The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1880-09-23
Of the liberty and prosperity of the whole

people.
It being the duty of man to earn his
bread in the sweat of his face, it becomes
the grat duty of civil government to foster
industry. All laws, therefore, which
place premium upon idleness, whether
of men or money, unjustly discriminate in
favor of capital, or withhold from honest
men the full and just reward of their la
Dor, are simply monstrous. Capital should
be the servant of labor rather than its mas
ter.
This great truth can never be realized
until there ia an adequate circulating me.
dunn. Inasmuch as this circulating me-
dunn is for the benefit of all, its iasue and
volume should be sacredly kept under the
control Of the general government, with
out the intervention of banking corpora
tions. All money, whether gold, silver or
paper, should be issned by the supreme
authority of the nation, and be made a
full legal tender in payment OF all debts,
public and private.
The system which now prevails, gives
into the hands of banking corporations abb
solute control over the volume of the cur
repcy, and through this they have the
power to fix the price of the labor and
property of Fifty millions Of people. By
provision of law, the method is clearly de-
fined whereby they may, without limit, in.
fate or contract the currency at will. Cog
nate to this and part Of the same scheme
stands the system of funding the public
debt. Like national banking, this was
borrowed from the English monarchy. By
this system an enormous non-taxable inter-
test bearing debt is to be perpetuated. The
bonds support the banks and the banks
foster the public debt. If you pay of the
bonds the banks must cease to exist.
Hence, if the national banks are to contin-
ue, we must have a perpetuated bonded
debt. Both patriotism and sound states
manship loudly call for the abolition OF
banks of issue, and the substitution of le
gal tender treasury notes for their circula'
ton. Pay the bonds according to con-
tract, and as rapidly as possible.
Seven hundred millions of the public
debt become redeemable at the option OF
the govercment during this and the ensu-
ing year. Two funding bills are now pen.
ding before congress-ons introduced by
the Democratic, and the other by the Re-
publican leader of the house, whereby it is
proposed to deprive the people of twenty
and thirty years of lawful right to pay
said bonds. This is a crime against the la
borer and the tax payer and should cause
wide spread alarm among all classes.
The annual surplus revenues, and the
idle coin now in the treasury, and that
which must continue to accumulate, if the
honestly enforced, are ample to pay every
dollar of the seven hundred millions, both
principal and interest, within the next 81 !
Il, kn alsrhxaof
for funding these bonds, except to perpet'
uate the debt as the basis of an iniquitouf
banking monopoly. 1t must be apparent
to all that the great moneyed institutions
and other corporations, now have control
of nearly every department of the govern,
ment, and are fast swallowing up the prof.
its of labor and reducing the people to q
condition of vassalage and dependence
Those monopolies, of whatever Glaze
headed by the associated banks, are inter-
locked in purpose, and always act in clo-
sest sy mpathy.
There are three great industrial classes
in America: First the producers; second,
those who manufacture our raw materials
and prepare them for use; third, the dis
tributors of these products. Each should
be protected in the legitimate fruits and
profits of their labor, but should not be
permitted to extort from and enslave the
other.
The great problem of our civilization
is, how to bring the producer and consul
mer together. This can only be done by
providing an adequate circulating medium
and by rigid regulation OF inter state COM
merce and transportation. This was wisely
forseen by the trainers Of the constitution,
ana accordingly by the 9th section of arti-
Gle first, congress is clothed with power
"To regulate commerce with foreign ma.
tions and among the states" This power
imposes corresponding duty upon con.
gress to see that 1t is enforced.
The two great agents of commerce are
money and transportation. 1t is undenia
BILE that both ofthese great agents are un-
der the absolute control of the monopolies
By controlling the volume Of the money
tie banks fix the price Of all labor and
property; and the railroads, by combination
render competion impossible, and control
absolutely the price of transportation.
This places the people between the up
per and neither millstones, and grinds them
to poverty and ruin. 1t results in the
Wholesale robbery Of both producer and
consumer. Who il able to controverl lhi
stupendous fact? Farmers, plantere, an(
Iaboring men of the United States, be
eech you to open your eyes at once to thi
alarming condition of things.
am especially thankful that the plat
form of the party which placed me in nom
ination is open, bold and unmistakable OF
~ aoo 0raat ouoatione n
The Republican and Democratic plat
forms are either silent with regard Il
these vital issues, or they have pronounced
in favor of the monopolies and against tn
people. With fifty millions Of peop
looking them in the face and pleading TO
relief, they utter not one word of promis
or hope. Their leaders and platform ma
kers are in the tolls of the syndicate, gi
gantic bank corporations and railroad mo
nopolies. and have neither the disposition
nor the courage to strike one generou
blow for industrial emancipation.
An area of our public domain, large
than the territory occupied BY the grea
ocIAah hoo oOeA WohsOosy uobo
ted to wealthy corporations; while bill
introduced by Hon. Hendrick B. Wright
of Pennsy lvania, to enabte our people I
reach and occupy the few acres remaining
has been secuted, ridiculed and defeated i
congress. In consequence of this stupeu
dous system of land grabbing, millions q
the young men of America, and million
more of ind ustrions people from abroa
Seeking homes in the New World, are lei
homeless and destitute. The public domai
must be sacredly reserved for actual sci
tiers. and where corporations have nc
complied strictly with the terms of thei
grants, the lands should be at once re
claimed.
the immigration Of persons from foreig
countries, seeking homes and desiring I
become citizens of the United State
should be encouraged, but the importatio
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