The Labor enquirer., 1884-02-16

arrayed with the tendency. cucn ls NO
toriously the case in Europe; and it il
now as fully the cease with Us. The
money loaners rule Europe, and the
same class rule us. The financial
policy, which is the main power Of spoil
alton, was fastened upon us at their die
tation. The exceptions to the legal ten.
der power of the greenbacks, the change
of the contract in favor of the bonhold.
ers, the demonetization Of silver, the
manner of refunding the national debt
the change of the fractional currency
from paper to silver, at cost Of a debt
of $45, 100000 with interest for thirty
years, the national banking scheme, the
contraction of the currency causing the
crash of '73 and commercial depression
that followed, the vetoing Of the measure
of relief by President Grant, the recent
lifting of $4,000, 600 of yearly tax from
the banks, were each and all meas
ures demanded by money loaners, and
unasked for by the people.
This policy, aided by other monopolies,
has concentrated the product of toll of
this country in the hands of those who
dictated it and the political leaders who
carried it out 1t has pushed us far on
toward the intolerable condition of
Europe. 1t has largely bankrupted the
men, who have put their capital and en-.
ergies into productive enterprises, has
discouraged such enterprises, and has
depressed wages. It has sequestered
most of the freeholds of our people, leav-
ing very large majority with no prop.
erty interest in the stability of our civil
ization. 1t has doomed to hopeless pow
erty the vast majority of wage laborers,
and taken from them and their children
the inspirations and means to rises in
manhood.
1t has filled our land with tramps, our
cities with rum shops and crime, and our
prisons with victims. 1t has driven
thousands to suicide. ,..
1t has crowded backward the work of
the gospel and all the agencies of a
higher civilization. 1t has so degraded
the masses that the elective franchise
in their hands begins to threaten peril.
1t is clear that government cannot
safely rest on the moral sentiment of a
people, majority of whom have no
property interest in it's stability. 1t
must degenerate into anarchy, the mis-
cries of which will drive to the arms OF
a centralized power. The authors of the
policy and its results, are beginning to
see the danger, but instead of retracing
their steps, they are trying to organize a
system of force to take the place of the
moral sentiment of the people. That at
tempt if persisted in, will drench our
land in fraternal blood, and be successful
only after American freemen have
wasted their ambitions and energies in
the protracted struggle.
The great questions which we face are,
shall this money power be dethroned, or
shall our government 60 under? One or
the other is inevitable at no distant day
If this tyrannical combination fastens
itself firmly upon as, then we shall have
dictator backed by large standing
army and the wide, deep gulf between
those who create the wealth and those
who use it will be made bottomless and
bridgeless, the masses will be doomed to
remain in a low, brutal state of man
hood, and the aristocratic class, who will
luxurlate in the wealth created by the
helpless drudgery of the ignorant multi
tude, will sink into the emasculated, fe-
verish, diseased status which luxury
and dissipation produce.
To prevent such catastrophe to all
the interests embodied in our national
life is the task imposed on the laboring
class. Revolutions always originate with
the people, and are executed by the
people.
Are our toilers capable of performing
this task? 1 hope they are. 1t can be
done peacefully through the ballot if we
will it.
First, we must take from our oppres-
sors the power of manipulating the cur
rency which is the life blood of produc-
tive enterprise. Then we must enlarge
the volume of our means of exchange,
until sufficient to inspire and sustain the
maximum Of our wealth-producing
power.
This must be done legitimately, by re-
funding IN it, interest-draining debts,
and in payment Of current expenses Of
government. The volume must be de-
termined wisely and limited at the
proper maximum. Whatever the mate.
rial, all currency must be alike full legal
tender.
Every dollar must be issued directly tc
the people from their government, leav'
ing our banking system essentially like
our present private banks, with no power
to issue currency. Then by wise sys
tenn of graded taxation, and Of govern
ment control, we must break up the rail
road, telegraph, land, mining, and man
ufacturing monopolies which nov aid
the money power in robbery. We mus
secure for every family the inalienablt
right to home without taxation or liza