The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-07-08
LOCAL TOPICS.
The Greenback Address last
: Evening.
A Sunday School Teachers
/. Institute and it's Session.
Varied Assortment of Items
of Interest.
GREENBAcK TALK.

Turner Hall was well filed last evening,
on the occasion of the address of the Rev.
Gilbert De LIE Matyr, of Indianapolis, on
the subject OF the greenback cause.
The introduction speech was delivered
by Mr.. Bennet.
Tine speaker. in opening his remarks,
said shat he would deal exclusively in
facts He was convinced that, as ma
ton. we were in the incipient stages of a
revolation second to none that had yet
taken place in the brief career of this coun-
He incidently touched upon the origin
S Of thisSnatien. detailing the powers of the
government. and stated that the founders
framed the constitution as opposed to a
centralized power
He alluded to the disbelief of foreign
nations as to the stability of democratic
form of government and considered the
civil war as a test of our national exist
ence
= He . formulated the doctrine of the
sgreenl,ackers As the right of each toiler to
etheAegitimate fruits of his or her toll, as
opposed to monopolies and class iegisla-
ton.
= He spoke of the vast Improvement made
in all the agricultural and mechanical de-
partments.and concluded that the people
owred all these improvements, and the re-
suits OF the same belonged to the people.
-ses- He held that machinery should lift
sdrndgery from all classes of workmen.
- Re thought that the benefits of these
IA
bilt.or Gould. but should be equally divided
smSng the laborers.
He next touched upon the foreign ma
80 tions and their interest bearing debts, and
: denounced the latter in the strongest
-. terms.
He next stated that the same agencies
were at work IN this country, and would
work the same sad restlts.
he spoke of the monopoly of issuing
tie currency in this country, and favored
the Transferring of that power from the
banks to the government itself. He also
touched upon the banking system, and the
history of that association during the war.
He pictured them as fattening on the mis-
cry of the country. He also traced the
history of the greenbacks, how the original
bill was framed and how the exception as
to the payment of the interest on bonds
and custom dues was effected.
He denounced the bankers for this ex-
ception, and smaintained that if no such
= exception had been made, the greenbacks
would not have been deprecated below |
in speaking of the railroads, he de
z Adnottnecd he'system as monopoly, and
held that it was the outgrowth of |
the monopoly in the currency sys |
tenn He thought the bonds
lands $50, given different railroads would
build the railroad system twice over.
He next touched upon the oil and coal
systems, likewise denouncing them in |
strong terms.
He spoke of the history of Indiana and
demonstrated that under republican rule of
national affairs. the debts in Indiana had
increased some $14, 900, 900 during the past
five years.
He favored the government issuing |
the mopey. and making the grcenbacks
legal tender.
In speaking of the remedies to the other |
SO called monopolies which he had
mentioned, he favored the governments |
recinding the class legislation for their |
benefit, and thought that the people should
receive the main benefit of all legislation |
Hesclosed his remarks by offering for
sale pamphlet containing his speeches
on the legal tender act, transportation and |
other themes.