The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-03-18
LESSON FROM HISTORY.

The Teachings Of the Fathers.-What Jeffer-
son. jackson. Benton. Calhoun. Etc.. Had to
{, Say on the Banks.-A Strong Letter.
Editor Representative.
v In the issues of our dailies of the 18th
ultimo, a glaring account was given of
our secretary of the treasury's visit to
New York, to a banquet by the Manhat-
tan club, a swell society affair. The
circumstance brought to the writer's
mind an incident in ancient Greek his
tory. There was trouble between Mace
donia and Athens. The Athenians in
the course of the business sent ambas-
sailors to King Phillip of Macedonia.
History says THE king Toasted them
and gave them magnificent presents; he
also granted them several audiences; and
influenced their minds SO greatly that
they were ready to do whatever he
pleased" The outcome of this course of
conduct was, that partly by cajOlry and
partly by force Philip became master of
all Greece and in a short time the glory
OF ancient Greece in arms, and wealth
and power became a thing of the past.
The people of the United States pay
financial affairs, and he should be the
watchdog of their monetary interests.
But here is the peoples watchdog in
weighed into the palace of the enemy,
where he is Toasted and petted, and with
his belly full of the best viands that earth
can afford, instead of barking for his
master the American people, he barks
loudly, land of course with great ap-
plause) for set of thieves, (some of
whom no doubt were present. who re-
Gently robbed his master of S11,000000
at one haul, besides other millions in
similar deals. And he does this in the
name of Democracy! Shades of Jeffer-
son, Jackson, Madison and Benton! How
is the glorious old party fallen, when
such traitors stand at the helm of the
ship of state. Read the traitors own
words, uttered in the House Of Represent
.atives in 1878 when the Bland bill was
under consideration. He said:
Il know that the worlds stock of pre-
cious metals is none too large, and see
no reason to apprehend that it ever will
be so. Mankind will be fortunate in
deed If the annual production of gold and
silver shall keep pace with the annual
increase of population and industry. Ac-
cording to my views of the subject the
conspiracy which seems to have been
formed here and in Europe to destroy,
by legislation, and otherwise, from three
sevenths to one-half the metallic money
of the world is the most gigantic crime
of this or any other age. The consum-
nation of such scheme would ultimate
ly entail more misery upon the human
race than all the wars, pestilences and
famines that ever occurred in the his
tory of the world
This is genuine Democratic doctrine,
and worthy place beside the utterances
of the Democratic fathers. Yet this man
now consorts with the despoilers of his
country's money; advocates the gold
standard of Great Britain the destruc-
ton of silver as full legal tender, also the
destruction of all government paper
money, Tin opposition to the fundamental
doctrines of Democracy, and he also ad-
vocates the cause of national banks,
which the fathers declared were great
er menace to country than standing
army. l will now quote from the Demo-
cratic platform of 1910, plank 6, which
was in all the earlier Democratic plat
forms:
Resolved, That congress has no power
to charter a United States bank; that we
believe such an institution one of deadly
hostility to the best interests of the coun-
try; dangerous to our republican institu-
tons, and the liberties of the people, and
calculated to place the business of the
country within the control of a concen-
trated money power, and above the laws
and will of the people"
Now let us see what the fathers of
Democracy had to say, for you can never
find any purer water in a stream than at
q In 1ott To Il
ans, Jefferson says: II have opposed
money of banks; not OF those discount
ing for cash. but of those foisting their
own paper in circulation and thus ban
ishing our cash. My zeal against these
institutions was so warm and open at the
establishment of the Bank of the United
States that was derided as maniac by
the tribe of bankmOngers, who were
seeking to fitch from the public, thus
swindling on barren gains"
In letter to Albert Gallatin, Jefferson
says:
eve are undone, My Dear Sir, # this
banking mania be not suppressed. Put
down the banks, and if this country could
not be carried through the longest war
against her most powerful enemy without
ever knowing the want Of dollar, with
out dependence on the traitorous class Of
her citizens, without bearing hard on the
resources of the people and leaving the
public with an indefinite burden of debt,
know nothing of the people,
How true this was during the war of
the rebellion, when the people conquered
with the greenback in spite of the rObber-
les by the national banks, and Cleveland
and Carlisle, now want the remnant de-
stroyed so as to give our whole circula-
ton into the hands of the bankers
again quote from Jefferson:
Bank paper must be suppressed and
the circulating medium must be restored
to the nation to whom it belongs"
now quote Jackson (Message of Dec.
2. '3N:
circumstances make It my duty to call
the attention of congress to the bank of
the United States. Created for the con-
venience of the government, that institu-
ton has become the scourge of the peo-
pie" Again: THE question is distinctly
presented whether the people of the Unit
ed States are to govern through represen-
tatives chosen by their unbiased suffrages
OF whether the power and money of a
great corporation are to be secretly exert
ed to influence their judgment and control
their decisions. 1t must now be determ-
ined whether the bank is to have its can
d:dates for all offices in the country from
the highest to the lowest, or whether can
didates on both SIDES of political questions
SHALL be brought forward as heretofore and
supported by the usual means"
In his message of Dec. 3, '33, Jackson