The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-04-15
MODERN DEMOCRACY
AND JEFFERSON.
HOW THE GREAT MAN rs MIS-.
REPRESENTED.
A MOST ASTOUNDING PIECE OF BUSINESS

~ 10 ignorance or effrontery, but the
ola party editors put forth the most
ridiculous and fragrant falsifcations,
as If all men had ceased to read or
think.
We find an illustration of this in
recent issue Of the ST. Paul Globe, the
Democratic organ of Minnesota. The
writer, probably our old friend, the
salacious and goatish Pyles, says:
The National Association of Demo-
cratic Clubs proposes to observe the
birthday of the father of Democracy
In America by visit to Monticello. A
circular states that the president and
cabinet, Democratic senators and rep
resentatives, and many distinguished
Democrats in the nation have been
In vited to take part in the excursion,
an "a feature of the occasion will be
an address by ex-Gov. William E. Rus
sell, responded to by Senator Daniel
AL organizations affiliated with the
national association are urged ito i'm
prove the opportunity by general re-
currence to those sacred doctrines
taught by the founder, in some COM
mon and solemn celebration of the
birthday Of Thomas Jefferson, thus re-
newing their faith and demonstrating
their devotion to the fundamental
principles of our party"
We hope that every Democratic sem
ator and representative, wearing the
badge Of that party, will accept the
invitation to go on this excursion
We hope that Mr.. Russell will present
to them in his address some Jefferso-
MAN principles of government. Just
now, and for the past three years,
such instruction has been sadly need
ed. Standing in one of the corridors
of the hall Of Congress is heroic
statue of Jefferson. Could the in
SenSate stone be made animate with
the soul of the great Democrat, one
can imagine the statue striding in
indignation into the senate when the
five Judas IScariotS'' were throttling
Democracy, "blighting the councils of
the brave" and arraigning them for
their recreancy. One can imagine
him appearing in the House or Senate
at almost any session in recent years
and reminding men who called them
selves Democrats that the legal ratio
OF coinage must conform to the COM
mercial ratio, if it would be Demo-
cratic and right.
And all over the land are Democrats
who know not Jefferson, who may not
know Hamilton, but who hold the lat
tcr's concept of governments; men who
believe that the mere fiat of Con-
greSs can create values: others who
believe that government can make
money" others who regard it as a
great dispensary Of panaceas for every
social, financial or industrial ill, in
stead of mainly police force, charged
with seeing that each individual have
and enjoy the largest liberty consistent
with the right Of others to an equal
enjoyment.
This is simply villainous. 1t is hon
oring Jefferson by denouncing every
principle to which his life was conse-
Grated
1t attacks government paper money
by declaring, in the name Of Jefferson,
that the nation has not the right to
make" money, implying that money
must be gold or silver or bank notes,
issued by private parties. And yet
Jefferson said, in letter dated Sept.
IL. 1873
"BdnE paper must be suppressed, and
the circulating medium must be restored
TO the nation to achOna 1t belongs. 1t is
the only fund on which they can rely
for loans; it is the only resourse that
can never fail them, and it is an
abundant one for every necessary pur-
pose. Treasury bills bottoned on toTes, as
may be found necessary, thrown into
circulation, will take the place of so
much gold and silver"
This is plain and unequivocal dec
laration in favor of that which is now
the Populist platform. We ask that
'bank paper be suppressed" and
treasury notes or greenbacks be is
sued for every necessary purpose.
In his letter to John w. Epps, dated
June "a, 1918, Mr.. Jefferson, (see Jeffer-
sons Works, Vol. 6, pages 139, 14U,
said
''And so the nation may continue
to issue its bills as far as its wants re-
quire and the limits of its circula tion
will admit. But this, the on
ly resource which the government
could command with certainty, the
states have, unfortunately, fooled
away, nay corruptly dHen0ted to s,ci,a-
dlers and sharers, Moder the cOuer of prirdte
banks"
And now the Globe, organ of the
''swindlers and shavers," Christian
and Hebraic, drags the immortal au-
thor of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence out of his hallowed grave. and
sets him up as the defender of pluto
Gratis and robbers.
But Jeffersons continues:
''In the war of ITS our state, (Vir-
ginia), availed itself of this fund by
issuing paper money. bottOmed on a
specific tax for its redemption. and to
insure its credit, bearing an interest
of five per cent. Within a very short
time not bill Of this emission was to
be found in circula tion. 1t was lock-
ed up in the chests of executors,
guardians, widows, farmers. etc. We
then issued bills bOttomed on a re-
deeming tax, but bearing no interest.
These were readily received and never
deprecated a single farthing"
And now the Globe tells us that a
government cannot make money!!
And yet the colony of Virginia, more
than a hundred years ago. could
"make" it! What half million peo-
pie could do, seventy million people
can not do.
The Globe is now fighting the bat
tie OF the national banks in the name
of Thomas jefferson. Let the great
patriot speak for himself. On Jany
"a, 1914, he wrote to President Adams: