The Evening critic., 1884-09-04
Our Currency-wbat would Demo.
Gratis DO with It?

The Democratic party is always looking
back; always has its face to the rear, and ii
is always praying for the return of the
days Of Jackson and Van Buren,. Now
suppose the Democracy should succeed In
November, and suppose that it was installed
in full control of all departments of ony
Government, what would it do2 Would
IT revive the policy of Andrew Jackson in
regard to the currency? Would 1t cstab-
lsh' horde of irresponsible State banks, as
was done under Jackson's policy2 Would
it withdraw our National greenbacks aud
National banknotes, and substitute there
for the notes of wildcat State banks !?
Would il lll the land with currency that
varied in value in proportion to the distance
they were carried away from the place Of
issue2 Would they give to the people
again currency that would be par on ono
side Of any given State limo and . or 10 per
cent discount on the other side2 Would it
give the people such currency that a
traveller would have to stop at every State
line he came to in order to see whether ho
would make or lose money by crossing said
line, and how much, and whether it would
be loss or gainP In short, would it REIN
augurate the old system which scourged
tho people with "red dog" "blue cat"
"yellow cat" and other highly-colored
financial cats and dogs, which went up aud
down each recurring day like the mercury
in the thermometer?
Now, these are pertinent questions, and
they should be thoroughly considered by
business men of all classes, whether mer-
chants, farmers, mechanics, or what not.
1t is fact known to all intelligent, OBJ
serving men, that the large majority-which
majority is made up Of the most influential
men in the party, too-of the Democrats
entertain bitter enmity toward our Ma
tional banking system. They recoguizo in
it the power that nerved the right arm OF
the nation in its deadly struggle with slav-
cry. The Confederate Democrats know
that it was the hated greenback and the Ma
tiopal banknote that fed and clothed our
armies, that victualed our Navy, and sup
piled 1t with munitions of naval warfare
that paid our soldiers aud our seamen; that,
in short, 1t put down the rebellion, de-
rtroyed slavery, and that preserved the
Union.
Knoging that the vast majority Of Dem
ocrats entertain an intense hatred of our
currency as constituted at present, woul d
1t be prudent, would 1t bo sensible, to place
that system in the hands Of those who bate
it? Is it not better to let well enough
alone-to preserve the present financial
status; rather than enter upon u series of
doubtful experiments and expedients, that,
result as they may, cannot possibly give us a
better currency than we have now? And
is it not the wisest course to retain in control
Of our banking system tho men who
created and perfected it? Would it be
wise to endeavor to surpass perfection to
try to be more superlative than the super
lative itself? We have currency that is
absolutely safe to the noteholders; that is
always and everywhere at par; that is
good whether the bank is broken or not,
and which never robbed the people of a
cent. Shall We keep it or shall we try
something new? This is one of the
questions that must be decided this fall
How shall it be decided? What say tue
business people of the Union?