Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-09-15


and manly vindication of the honor O.
our Commonwealth.
The National GrcenbacK-LabOT
Party.
Our neighbors, the Greenback papers,
seem to be excited over the prospects
of their party, which has made an ex-
tensive layout for canvassing the
Fourth Congressional District.
While we are satisfied that, in so far
as either the State or national pros
poets are concerned, there is nothing
in the matter beyond some noise, yet
as the party to which we belong is de-
nounced by these papers and their
friends, we will look into the matter
and discover whence the noise comes.
In doing this, it will be necessary to
premise few things. 1t is conceded
by the above-named party that both
Democrats and Republicans are hard
money men; that they agree that all
the national obligations shall be met
and fairly paid in a circulating medium
to which the common consent of the
world, from time immemorial, has not
only attached All intrinsic value, but
has agreed to make it the standard of
values. AS a Democrat we are glad
this is so, we are glad that w e have this
article Of political faith in common with
the Republicans, as it shuts their
mouths, and prevents their taunting
us with fraud or bad faith in regard to
national finance. AS a Democrat we
are glad that the worship pers Of the rag
baby have been disavowed by, and
smoked out of, the party. AS respects
the quota furnished to the Greenback
bivouac from the Republicans, we have
nothing TO say.
It is our firm conviction that we
speak the sentiments Of nineteen TWEEN
tieths of the sound and judicious bust
ness men of the country when we adj
vocate a mixed currency; that is, a
currency partly paper, resting securely
on an adequate specie basis, and that
is redeemable any day at its face in
ton that we speak the sentiments of
Observation-Disclosures of the sound and
judicious business men Of the country |
when we say that this paper money |
must be issued exclusively by the |
national Government. The power to
coin money and fix the value thereof
is one of the phases of sovereignty, and
is by the Constitution secured in the
hands Of the General Government, and
should not he delegated; that as the
General Government alone can coin
money and fix the value thereof, SO it
alone has rightfully the power to issue
anything representing money. 1t is
our firm conviction that we speak the
sentiment Of every sound and judicious
business man when we take the ground
that in all financial transactions, secur-
ity and soundness in the circulating
medium of the country are the law and
convenience is largely secondary; and
that the question Of convenience in
handling is the sole consideration I'M
DERIVING the question of paper cur
rency; and whenever the question Of
the convenience of the currency be-
comes paramount to that of it's security |
and soundness, it becomes unsafe, and
fluctuations in value must be the result.
The party aforesaid talks largely of
the views of those who are reputed to
have been the fathers of the Democratic
party. It's mouth-pieces quote Thomas
Jefferson as saying, ..:Bank notes must
be suppressed and the circulation restor-
ed to the nation, to whom it belongs"
Did Thomas Jefferson, in speaking |
Of national currency, ever endorse
the principles of the National Green
back-Labor party, and say, in regard
to this currency, 1--WE do not propose to
redeem our national money in gold,
silver, or anything else?" (See Anaeri-
can Sentry of August Goth, 1881 Ifhe
ever said anything of that kind, we
want to see the place where he says so; |
and until we do SO see, we denounce
the use of his name in any such con-
nection by the party aforesaid as a I
fraud, swindle. and lie.
They quote Andrew Jackson as say |
ing: "If Congress has the right under
the Constitution to issue paper money,
it was given to them to be used by
themselves; not to be delegated to in
dividuals or corporations. I wish all
money of the tion,-whether gold,
silver, copper, or paper,-issued by the
or other money, but upon the credit
and other resources of the country
The sum total of that language is this: