The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-01-14
LETTER FROM GES. WALTHALL.
GRENADA, Miss, Jan. ?, 1880

AJa4ly 0DulHicfciats ' AGA7DAA5
have received a copy Of your issue Of the
twenty-ninth ultimo containing a marked
article in which a number OF questions are
addressed to "th0.e whose names are pre-
sented for TIE United States Senate" My
attention being directed - the article, and
finding IN it u reference to myself by name.
/ could not, even if 50 desired, avoid the
conclusion that | am among those from
whom an answer is expected. The fact
that the inquiries come from journal
which has spoken fayorably Of my qualitl-
cations for the office in question, and which
is published IN a part Of the State presuma-
bly, unacquanted with my views, though
they are fully known II my neighbors, seems
TO make it not only proper but incumbent
on me to answer them. Nor do l lind any
reason for declining TO do Sd, in my declared
purpose, scrupulOusly observed, nor to seek
this high position, since it Is rs well known
that | will serve If elected, as that l have
no anxiety to assume official duties and re-
sponsibiities Of such gravity a. to lead me
to distrust my own ability to discharge
them according to nay own standard
Your questions and my answers thereto
are as follows
Question Are You in favor Of further
issue Of greeuback money or leg&l-tender
notes, in order to pay the present outstand-
ing bonds Of tue United States, cOnsutuung
the national debtE
Answer am not The bonds now con
stituting the funded debt Of the government
are payable in coin by the government :
pied yes, repeatedly given. TO get rid now,
in such mode, Of any part Of that debt 50
payable, would be nothing less than repu-
diation pro tauto. The debt in its inteeri-
ty and entirety is guaranteed by the Con
stitutiOn of the United States, the four
teenth amendment TO which provides that
tEllt4l mot kA iguaI - No
of the South, are pledged to stand by the
amendments TO the Constitution and 70 car
nv out their provisions. This pledge was
one of the chief elements in our restOra-
ton 10 our rights of selfgoyernment and
full representation the in Union. We should
keep it scrupulOusly, and neither break
faith ourselves triie with the pledged
faith of the nation, nor violate the Consti-
tuition by which its sanctity Is guarded
All these we must do before there can be-
with our consent, a further issue of legal
tender paper for the purpose mentioned III
this question. None Of them ought we TO
do. or would consent 10 do, whether con-
sidered as matter Of honor or Of expediency.
Question Are you in favor Of initiating
the currency by further issue of greenbacksl
Answer am opposed to the adoption,
or even the adoption of that or any other
kindred scheme Of finance. / believe the
upon Us, renewed and aggravated, all the
evils Of deprecated currency, from the
disastrous effects of which we are Just be-
ginning TO recover. And the agitation now,
of such schemes, is the greatest obstacles to
returning prosperity. fit be true that the
business of the country requires more mon
ey, it can never get it by policy which de
stroys confidence, drives capital from in
vestment, stops enterprise and hlnders
business in all its departments. The prop
er business view of this matter seems to me
10 be this: We wait good prices Tor the
products Of our lani and labor. Legisla-
ton, we ought TO know, cannot bring these.
The agitation of dclusive financial schemes
serves but to unsettle values, destroy faith
in the stability Of our currency and to raise
false hopes in the people which, not calcula-
ted to stimulate them To work and econo-
my, must end in disappointment and disas-
ter. Elsewhere, capital which, from want
of confidence and financial faith, has long
been locked up, is already being invested in
permanent enterprises; the manufacture of
cotton, rs well is other things, is active, and
property Is rising in value. This has re-
suited from several causes, among them
abundant crops, but Is much, if not more |
believe, from the assurance of a sound cur
rency based upon gold and silver and re-
deemable paper If we would have the
same results here, in the South we must do
nothing, and consent to nothing, which tends
in any way to keep money out of our bord-
ers, or to make those who have it distrust
our pledges and promises, whether public or
private. If we will but realize these things
and act on them; frown down financial
connection and cease to look to politics for
the relief which can only reach US through
other means, we Will make d great advance
toward prosperity.
Question three and four may be answered
together.
3.--Are you in favor Of making any fiuan-
cal measure a party test beyond that pre-
scribed in the platform Of the National De-
mocracy adopted at ST. Louis?
4-Are you in favor Of the repeal of the re-
sumption act?
Answer: The National Democracy as late
as 1876, ut st. Louis, declared themselves in
favor of resumption, and in doing SO but re-
iterated, in substance what they said in
their platform at Baltimore, as early as 1872
when it was declared that a speedy return
20 specie payment was demanded alike by
the highest considerations of commercial
morality and honest government.
In the 1t. Louis Convention, | had the
honor by the choice of my fellow delegates,
To east the solid vote of Mississippi for the
platform which was then adopted by an
overwhelming majority over the counter
proposition of Gen. Ewing, the distinguish
ed advocate of what has been termed the
"Ohio idea" The wisdom of the policy
then adopted has been amply indicated by
subsequent events and | must regard the
resumption of specie payment rs Democrat
SC faith and policy until there shall be some
future authoritative utterance to the con
trary If therefore, It is intended by the
third question TO ask if | favor any measure
in any way departing from the principles of
that platform and requiring from the mem
bers of the party support of such measure,
l answer in the negative. Ii intended to
ask whether | favor making membership of
the party depend upon any financial test |
answer that do not for | have deplored
all divisions in our party on such issues.
As To the fourth question, already virtu-
ally answered, 1t Will not be forgotten that
this was the very question involved in Gen
Ewing's proposition which was voted down,
as just stated. The st. Louis platform de-
manded the repeal OF the clause of the re-
sumption act which fixed January 1, 1879,
rs the arbitrary date for resumption and
denounced that clause rs a hindrance to
specie payment. Prosperity, the result of
work and production by the people, and the
check given to the outflow of gold from this
country by the large balance of trade in our
favor. have worked out resumption; and /
the same cause should have been left the I
opportunity OF accomplishing it sooner,
WltaoHI the nlnurahce OF al arbitrary post I
pOnement. But the day fixed is past and \
the hindranee mt an end, and am opposed 4
to the repeal of the act now because, besides 1
being useless, it would reopen an issue
which has been full of mischief and disaster 4
80 the Huity and success of our party.
Question 6-{No question appearing.l j
Are you in favor Of the unlimited coinage of
silver, and If so upon What terms?
Answer am in favor of the unlimited
coinage of silver. favor the use Of gold
and silver alike as money and was, as IS
known to mary in favor Of the remonetiza-
ton of silver, when the question was acted
upon by Congress. l thought such meas
ure, by an increase of coin, would enlarge
the volume of currency and also add to its
soundness by strengthening the gold and
silver basis mon which all naner money