Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-11-01

body, that although the notes are de
clared TO be lawful money and legal
tender in payment of debts yet there
is something of higher rdtue 10
pm pccuiidr ci1SS Of creditors -
kind of absurdity aud DISQUALIFICATION
which does not appear well on the lace
of the bill 1t is an unjust Discrimination
which does not appear rel nor, and 'cW
not loOk iceH in histOry. You will, If the
Senate's amendment is adopted, depre-
cidte by yOur o,cR acts yDW o,rR bonds ana
notes, aud eflectually destroy the symne-
try and harmonious workings of the
whole plan"
1t is said that Mr.. Spaulding indig-
nantly protested that this alteration, by
the senate, of the bill, AS it passed the
house, would double the expenses of the
war.
Gordon Clark in his work entitled
"Shylock as Banker, B0udholder, Cor
ruptionist. Conspirator" published by
the bmetallio League, Washington' ID.
c., aud to which we are Indebted for
condensed information on this subject,
thus writes:
Shylock's delegation of bankers and
] DTOktTS really tue IlOSl utflllNh VI
all traitors to their country in 1861 and
1869 were what their meek dupes have
been taught to call "hOnorable gentle
men" rhey belonged to the "higher
classes" 1t was very unfortunate they
aid. Had they been A DELEGATION OF
BURGLARS, with "jimmies' sticking out
of every pocket, they never could have
had the demOnic impudence 10 pres
their propositions. When their intrigue'
assumed form, and passed the Senate, As
what Thaddpus Stevens termed 'he
onleRdcd JU' Of SHE 1SSocidted BaHkS,
his blood boiled with righteous indigna-
zion.
WAS there ever" he exclaimed "a
more convenient cOtrivance got up. INTO
which blInd mice run, To catch them
Was ever before such machine got up
for swindling the government, aud max
ing the fortunes of the gOld-bulloniSts III
one single year."
1t was simply plot, by which the law
makers of the United States. Instead of
uphodiug the unlimited credit of the
government, should be procured to kHoct
il dOWH trOm tOUg ~ Strty per- rent. taxing
the vast difference out OF the people. aud
turning it over to the delegation them
selves. with the wealthy classes for
whom they we're Scheming. but whose
property the masses we're .fgLiipg and dg-
ing ~ SNSt1iD 0id Sdcc.*
In the 80 laws relating to L. :. notes,
or greenbaclls. the influence of the money
power is constantly visible The act of
Feb. p, 1852, authorizing their lirsti issue.
was introduced into the House Of
Representatives, by the committee Of
D Of ,tsl,f .lt lauH
deus Stevens then of PENNSYLVANIA.
but formerly Of Vermont was chairman,
Mr.. Stevens was known during his
course in Congress "a the great Common
the great honest men of the world. The
bill as introduced made these notes law
full money and legal tender for all pur-
poses aud passed the house 10y vote
of % to 20. Mr.. Stevens in concluding his
speech in the house of representatives
said:
The committee of Ways and Means
have labored in the preparation of this
measure to the hest of their poor ablli-
ties. We are not infallible We do not
come near it. am but poorly qualified
! LOT ANY llllHG VI lilS hllus Dul VIZ IlhNt
given it our most anxious consideration.
and have consulted those whom we
believed to be the best qualified to advise
US. So far ~ am concerned.
shall not attempt any other scheme.
We believe that the credit of the
country will be sustained by it. that
under it AL classes will be paid in money
which all classes can USE, and that it
will confer no advantage on the capital
list over the poor laboring man. If this
bill shall pass. shall hail it ds the most
auspicious measure of this Congress; if
it shall fail, the result Will be more de-
pIorable than any disaster which could
bctall us
When the bill came to the senate 1t
was amended to read And such notes
herein authorized shall be receivable in
payment of all taxes, internal duties,
excuses, debts and demands of every
kind due to the United States, except
duties on imports and of claims and de-
mands against the United States, of ev-
cry kind whatsoever, except for interest
upon bonds and notes, which shall be
paid in coin. and shall also be IA lawful
money and legal tender in the payment
of all debts. public and private, within
the United States, except duties on i'm
ports and interest as aforesaid" The
exception, as will be seen, made the in
terest of all bonds and notes payable
in coin.
This amendment by the senate was in
the interest of the banking and wealthy
classes, ana it goes with out asking, that
the cause of ii was the Importantly, how
ever expressed. of these classes. While
the young men of the nation by the
hundreds of thousands, were giving or
risking their lives, fighting for its eXis-
tence, these money lenders were indus
triously ushg this opportunity of the ma
tons need to accumulate wealth, utterly
regardless of honor or right. They
~Thele were many ana glorious exceptions
to these bank bandits. stevens and Spauld-
1ssffa