Louisiana capitolian., 1880-07-24
EAST BATON RouoE, July ~, !

EAST BATON RouGr, July ~, lssd
ur :, sLfryi.b. fer
| DEAR SlR--Your! communication 4
the Parish Central COMMITTEES of th
National Greenback Labor party, nnd il
date Of nth inst, is before me; ID 4
while press of duties prevent my dcvs,
ing as much time as the importanccr,
| the subjects you mention demands, yfs
it,atiords me pleasure to acknowlcdl,
the receipt Of your letter, and ut IT,
same time pen this hasty and impcrfct
reply.
The "labor plank of the CincinnG,
platform which You say You 'heartilt
indorsc,N reads thus: "Thc Democratic
party is the friend Of labor and the la
boring man, and pledges itself to protec
him alike against the c0rmorants ant
| the commuuc" 10 declare tho party Il
be "thc friend of labor and tho laborin.
man. sounds very well, but docs MOI
prove tho promise, therefore we have. tt
look for proof before accepting the state
mcnt rs fact, for here is ono of the mos,
important charges against the Demo
cratic party fatty denied by that party
itself. When we (the National Green.
back Labor parity say laborcr, we mean
every toilcr, every producer everyone
who earns or produces, by laborine
either with head or hand rs distinguish
ed from those who live off of tho fruits
of tho toll of others without laboring,
and in many cases, without giving an
equivalent for the "fruits' which thcy
consume, rs, for instance, classes made
''priviledgcd' by enactment of laws
operating. solely in their favor and
against the producer (the great masses
Of our citizenship; notably at this time,
the National banker, the National bond.
holder, the great railroad kings, with
their land subsidies and other privileges.
We realize that tho most potent power
in the hands Of those who arc made rich
by "despoiling tho producer" is control
over the currency used in tho necessary
exchange Of the products Of labor, and
hence we advocate, first Of MI, currency
reform. BY reference to our National
platform, you will find that our party
does not hesitate to take up this subject
Of currency reform, nor to lay down
principles for its adjustment, which arc
at once dcclaratory and aggressive, and
which demand relief for tho toilns mil
lions OF our people. Articles one and
two of our platform read thus:
/. That tho right to make and issue
money is q sovereign powcrito be main
tanned by the people for the common
benefit. The delegation Of this right to
corporations is surrender of the central
attribute Of sovereignty, void of consti-
tutlonal sanction, comforting upon sub
ordinate irresponsible power absolute
dominion over industry and commerce.
All money, whether metallic or paper,
should be issued and it's volume controll-
ed by the government, and not by or
through banking corporations, and,
when SO issued, should be q full legal
tender for all debts, public and private.
,. That the bonds of the United States
should not be refunded, but paid as rap
idly as is practicable according to con-
tract. TO enable the government to
meet these obligations, legal-tcndcr cur
rcncy should be substituted for the notes
of the National banks, the National
banking system abolished and the un-
limited coinage Of silver as well as gold
established by law.
Fully realizing that the Demo
cratic party is divided upon this qucs-
ton Of finance, the majority of them,
being willing to continue the present .Na-
ho"a' Bank System, or to supplantit, only
by srbsfitu'ing other banks Of issue, such
as the chartered State banks You pro-
pose; we can have no hope of accomplish.
ing our reform, "withiu your party :"
the great leaders Of which are unouali.
hedly committed to the money power
that power behind the scenes,' which
is now shaping the financial policy of
both the Republican and Democratic
parties; and which threatens the .Iibcr-
ties of our toling Masses
In commenting upon the platforms of
the "thfcc great political parties now
claiming the sutirages of the American
people, an able writer thus draws COM
parIson between the Democratic" and !
the 'Greenback' platforms:'
therc is one question, however. and /
lha', the one most vital to the prosperi-
3 OF the country, on which these plat
oorns differ very materially, and that is
ne question of the currency. Neither
he Republican, nor the Democratic par
y have word to say in taror of green
packs.
They are both practically in favor of
naknS com the only legal-tender for