The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1891-07-17

pass it. The Picker bill is obiectiona-
BILE because it discriminates against the
smaller and poorer counties where help
is most needed in favor Of the larger
and richer counties. II Madison County
has Subtreasury why should Perry,
Decatur, Hardin, McNairy, Benton,
Henderson, Chester, Henry and Carroll
each not have one 3?
If it were good measure | would not
be willing to confne it to one or two
counties in my district but would want
to give all an equal showing 1t is OBJ
jectionable because if the government
is going to extend help to those who
need it by loaning money on agricul-
turnl products and mortgages it should
begin with the laboTer on the farm the
tenant and the cropper who are com
PEELED to mortgage their growing crops
for the supplies necessary 10 enable
them TO create the wealth which lays
the groundwork for the prosperity Of
the whole country. 1t is Objectionable
because 1t is class legislation, and at
war with the fundamental principles OF
the government as laid down by Thomas
Jefferson, and promulgated by the
farmers in their resolutions at ST
Louis and Ocala, in which they declare
that they favor equal rights to all and
special privileges to none.S
10 make this measure square by that
declaration 1t would have to be amended
so as TO authorize any owner Of any
species of property, which would fur
nish equally good security for debt,
to turn it over to the government and
make the government take proper care
of it for one year, or shorter period,
and loan him so per cent of its value.
That would add thousands of articles TO
the list upon which money might be
borrowed, and would expand the bust
ness of the government until
FEDERAL OFFICIALS
would be as thick as shippers IN an ola
cheese and the government would be
about as rotten as the cheese. 1t Is not
necessary for me to repeat what have
said about class legislation l know 1T
is urged by some that we should adopt
this plan unless we can speedily repeal
the class legislation now In force.
That Is not sound argument. sick
man might with as much consistency
take poison because he IS respondent
about Immediately regRining perfect
health. If we stand by principle we
will not fail. We have been in the
wilderness a shorter time chan the
IsFaelites were, and they reached the
promised land. Every time they
turned from principle to worship colder
calves they lost the way, and protracted
their wanderings If our people
abandon principle and hunger after the
flesh pots of Egypt when we are in sigh
of the promised land, self-government
by the people will fail and plutocraoy
will build an empire ON the ruins Of the
republic. God made right the remedy
for wrong. Let us pursue 1t. The doc
trine that wrong rights wrong, or tina
two wrongs make right, will not bring
happiness to individuals or to nations
This measure is objectionable becsus,
it is not constitutional.
There is not word or line IN tht
Constitution which authorizes the gov
eminent to loan money to the people
and there is nothing In it from which
such power can be implied. We are tolC
that it has loaned money, and that Con
gress may do anything under "the gen
eral welfare" clause which the MAORI {,
may think would promote 'the genera
welfare" If that be true then the othel
provisions of the Constitution are mean
ingless and useless. We had the yer,
same argument when
THE BLAIR BILL BRIDE
was put forward to divide our peopl
and keep the Republican party in power
We have seen what hollow mOcker,
and shallow fraud that was. The Re
publican party no sooner had the powe
to pass it than they repudiated it 7
argue that the Republican party ha
loaned the public money, and therefor
it is constitutional, is false logic. If tina
, is true Congress has the right to ovel
1 turn the State government OF Massach,
5 sets and to drive her Legislature fror
: the State capital, because the Repul
: lican party did that In Louisiana.
that proposition Is true you can drive
/ four-horse wagon through every pr,
| vision of the Constitution and neve
1 touch it The Federal Government ht
f no money to loan. 1t puts stamp c
{ gold and silver which makes it none,
!. because the Constitution says Congress
G shall have the power ito coin money
1t issues legal tender treasury not,
which it redeems in gold and silver, b,
the gold and silver TO redeem them
the money of the people, collected b