The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-07-07
THE CONSPIRACY AND
| THE REACTION.

LII OV4vOA AAAAVA AAsO
THE REACTION.
speech Of Hon. j. b. Weaver, Of
lows, In tho House Of Repre-
sentatives, Monday, Feb.
8th, 1855.
The House being in Committee Of the
Whole on the state Of the Union, and hsv-
ing under consideration Of the bill III r
lS33) relating TO the taxation Of fractional
parts 81 gallon Of distilled spirits, which
NJ. Weaver proposed 10 amend by addins
+. and Ill taxes imposed By this oct shall be
paid in standard silver COIN
Mr.. WEAVER said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN. The silver question,
properly spe king, has been ab'y dis
cussed il both wings * the Capt. dur.
ing the present session It Congress. ]
wish to address myself to somewhat
different line Of argument from that
which has been pursued BY other gen.
tlemen who have spoken upon the sub
ject. Before proceeding, however. /
must congratulate the people ard this
House upon the suspicious fact that
No have 1t lest reached the time when
all are eager to hear. Many have longed
10 sec this day, but have died without
the sight.
Mr.. Chairman, the thing which most
aetonishes mo in the history Of our po-
litical evolution IL the fact, that as .
rule, neither the people nor their law
makers have ever Comprehended the
vast importance Of m adequate, safe,
and permanent financial policy.
The relation Of money TO the every
day life Of the people, the effect Of an
increase or decrease in its volume, the
necessity Of lodging the power to con-
troll the volume Of money within relia-
bio hands, these are al questions which
seem to be but feebly understood BY
tho great body Of the American people.
II were asked to name the present
GREAT DUTY OF THIS CONGRESS
I should answer without heeltatiOs, il il
to estsbli-h once for al an adequate,
permanent financial system that shall
serve 40 basis for economic prosper
ity - long - our flag shall fl ,at; sys.
tenn under which there ehall be no priv.
ileged classes, and under which the
rights Of the hun bic laborer and the
capitalist ehall b allge secure. It will
not bo pretended that We even approx.
innate TO this condition at present. Ar
an original proposition it would seem
easy enough to establish such . system,
and it would be a easy matter now,
were il not for the vested wrongs with
which We have to deal.
There are two ever-present disturb
| ing forces connected with our monetary
eystem-the public debt and the M
tsonal banks. They are the evil out
growths Of the civil war, and the ma
ton will ever be in peril until they Or,
swept out Of existence. The hostilit,
of the national banks to silver ,insg'
is only enc phase Of . conspiracy which
had iss origin 10 the early stages Of th,
civil war, and which has never yet beer
overthrow. The rebellion was over
thrown, but this conspiracy never ha
been; and it viii require ell the powe
Of the country, now happily reunited
to uproot il. II has grown with on
growth and strengthened with on
strength untiltoday il defies the law and
tho power Of the Government. pro
pose to t.aoe SINE Of the features o
this conspiracy and Of the reaction II
public sentiment which Is now in pro
gress.
Il will be remembered that when thu
leeal-teDd+r act first passed the Hous,
it provided for . full legal tender pape
currency. The exceptions which nov
appear in the law and upon the bacl
OF Our Treasury notes we're insert il
The S.nate. Tnis was for the benefit o
those who were specializing in tws
things
GOLD AND BLOOD.
When the bill came hack to the Housl
with these unpatriotic amendments
| which constituted the ul,imatum Of Ii.
gold gamblers and bullion brokers
there was no alternative. The terml
had to be accepted or the nation mus
perish. They were not accepted, how
ever, without Q protest. now wisl
the Clerk to read the remarks Of Thad
deus Stevens, Congressional Globe, par
l. 1861 and 1862, psge 800.
Iapproach the subject with more depres
sion Of spirits than / ever approached any
question. have . melancholy
foreboding that We are about to consum'
mate . cunningly devised scheme which
will carry great injury and great loss 70 I'll
classes Of people throughout the Union. ex-
cept one. No act Of legislation Of this Gov
eminent was ever hailed with 30 much de-
inhk thwApanhAnf thu -haln 1oMnkh and
breadth of the Union. by every class Of peo-
pie without exception, 40 the bill We
passed and sent TO the Senate. C0ngrstula>
tons from al classes, merchants, traders
manufacturers, mechanics, and lab0rers,
poured in upon % from eli quarters. :
Il u true there was . doleful sound came
up frum the caverns of bullion brokers and
from the saloons If the associated banks
Their cashiers and agents were soon on the
ground and persuaded the Senate, with bur
little elaboration, to mangle and destroy
what il cost the House months to digesl
consider, and pass. They fell upon the biii
In hot haste and 20 ditfgured and deformed
1t that its very father would not know it
Instead Of being beneficial and invigorat
ing measure it ID now positively n ischiev
Ous. Il now creates money and by ito very
terms declares it . deprecated currency. Il
makes two classes of money. One for banks
and br okers, and another for the people. II
discriminates between tho different classes
of creditors, allowing the rich capitalists to
demand gold and compelling the ordinary
lender 81 money on individual security TO
receive notes which the Government han
purposely discredited. * Congressional Globe,
part 1, 1861 80, page 800.
Ny amendment 10 70 exempt from the
operations Of the legal-tender clause the Of
ficers and soldiers OF the Army and Navy
and those who suprly them with provisions
and thus TO put them upon the same loot
ing with the Government creditors who
hold their bonds. hope they may not be
thought less meritious than the money
changers. trust it will be adopted q o.
amendment to the Senate amendment, o.
that II this psrnicious system is TO be adopt
"a, II the beauty of the original bill 10 T.
be entirely inn aired. those Who are fightinl
our battles and the widows and CHILDREN o,
those who are lying in their graves in ever,
part Of the country, killed In defense Of th.
Government. may be placed upon no wors
footing han those who Md the bonds OF
the GOvernmant and coin Of the county,
hid.
1t is believed by psychological writer's
that there arc eroAtoOuled men. de