The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1893-09-07

rom ktis very spot where the con
ference was held the rebel flag could
he seen floating ia the brreze on the
| Virginia hills,
In that dire emergency. when ia,
| life of the nation was trembling In
the balance. these Men OF None,
tnrned upon their heels. snapped
their fingers in the face of the gov,
eminent aud left it 10 its fate.
We can no better express our de.
testatIon of them than To say that "A,
between them and the men who wore
the rebel gray; between them and
the men who stood beneath the rebe
| flag, we have infinitely more respect
for the latter than the former. The
latter met Us like brave men; th.
former deserted Us like sueaks and
towards.
Then the Greenback child was
born The Money of the Nation
mat money" they sneeringly call IL
now-came 10 the relief of the gov,
crnmtnt.
It was issued and paid to the old
solt l-rs.
Farmers accepted greenback mon
ey for the products Of their labor.
The people took it without hesita-
ton. 1t was honored by every
patriot in the land.
AT the same time the government
began to issue bonds.
BY skillful manipulation the Mon
ey Mongers persuaded Congress
tthat branch known as the House OF
Lords TO make the interest on the
bonds payable in coin-and to make
import duties payable in coin.
In this manner they forced a pre-
MUM npon coin which they con
trolled.
When the premium was forced to
point where it was profitable to sell
their boarded coin and invest IA gov.
ernm. mt bonds they did so.
(Read the report of Secretaries
Chase and Fessenden upon the sub.
Ject.)
BY thus forcing coin to premiu Il m
they purchased two thousand million
dollars in bonds with less than four
teen hundred million dollars,
More than SIX hundred million dol
lars, did they compel the govern
ment to stand in the shape of "A dis.
count.
This is IS per cent as much as has
been paid in pensions since the close
OF the war-ln spite of all the howl
about pensions!
This is almost as much as Germany
eXtorted from France at the point OF
the bayonet in 1871.
This is more than was paid TO the
rank and file of the whole army dur.
ing the entire four years Of our war.
You say it was robbery. But
withhold your anathemas-for the
worst is not yet told.
These bonds were originally pay
able in greenbacks. After the wal
was over the holders thereof-the
same men who had thus wickedly
traffic ked in the hopes and fears OF
the nation-procured the passage
of law making the bonds payable
in coin instead of greenbacks.
Then they got them refunded into
long time bonds exempt from tax
alton
Then they caused silver to be de
monetized, leaving gold the only coir
money. Thus the bonds were to bt
paid exclusively in gold.
Then came the resumption act
to retire the greenbacks. contract tn,
currency and esta blish a gold basi is
| Perpetual Debt and the Gold Basis
Such was the purpose of the Bono
Robbers!
After thirty years what do we see
Let us count the cost.
About 5000. 900. 900 of gold inter
est paid-on a debt that cost tn
holder about 60 cents on the dollar
Nearly $4,000, 900. 900 of gold prin
cipal paid.
In all, nearly $1,000, ,OO0, 200 il
gold paid
And yet there is about 500, ,OOO,.
900 Of the debt left.
And yet the amount of debt ha
been reduced from =, GOO, 200. 900 il
1866 10 800, 900, 200, that which re
mains-If measured in the produc
of labor-is nearly twice as great a
it was originally.
After paying So, 900, 900, 900 princi
pal and interest, in thirty years ou
debt has really been increased.
Here are the salient points in thi
bond history-a history which ough
to make every American blush wit
shame.
Today with brazen effroptery thes
Infamous bond robbers step to tn
front and pose as patriotic benefac
tors of the nation.
The old soldier is pushed to tn
rear.
The cut-throat bond-purchaser i
crowded to the front.
The man who laid his life upon th
altar of his country is forgotten.
The man who speculated off tn
necessities Of the Republic is ap
plauded and rewarded.
What should be done with thes
bonds!
| Should the public listen for mo
| menI 10 tue lmpuuenI demand o
these heartless Shylocks that thei
bonds be paid exclusively in gold
| Does Justice and Equity deman'
even another dollar of payment
Should not the whole debt be a
once wiped out of existenee-an
the people be declared free from tn
cause of an untaxed national debt
In 1863 tnis great nation had tn
courage TO wipe cut of existence tn
divine right" by which three millio
black slaves were held in bondage
. IL it could wipe out slave holder
claim. can it not wipe out a bono
holders claim.
Is white labor less sacred tha
black labors
Is it any worse TO take the product
of mans labor under the lash of
whip than it is to extort it throug
. the process of taxation.
Black slavery was Robbery