Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-29

1
resolutions and letters he has received on
the subject, and which be finds it impos-
sible to answer individually:
| UNITED STATES SENATE.
WAsHIEsros, D. c., May 20, 1880.
T. McRae, Esq, Secretary Of Bexar County
| Alliance. San Antonio, Tex:
| DEAR SIR-Hour letter OF the 5th inst. was
guy received, enclosing to ma the resolutions
| OF the Bexar county Alliance, expressing ap-
| proval OF what is called the bonded warehouse
or sub treasury system, By which understand
| Is meant that your Alliance approves the pro-
visions o. senate bill No. 2S7G, introduced BY
| senator Vance, By request, and the provisions
| resentatives.
In your letter enclosing to me copy Of these
| resolutions you kindly say: 'It is with great
| pleasure that have an opportunity TO commu-
nlcSte our desires 20 one whom we all know IS
with the people in their struggle for their rights
| You have always been with u.s.
thank both yourself and the BeIar county
Farmers Alliance for their recognition OF my
| devotion TO the interests az the people. And it
| command their confidence. Audit is with sim
| cere regret that 1 6nd myself unable to support
| c measure which meets their approval.
We all subscribe to the doctrine that the Fed
| ersl government is one OF limited and delegated
powers, and that, IN the language OF the consti-
| tuition, 1.-THE powers not delegated to the
United States by the constitution, nor prohibited
by 1t TO the states are reserved 70 the states re-
| spsctivey or to the people. One OF the pow
stitutton Is that congress shall have power 10
borrow money on the credit of the United
| States" But it contains no grant of power to
| the United States TO loan money, either by its
express terms or by implication necessarily
| arising from some other grant Of power.
lido not, therefore, see hoy congress can pass
people 90 per centum Of the value of their crops
and take their produce IN pledge for the repay
ment OF the money so to be loaned.
am aware thai the argument is used that the
/ government loans money 10 the national banks
he security of United States interest bearing
bonds; and that on this assumption it is urged
that it may loan to the farmers on the security
OF their produce But deny the right Of the
government to loan money. And IL it should be
banks Tor circulation are IoEn, my
answer would be that any violation OF the
constitution will not excuse or justify another
violstion OF it. have Tor years comoatted the
policy Of allowing the national banks to eXer-
else the power OF issuing money for circulation.
On q memorable occasion IN the year 1873 they
demonstrated the danger Of allowing them to
control the volume of the currency by suddenly
contracting its volume to = dangerous extent, in
order to keep congress from passing law to
restore silver coinage. This should have caused
congress to take from them the power to in
crease or diminish the volume Of the currency.
The organization Of the system OF national
banks was at first proposed as temporary ex-
pedient to sustain the finances OF the govern
ment during the war; the banks being employed
as fiscal agents. 1 express no opinion as to
whether the notes furnished them for circula-
ton would be held to be loan. However, that
be, the government GOES uOE UNDERTAKE 70
build banking houses, and to provide officers at
the public expense to conduct their business as
is provided for in the bills under consideration.
we shall not loss sight OF the fact that the
government of the United States was organized
AND adopted by the states and people as politi-
ccl government Of limited powers, and not as q
great mercantile establishment to deal in prop
erty and loan money. And the provisions OF the
constitution conclusively show that it
was intended that the United States
should exercise its powers for the
special purposes of its creation, and that tho
government should not undertake the paternal
care and supervision OF the personal interests OF
the people. One of the great political evils OF
our times, and one OF the most menacing dan
gers to the Perpetuity Of our present system OF
government and to popular liberty in this coun-
try, Is the violation in recent times, by the
practices Of the government, OF this principle,
and the dangerous extent to which it has gone
The bills under consideration would require
the expenditure Of many million dollars for the
construction OF offices and warehouses, and the
furnishing of elevators ana cleaning appliances.
1t would also require an army OF officers and
employees to carry ont its provisions. And these
employees would have to be paid for by taxes TO
be levied on the people, thus increasing on
them the very burdens under which they now
suffer.
each county, TO be elected by the vote OF the
people whose property he is TO value. without
defining what particular people are TO elect him.
This shows that the craftsmen Of these bills had
no just conception ofwhSt force would be neces-
gary to execute the proposed law. The selection
of these managers by the vote OF the people
whose property they are to value, and bind the
government by that valuation, would be danger
Gus experiment. 1t is proposed 10 make the term
of oface Of these managers two years And they,
like other offices, would undoubtedly become
political, and the candidates from wnom the
people would expect the largest faVors would
generally get their votes. There is another as
pect of this question which suppose could not
have been considered by your Alliance, and by
other Alliances in Texas and in the
Southern states. Our people cannot have for;
gotten the Tsig ravs 81 STn .ba borrors Of
what was called reconstruction. The minds OF
the people of the Northern states revolted at
this, and the result was large majority OF
Democrats in the representative branch Of the
Forty fourth congress. The Republican party
inaugur&ted and has sustained the class legiSla-
ton which has caused the sacrifice OF the inter
ests of agriculture OF which the Alliances and
others now complain, and from which they now
suffer. The Republicans know as well al We do
that there are only two chances Tor
their retention of political power. One is by
the influence and money OF the class interests,
corporations and trusts which have grown up
under their policy. The other Is by engender-
ing and keeping up sectional and war prelndices.
They have never been satisfied with their former
effort at reconstruction. They are now contem-
plating and preparing for renewal Of that
policy through laws which they propose to pass
to regulate congressional elections. Under the
proposed laws they intend to establish an army
Of Federal officers throughout the South, whose
chief merit in obtaining and retaining offices
will consist Of the extent to which they can
misrepresent aud prosecute the Southern peo-
Die. The policy Of these bills would, II en-
acted, give them another very large force Of
Republican officers and employees to aid in
fastening the chains Of despotism on our peo-
pie This would not be done by the one mana
ger. which it is proposed to elect in each
county, but by the corps of officers and en-
pIoyes which would ceTtsinly be provided for IL
anv such bill should become law.
ON the deposit in the warehouses by the far
mers OF their cotton, tobacco, wheat, corn,
oats, seeds and other farm products suitable for
storage - they are to obtain receipts showing
the quantity, grade and quality OF such farm
PRODUCTS and their value at current rates at
such locality at the date of deposit and express
ly stating the amount Of the insurance, weigh
ing, cleaning, Warehoasing and other charges
that win run against such farm products
while on depositb In these quotations
COW from one OF the bills, These receipts are
10 BE- nevotiGble by ENDORSEMENT. The holders
of sUch receipts ''shsll be entitled to receive
from the treasury OF the United States, in
treasury notes, eighty per centum OF the full
vaIue OF such receipts. " And these bills pro-
vide that ''the payment to him OF said notes
shall constitute = loan by the government OF the
United states, for which said products depos-
tied shall be security ThS farmer Is
to make the deposit Of his produces, obtain his
certificate and receive eighty per cent. OF the
value OF it in money. He viii not obtain this
money for The purpose OF keeping il eleven
months or less. and then add one per cent. in
terest and the charges on his produces for the
purpose OF redesming II and taking his produces
ont OF the warehouse. His necessities viii re-
duire him 20 get the eighty per cent OF the value
Of his produce to be used for other purposes.
And when that is spent he will be unable 70 re-