The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-07-10
Gen. Dutler on Mctnl Money.

Of Trade, Oct. IL. 1876, Gen. Butler
said;
Coined gold md silver has over been
tho handmade of despotism, tho prop
OF monarchical power, the supporter
of thrones, nobilities, and priesthoods,
tho engines by which the privileges
nna prctcnsions Of nrstocrnts have nj.
ways been sustained III trampling down
the rights, desouring the substance,
and absorbing tho nnrequitcd Iubors Of
tho masses. Through NIL time the poa
session of COINED money has given
power to the few to enslave the labo,
Of tho many for tho benefit Of princes
and mobiles, and its use has been the
badge Of scrvituac OF NIL peoples to
some king or tyrant To deny this ut
one time was treason.
When the chief priests would fain
have taken hold of tho words OF our
Lord, that SO they might deliver him
into tho power anl authority OF tho
Governor, they asked, Us II lawful for
us tn give tribute unto Caesar, or no. I"
But He perceived their craftincss, and
said, why tempt ye mes Show me n
penny. Whose image and s,perscription
hath itS" They answered, C, sar's. y
And He said unto them "Render,
therefore, unto CAESAR the things that
are CAESARS, aud unto God the things
that are Gods And they marveled
Mt His answer.
Our patriot fathers, founding n gov.
eminent for themselves on this cont.
nent, carefully eliminated from its
framework every attribute Of monarchy
amt aristocracy. the divine right OF
kings. patents Of nobility, the saeeession
of primogenitmo, the law OF entail, the
fealty Of one man to another--oyery
species Of the devices Of kingcraft aud
oppression with which the people are
governed Ivy class all, save one; they
retained, whether for COOL or evil, tho
precious metals stamped with the kings
image as the standard by which to
measure the property and industry of
the new republic. 1T was griesous
fault, and grievoasly have thtir chill
| dren answered it. Great, wise, and
good men, we marvel that they saw so
much; but they saw not all things"
pSSauSC vi ulfbi oui
institutions this one element of kingly
power, we their descendants. and our
business and property--nay, almost our
existence ~ Il nation-have been placed
at the mercy OF the moncy,d powers OF
| the earth.
Thus far in the advocacy of this sys.
tenn have relied only upon argument
and precedent. / have brought for
ward none OF the opinions OF the great
and good men who have come to the
same conclusion that the currency OF
| this country should be non-exrortahlc
currency, based on the credit of the
Government, But such are not want
ing. l have no time to quote such
opinions IL detail, but simply to indi.
cate where such opinions may be found.
jefferson. the father Of Democracy.
gives his opinion nnlualliielly that
Treasury notes secured by pledges Of
the faith and credit of the Govern.
ment, with or without interest, will
make a better currency than gold and
| silver.
Franklin early gave his opinion to the
same effect, and his was the best iinan.
cal mind Of his generation, and him.
self the lest political economist Is
such a cnrr, ney Il ,oast tutional one
Joha {. Calhoun, and who was strieter
coastructioaist If the Constitution. de-
clared himself of that opinion.
The questions We have baea consider
ing are the most vital, because they af-
feet the laboring and prAl scing classes,
the very life powers of the country,
upon whom all the fluctuations and de-
press|ons of husiae ut last must fall
because If labor. which is their capital
and all they have, is unemployed. 1t i
lost to them fore CIR. and can never I've
replaced. The.ship. the house, and the
railroad may depreciate because OF
financial depression, hat on the return
of good times they rise agan To their
former value. hut the value OF lost on.
portunits to labor is gone from the Ia.
horer forever. no, To lie regained: time
never goes backward. For is it not
the peculiarly OF labor" says IN emf.
nent economist, "tha. it is the only
commodity that perishes at the instant oi
productian, and il not put to use il los,
forcver.'
Il heIcltIGs All iiSAN aiHo w I'LL iiNs-
ards. stand here before You giving my
earnest convictions in favor of non
eNportabe, ineensertible currency
which shall have no relation of redeem
ability to gold or silver. l stand here
for an American currency. such as he
longs to our system Of government,
part Of our Tree institutions, where
each man is the e,Iual Of every other
man.
In it we could not achieve our indie
pendence until we cmancipated our
selves from the money Of kings. In
1861 We could not save the life of the
nation from rebellion until wc threw
overheard the money of the bankers,
now the money kings o! the world, and
established n currency for ourselves to
measure values for our people, and
put gold and silver where they belong,
rs part of the production of our indus
| tries.
just here let mo answer one or two
arguments to the prejudice which the
advocates of gold and silver put for
ward whenever any substitute for gold
and silver is mentioned, Would YOU &C
back to Continental money. di,int NC
suffer enough ly that?" answer,
would not 20 back to ii: no more than
/ would have our country go back Il
its condition in tho Revolution.
Let me retort upon this: Without
the issuing Of a Continental money,
adopted and sustained hy the patriotism
of our people against the capitalists o,
that day, rs we adopted, Mt the sam.
time, the green sage of our mountains
for tea instead of the fragrant herb Of
China against the merchants of thai
day, what kullionist would say that oul
independence could have been secured
Were the sun rings Of our fathers iron
Continental manev as grca. as the suf
ferings Of the Revolutionary soldiers u.
they marched with naked, bleeding
feet, tracking the frozen clods on tn,
banks OF the Delaware with blood who,
they captured at Trenton the HesSians
hired by the gold Of King George?
In 1861, when the War of the Rebel