Let this
glowing truth take possession of
the American mind, as applied to
our National debt of two thousand
four hundred millions. and add to
that sum the amount OF the cor
porate and individual indebted
ness Including State, municipal
and railroad liabiIities), and who
Is so thoughtless as to deem extri-
cation from this burtheH possible,
even If all the gold and silver of
the world were at our commando
Paper money, issued alone by
sovereign authority, Is not only
the demand, but the pressing want
of the age. Who is so thoughtless
as not to know that the thraldom
of debt is crushing, everywheIe,
the energies and hopes of man
kind. The gold and silver Of the
world Is annually decreasing, and
particularly the former, while un-
der favorable circumstances, in
creasing population, is augment
ing its wealth. Common sense,
therefore. dictates the sentiment
that a constantly increasing vol
ume of business cannot be done
with a constantly diminishing
volume of money"
Gold is now, and has been for
unnunabered ages, the curse ofthe
aoorld. 1t has brought more woes
upon mankind, than "war, pesti-
lence and famine A greater
National blessing could not be
conferred upon US, than perpet-
ual closing of every gold mine,
not only upon the American con-
tinent but through out the world.
Nothing but the stupid adherence
to the maxims of political econo-
mists, who deemed all wisdom to
have been achieved by the age in
which they lived and wrote, pre-
vents the statesmenship 0fthe liv-
ing present, from discerning the
supreme folly of fiscal legislation
for the maintenance of the fraudu-
lent and deceitful system of
"specie payment
While the medium for the pur-
chase of the necessaries and luxu-
ries of life was not beyond the
reach of the great body OF lcon-
sumers. the fallacy of over-produc-
ton was unheard of-but when
this medium was destroyed by
Governmental action, metallic mad
In its legislative and executive de-
partments. the theory of "over-
production" (which is anomolus
in sound political economy must
be tolerated because under con-
sumption has become the necessity
Of The times.
That the volume ofpaper money
does not reduce its value has been
exemplified in our own history,
while the experience of the world
attests the fact that no commodity
has ever .quctuated ia ralue more
than gotd.