Evening star., 1895-07-19
General Master Workman Sovereign
Proposes a Boycott.
PEOPLE URGED TO REFUSE THEM
A Treasury Opinion That Such Boy.
colt Might Prove a Boomerang,
AND NOT HURT THE BANKS

nation from. HEADQUARTERS in this city call
ing upon all Knights Of Labor, Farmers
Alliance associations, reform clubs, silver
leagues and other organizations to inau-
gurate a boycott against national bank
notes, commencing September 1, 1895. by
refusing to accept them in payment. The
proclamation in full is as follows:
Behind the proposition to perpetuate
monetary system in this country based on
a single gold standard is a proposition to
perpetuate the national banks. In fact,
!; the national banks, in their individual ca
pacity and through the American Bankers
! Association, are the bulwarks of a single
gold standard money. They realize that
gold alone will not be accepted by the
American people as the only circulating
medium, and therefore they demand that
the monetary prerogatives of government
be farmed out to them, making private in
terests and not the public welfare the only
motive for furnishing paper circulation
to meet the requirements of business.
The national banks are responsible for
the destruction Of the greenbacks, the pay
ment or the bonds In coin, the funding
acts, the demonetization Of silver, and all
the corrupt financial legislation in this
country for the past thirty years. They
have boycotted and Disseminated against
every kind of money that promised relief
to the debtor class and prosperity to the
industrial masses. They are boycotters of
the most cruel and merciless kind.
Boycott Proposed.
Now We propose through the Knights OF
Labor. Farmers Alliance. peoples party
and all reform organizations, that a boy
colt be placed on the notes of national
banks, and that On and after September /,
1895. our people be requested and urged to
accept no national bank bills in any of the
ordinary transactions of business. Nation
al bank notes are legal tender between the
national government and the people and be-
tween the banks and the government but
not legal tender between individuals. They
are not legal tender for private debts,
wages or merchandise, nor any of the null
tifarious transactions that enter into busi-
ness intercourse between individuals, and
| 1t is generally agreed that If only oEe per-
son in a hundred boycotts these notes it
will make the work effective and depreci-
ate them, and force the banks into a hamil-
iating defense of their fiat money.
"A boycott Of this kind will agitate the
money question. test the sincerity of some
doubtful free silver advocates. and stick
dagger into the heart Of the money power,
in turn for the dagger it has stuck into the
hearts of the people. I am not entirely
| cold-blooded but believe in meeting the en-
emy on its own field. 1t may be argued
that the boycott nerein proposed will dis
turb business and make money scarcer
than it already is, and that during these
hard times people ought to accept any kind
this boycott Is against a soulless combine
that Is responsible for the scarcity of mon
ey. low wages and business depression.
To Precipitnte IA Conflict.
This boycott will precipitate the great
conflict. with the people on one side and
! the banks on the other. ard the issues will
be as sharply drawn as in the struggle of
Andrew Jackson with the old United States
Bank, sixty years ago. 1t will force the
corporations and every form of private
monopoly to take sides In the contest 1t
will force plutocratic press and foreign
money power to reveal the hidden hand Of
American politics. and establish an impass-
able barrier between the toiling masses of
America and the ShylockS and pensoned
lords of the world And if an attempt is
made to force national bank notes upon the
public, through such channel as they are
by law made a legal tender. we will estab-
lish redemption bureau and through ex-
isting laws force the Secretary Of the
Treasury to unload the locked-up green
backs for the benefit of the people.
1.-The struggle of 1896 must result in VIC
tory for the common people. or the hope Of
American liberty is lost and recovery I'M
possible through methods now sanctioned
by a law.
the combined foe Of two continents, against
the allied forces Of the plutocracy and tyr
amy throughout the world. and in the
light of recent events 1t must be the most
aggressive and offensive campaign ever
waged in this country. We can expect no
permanent relief without a struggle, and
therefore let us precipitate the conflict in
time and on lines that will expose the I'M
sound money of the sound money advo-
Gates. This can be most effectively done
by a national boycott on the unsound, un-
American, unconstitutional notes of the ma
tional bank.
ION and after September l. 1895, let every
knight of Labor and every person whose
love of justice is above the sordid interests
of the tyrantS refuse to accept national
bank notes III payment for wages, produce
or in payment Of any debt or obligation not
made necessary by the limited legal-tender
qualities of the notes.
Boycott the notes Of national banksv
''lSigne0 ]. r. SOVEREIGN.
General Master Workman"
Might Prove Boomerang.
At the Treasury Department it is said
that Mr.. Soveregn's plan, if carried out,
would prove more harmful than beneficial
to the labor interests of the country as it
would contract the. currency to the extent
of $211 100000 without injuring the nation
al banks.
at en.' said Mr.. o. P. Tucker, deputy con-
troller of the currency. today. IF people
should refuse to receive their notes the
United States treasury for redemption and
receive legal tender notes, which they
would continue to use in their business
The only effect VIC uld be to withdraw that
much money from circulation as repre-
fa6 hyy no mint 0fr r,,fn IaA,