Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-10-07
The Murkrille Guqnirer,
YORKVNLLE, s. c.:
THURSDAY MORNING. OCT. 7. 1880.
THE GREENBACK PARTY.

THE GREENBACK PARTY.
The efforts of the so-called Greenback party
in South Carolina, have as yet attracted but
little public attention, Notwithstanding for
the past few months emissaries of the party
haye>5een disseminating documents and pa
-pers in the interest of the doctrines they main.
tain, and last week, in Chester, convention
of forty-fve delegates, representing eight
counties, nominated State ticket, placing on
it the names of some gentlemen, who, whether
or not identified with the party, are undeci-
ded as to whether they will ratify the nomi-
nations, so far as they are individually concern,
ed, by consenting to lead under the banner ofa
party, which, it ever had an existence worth
naming, is now practically defunct; and in
States where it has formerly had small fol
lowing, is now only looked on in derision.
Every creed has its followers, and it is no.
torous that any doctrine-church or State,
however absurd-will have its adherents.
We know there is a peculiar charm in the
word Greenbacks, and in their possession there
is a realization superior to the enchantment
lent by the mere word. But that the princi'
Piles of the Greenback party, if carried out,
so far as relates to their financial policy,
would benefit the country, or add to its pros
perity a single iota, is question that cannot
admit of an affirmative answer. No more sat,
isfactory answer could be given it than by
referring to the condition of our own country
during the war, when there was a redun-
dancy-a plethora--a deluge-we might say
an avalanche of paper money, inflicted upon
the people. True, we were in state of war
when it was issued, and its promise to pay
was based on very remote and uncertain
contingency; but still it was the currency
the life. blood-of the country to which we
owed allegiance. The value Of this paper at
any period after the printing presses were
fairly under way, striking it off much after
the manner of issuing newspapers, is we'll re-
membered. The family purveyor who went
to market carried his I'm oney" in basket,
and returned home with his purchase in his
vest pocket Just so would it be with the
currency of the United States Government,
if issued in the same ratio of excess of
healthful demand as it was when similarly
issued by the Confederate States Government.
There would be too much money" it would
be too cheap, having the tendency to initiate
prices, which would be constantly huctuating,
demoralizing labor, encouraging speculation
and bringing with it train Of evils from
which the country could not recover for years.
The credit of nation is the same as that
of an individual. As the man of small busi-
ness and limited means can give his notes to
the ruin of his credit, bringing on bank
ruptcy and collapse, so can Rothschild or
Vanderbilt; and the United States Govern.
ment could just as surely accomplish the same
result by an over-issue of paper currency.
But evils arising to our people from these
causes are only contingent. There is not the
slightest prospect of the party ever obtaining
ascendanry, if it even survives the Presiden"
tial canpaign and it is therefore to warn our
people of impending danger that we call at
tention to the subject. When the party
first came into existence during financial
depression was probably some pretext
for demanding change in the financial pol
icy of the Government; but now that crisis ia
past. The country is prosperous. The South
is really, in a financial point of view, more
prosperous than she has ever been and in
material success is beginning to compare
favorably with the North. The times nor
the exigencies of trade and commerce do not
demand redundant paper circulation. There
are those who no doubt honestly believe the
condition of the country would be improved
by an unlimited issue of greenbacks; but
they do not reflect that the consequence
would be to cheaper labor and increase the
prices of the necessaries of life.
Those who are duped into becoming mem
bers of this party are the victims Of either de-
signing politicians, laboring for their own ad.
vancement, or visionary schemers, Of whom
Mulberry Sellers is fair prototype.
In our own State, the effect of following
this chimerical faction-this financial ignis-
futuus-is to weaken the Democratic party,
with not the slightest prospect of correspond.
ing benefits; but, to the contrary, might re-
suit in giving the State over again to the
control of the vampires and robbers who fed
and fat,ened upon the people until they rose
in their might and hurled them from power.
Whatever the object of the party, its only ef-
feet in South Carolina is to strengthen Radi-
calism and weaken Democracy. We, there
fore, feel it our duty to warn the white peo-
ple-the Democracy-of the danger they are
in, and of the direful results which will inev.
itablv flow from their desertion of Democracy
for the idols of Greenbackism.
Under the head of "a Startling Exposure"
we print, on the first page of this issue, an ar
ticle 20 which we direct the attention of the
reader
SOUTH CAROLINA NEWS.
VI. H. Hood, Of York, and Matthew White,
Of Chester, have been drawn to serve as grand
Jurors at the next term of the United States
Circuit Court, which convenes in Columbia,
on the fourth Monday in November.
COL Cad. j. Pride, the census supervisor
for this District, has written a letter to one
of the enumerators in Anderson county, in
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