People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-07-28
FROM 73 10 IS!
A Period Filled With Treach.
cry and Crime.
TWENTY YEARS OF PLUNDERING.
4 Brilliant Review Of Financial Legisla-
ton by General ]. B. Weaver,
TWENTY YEARS OF PLUNDERING.

Americas WOrkers-0ne of the Great
est Questions In Our ClviIization-"O
Liberty, What Crimes Are Committed In
Thy Name!"-The People Are Aroused
at Last.
Copyright, 1898. by American Press Associa-
ton.
The past 90 years have been full of ex-
pensive lessons to the American people.
The unnecessary sacrifice Of life and
The loss Of property to its rightful own
srs during this span Of years have ex-
eeeded many times the devastatiOns of
she late war, and the great wrong will
continue to af1ict its cruel scars on the
character Of our people for many gen.
srations. This pitiless scourge has fall
en-, too, in greatest fury upon that VIZ
zion Of our people who have been / =
estly striving to accumulate by prOduc-
ton, the noblest of all methods known
among men To fully understand the
present deplorable situation we should
look at a few antecedent facts which lie
beyond the period indicated in the cap
ton CT this article. Thirty years is but
span in the life of a nation, and good
or baleful influences planted in the field
Of national life barely find time in so
brief period to show their fruitage.
At the close of the war, 1865, the cir
eulating media of the United States were
in the hands of 25,OGO,OOO people in the
north We now have 6j,OOO,OOO to sup
ply and have less money in circulation
than we had at that time-that is to
say, the demand for money, reckOned by
our money using population alone, has
increased over $50 per cent since 1865,
while our stock Of money, as can be cas-
lily shown, has in fact decreased. The
inevitable results of inflated credit, an
enormous demand for money, with all
kinds Of property at zero and drug in
the market, are now visible to all eyes.
To add to the delirium Of the situation,
part of our money, gold, is leaving our
shores, as it always does in emergencies,
while an imbecile and recreant admins
sration is doing its utmost to force the
country to use but one kind of money,
and that the kind which we cannot get.
PARALLELS
The secretary of the treasury, Hugh
hcCulloch, in his official report made to
congress Dec. 4, 1865, made an urgent
appeal for authority to contract the cur
sency, which he declared to be so redun-
dantaS to foster idleness and unduly slim
ulate speculation. Unmindful of the i'm
portant fact that ten millions of money
less people had just been added to our
population in a single day by the return
Of the southern states, congress passed
she act of April 10, 1866, which author
Hed the secretary to issue bonds in ex-
change for United States notes, whether
bearing interest or not. and to retire the
notes. The secretary entered at once
upon the murderous work of destroying
our money, and hundreds of millions Of
it were committed to the flames. Mean
ime great share Of that which escaped
she treasury bonfres was called for in
the south to rebuild the fortunes of that
afflicted section.
Stringency ensued, of course, but the
secretary and his home and foreign ad-
Visers were inexorable, and so the work
Of cremation went on. Business and in
Sustrial circles were unmindful and ig-
aOrant Of what was taking place. They
knew that money was growing shy, but
Shey did not stop to look for the cause,
but pushed ahead, believing that the
zgor was OF no consequence and would
sOon disappear. Six years Of disap-
eOintmentpassed, and congress convened
in December, 1872. On the 18th day
az February, 1878, the act was passed
which struck down the standard silver
dollar and forbade its coinage. It was
known to money circles that the silver
mines in the west were rich in ore, and
the purpose Of this act, passed by
stealth. was to strike silver from the
money metals. keep the circulating
media scarce and thus enhance the value
at gold.
Inflated private credit soon ran its
course, and in October, 1878, the panic
sroke upon the country like a roaring
sea which had strayed from its barriers.
eer six years it struck every part of the
sentiment and submerged all lines Of
business. The men who brought it on,
having copied from the British prece-
Dent knew exactly what was coming
and were doggedly persistent in carry
ing it out. Contraction had been deter
mined upon, and contraction they would
have though the whole country be swal-
bowed up in ruin. With the panic still
aagrant, the country filled with tramps
and millions Of men suffering from en-.
sbrced idleness, the so called resumption
act Of Jan. IA, 1875, was passed, which
provided for retiring the whole volume
q greenbacks then outstanding.
To allay apprehensions the peoplewere
sold that the national banks would in.
srease their circulating notes and thus
help than out. But public sentiment
goaded into fury rose to such a pitch Of
indignation that congress was forced to
pass the act Of Feb. 9S, 1878, known
as the Bland law. which provided fol
me purchase and coinage into standard
silver dollars of not less than s., 0OO, 00C
aor more than 81 900, 900 worth of bull
ion per month. This vas followed BY
me act of May 81. 1878, forbidding the
h1rther destruction of greenbacks. Here