The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-02-28


these bonds, on an average of not
more than sixty cents on the dollar, to
now propose to make new. contract
for the benefit of the bond holder"
Hon. Thad. Stevens, in speaking of
the insatiate demands of the money
bond interest said:
''We we're foolish enough to grant
gold interest, and now they unblush-
ingly demand further advantages;
the truth is, we can never satisfy
their appetite for money"
And one his death bed, said:
Yes, we had to yield. The Senate
was stubborn. We did not. however,
until we found the country must be
lost or the bankers gratified. And
we have sought to save the country in
spite of the cupidity of it's wealthier
citizens.
Ben Wade, of Ohio, in aletter writ
ten at Washington, Dec. -, 1867, ex-
pressed himself as follows:
am for the laboring portion of our
people, the rich will take care of them
selves. We never agreed
to pay the five-twenties in gold; no
man can find it in the bond; and |
will never consent to have one pay
ment for the bond holder and another
for the people. twill sink any party
and it ought to.
Inregard to this policy, John Sher-
man, in speech delivered Feb. q,
1867, said:
sag that equality and Justice are amply
satisfied If zoe redeem these bonds at the end
Of tve gears IN the same kind of aaoney,ot
the same intrinsic Udl,te 1t bore at the time
they acre issued. Gentlemen may
reason about this matter over and
over again, and they cannot come to
any other conclusion: at least that
has been my conclusion after the
mostcareful consideration. Senators
are sometimes in the habit, in order
todefeat the argument of an antagon-
ist. of saying that this is reputation.
Why, sirS, every citizen of the United
States has cOnformed his business to
the legal tender clause. He has COL
lected and paid his debts accordingly.
And in letter dated Feb. 20, 1868,
he said:
Your idea that we propose to violate
or repudiate a promise when we
redeem the principal in legal tenders
is erroneous. think the bond holder
violates his promise when he refuses
to take the same kind of money he
paid for the bonds.
The bond holder can demand only
the kind of money he paid, and he is
1epudidtOr and eTtO1tiOner to demand
money more valuable than he gave.
John Sherman, at that time, was
comparatively poor man and, no
doubt an honest man, his appetite
for pelf had not yet been awakened,
or at least, to that degree which per-
mitted him to sacrifice honor in it's
getting.
In 1875 John Sherman said," We
are following in the footsteps of Eng
land" and no one knew better than
he the scheme that had brought us
to that deplOrable condition. In
1879 this same John Sherman, then
a millionaire, in speech made in
Toledo, said that "To refuse to pay
the bonds in gold would be repudia
tion and extortion, and would be
soothing at the blessings of Almighty
God" Think of it! A man be-
coming millionaire, out of a S. 900
salary, and then talk as though he
had anything to do with Almighty
God! But as John Sherman grew
rich, the country grew poor; mer-
chants were driven to bankruptcy,
farmers were driven into debt, and
finally off their farms. Workmen
were driven out of employment, and
tramps thronged the highways. Des-
pair and ruin sat enthroned in the
hearts and homes of this great peo-
pie
The above let it be remembered, is
testimony from leading republicans
of that time, but who, upon the cleo
tion of Grant to the presidency. Ell
Their sealed their lips upon the sub
ject, or, like Sherman, openly and
shamelessy advocated the abominable
Swindle.
Here let me add, that when the
bill passed, legalizing the gigantic
robbery, there we're 1S9 bankers, and
many bond holders in the two houses,
while as lobbyists and agents of heavy
bond holders there was an army of
woakers and feed attorneys, all work
ing for the passage of that atrocious
bill, while honest industry was power
leSsin self-defence. One shudders to
think of these vandals in the temple
of liberty. They desecrated the
sanctuary of our fathers, and des-
poiled the heritage of our children.
The blood curdles to think of
Washington and that fratricidal
conspirator at the head of the same
government
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