Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-03-10
at all these people. Looking is cheap
and there is no law against it.

at all these people. Looking is cheap
and there is no law against it.
Then we would proceed to proceed.
How Well, very slowly and very
obviously at first. Still we would
proceed. We would tackle our domi
nant idea first, and not a word would
be said about Prohibit )n. Instead,
we would lay down something like
this
The LIQUOR traffic has arrayed itself
in open hostility to American institu-
tions, and has become foe to civil
liberty. Public interest demands that
it be treated as such, since it has shown
itself amenable to none of the regula-
tions by which long enduring people
have striven to render it's presence toll
erable. Congress should suppress the
expectation and importation of alcohol
ic liquors, the sale and the manufact-
ure for sale for other than medicinal
and mechanical purposes in the Dis
trict of Columbia and the territories,
and. so far as practicable, the inter
state commerce in such liquors, especi-
ally between States licensing and those
prohibiting the traffic. We favor, also,
the repeal of the internal revenue tax
on liquors.
That would be as far as Congress
could, under the Federal Constitution,
go. But give us party that stood,
nationally, on such a basis and you
would soon see where the logic of
events carried it in the several States.
Then we would tackle the financial
issue. We would ponder over sever
al things long and we'll. We would
consider, first, the fact that the pro-
duction of gold has been practically
at standstill for the last 20 years,
while commerce and it's demands for
currency have rapidly increased. To
let the business of the world rest on
gold basis is like trying to balance a
growing pyramid Oh its small end.
We would consider, second, the fact
that the worst material curse that can
strike a nation, worse than the tramp
of foreign and victorious army, is a
currency that fails to command COM
mercial confidence. We would con-
slider, third, the fact, as admitted by
John Sherman in his speech in the
Senate last January, in the following
words:
Now, Mr. President, l am not lover
of money made only of metal. be-
lieve the best money that has ever been
devised by man is the money of the
United States United States notes.
Treasury notes. issued under the law of
last session and the laws in existence
before. gold certificates, silver certiti-
Gates. That is the kind of money that
will always circulate. Our people will
not circulate either gold or silver. You
cannot get them to do it. You
give them paper money based upon
Silver and gold, based upon solid value
and supported by the credit of the
Government of the United States, you
give them United States notes with an
| ample reserve to meet any possible con
tingency. with the credit of the United
States back behind it, as it is now be
hind United States notes, and then you
will have the best money in the world.
What is wanted is ''the best money
in the world" and plenty of it to an
swer the demands of increasing com
merce and industry. If 100000, OO'
; worth of gold bullion, in the Unitet
States Treasury, is "ample reserve
] to give us 1850, 1000, 900 of "the bes
money in the world"-United State
: notes. we fail to see why five time
!. that amount of gold bullion is no
S ample reserve for 81 800 100000 o
United States notes, not CHASED
, on gold, but based on tn
7 credit of the Government, and re
t deemable, not in gold coin, but in gol
: bullion. Considering these facts W
would lay down something like this
The issuing of National currenc
belongs to the sovereign power alone
,, and must not be delegated to privat
! individuals or corporations. We favo
! the issue of legal-tender Treasur:
, not es, to the extent of $50 per capu'
! which shall be redeemable in gold o
3 silver bullion. at the option of tn,
4 Government, due regard being had t.
: maintain these two metals at a parit.
| on the present legal ratio, and sucl
. notes being issued directly by tn
{ Government, in payment of its obliga
, tions.
, Such a policy would accomplish
number of things: o. it would give
us "the best money in the world,
and plenty of it; (2) it would put al
end to national banks as banks o
/ issue (3) it would stop the coinage o
, gold and silver, since "our people viii
not circulate" either of them it would
treat them both alike, and restrict
their use, practically. but not cOmpul
sorily, to the payment of commercial
balances with other nations. 1t woult
accomplish another thing-a very i'm
portant thing, too, after the income o
about 800, 900, 900 from the interna
revenue tax on liquors had been re
pealed. 1t would pay much more thai
that amount of yearly obligations o
the Government in the United State
notes without the need of additiona
= taxation elsewhere. The two plank
therefore would dovetail nicely.
Then we would assail the tarif
: question and we would keep in mine
these things: ~ that, rightly o
. wrongly, large proportion of on
!, present industrial system has beel