The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-05-12
SOUND DEMOCRATIC DOCTRINE.
A Convincing Statement az to the PolIti-
cal Parties-the Only hope for the South
Is Democracy.

cal Parties-the Only Hope for the South
Is Democracy.
In response to letter asking for his
views upon the political situation, Gen.
John B. Gordon has written at length for
The benefit of the farmers of Georgia. by
whom he was elected to the United
States Senate two years ago. The letter
is too long for our columns, and we will
omit the introduction altogether, so as to
give the main points:
THE GRIEVANCES OF THE FARMERS. . .
One of the most serious complaints is
against the National Banking system,
against its partiality and its incompeten.
cy to furnish a sufficient and low rate
circulating medium. Who imposed this
System upon the country? The answer
is, a Republican House, 9 Republican
Senate and q Republican President, and
in doing this they destroyed your State
banking system. cannot pass this point
without briefly contrasting the two sys-
TENS.
Under the national banking law one
thousand dollars of gold will not pay for
one-thousand dollar bond on which to
issue bills, and, therefore, each thousand
dollars of gold under this system would
furnish less than one thousand dollars for
circulation; whereas, under the State
banking system each thousand dollars Of
gold furnished the basis for $4,000 in
bills, or more thar three times as much
money for circulation as is possible under
the national banking law.
Again. With the national banks, your
land is not regarded as security. Under
State banking, real estate was one of the
best of securities. ssssAs
A second complaint is that the coun-
try's currency is concentrated largely at
certain seasons on Wall street and ir the
money centres. This was impossible un.
der the State banking system, because the
currency was local and largely confined
to the limits Of the State; but it answer
ed all the purposes for which the people
needed money.
will NOT stop now to show, by further
argument, how the national banking sya.
tenn necessarily contracts instead of in
creasing the currency, nor how 1t taxes
the people to pay the interest upon the
bonds on which the system rests. 1t Is
enough for my present purpose to fix up.
on q Republican Congress and President
the responsibility for that system and for
the destruction of the State banks.
A third and general complaint is that
silver has been demonetized. Who is re.
sponsible for this? Who struck down,
this class of dollars and dishonored q
currency which had successfully main
tanned its position in this country for
three-quarters of acentury? The answer
again is that this outrage was consumma.
ted by Republican House, Senate and
President.
A fourth wrong of which ne complain
is the needless and cruel contraction Of
the greenback currency in the mad and
untimely efforts to force specie payments
by too rapid strides.
Who is responsible for this great wrong
upon the debtor class and upon the
masses of the peoplef Who controlled
the government and established the poll
cy of rapid contraction, by which gener-
81 and abounding prosperity was sudden.
" changed to universal panic and
widespread ruin9 The same answer 10
the true answer-a Republican House,
a Republican Senate, a Republican Pres.
ident.
A fifth and most just murmur of dis
content comes from farmers, producers
and intelligent laborers. because of the
unjust and discriminating protective tar
if, which, like legalised theft, Is enrich.
ing one class of citizens at the expense
of other classes. Why is it that the
righteous demands of the Farmers' Alli-
auce and of other industrial organizations
for the reform of these iniquitous tariff
laws have not been needed at Washing
ton tt is because the ears Of Republi-
can lawmakers have been deaf to these
appeals for relief. 1t is because the eff
tects of tariff retormers in one branch of
the Congress have been defeated by high
Republican officials in other branches of
the government. If there be any answer
to this allegation let the objector demon
strate its untruth.
A sixth cause of discomfort is the stu
pendous national land grants and subsi-
dies which have enriched gigantic corpo.
rations and encouraged extravaganza and
corruption in high places at Washington.
The sole responsibility for this policy also
is upon Republican House, Senate and
President.
A seventh complaint is that while eve.
ry item of property belonging to the far.
mer and the laborer is subjected to taxa-
tion, there is no tax, graduated or other
wise, upon the princely income of the
| rich, who are most able to pay and who
| receive a larger share of governmental
protection without bearing just portion
of the governments burdens. Where
| rests the responsibility for this condition
of affairs? Again the answer is that
| tax upon the incomes was once imposed,
but the law has been repealed by the ac-
ton of a Republican House, Republi-
can Senate and Republican President.
Another outcry is made by the farmers
and the Industrial classes against the
needless accumulation and the extra7a-
gant expenditures by the government.
Who are the authors of this monstrous
imposition upon the country's toilers and
nrodncers9 Apain the answer comes