Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-07-09

crease of burdens, along with this de-
crease of the means of bearing them, to
any others than those who already pos
sess wealth and have the control of
money, is a problem that will be solved
very quickly by the ruin of all who must
labor for a living IL the decree of the ST.
Louis convention is adopted as our ma
tional policy. This harsh decree of the
st. Louis convention can have no sup
port, either in whole or in part, from any
true democrat. 1t Is the restoration of
European feudalism, and it's application
to our people is a form that means the
destruction of the independence of the
industrial classes in this country and the
enslavement of their posterity. In the
one case the capitalists and corporations
that are protected in the profit of their
exclusive privileges by the Mckinley
plan of taxation will necessarily control
the labor and the wages of every COM
petent mechanic and operative in the
country. They can no more throw off
this servitude than the feudatories-
servants-of the ancient baronS of Eu-
rope could escape fro~r the masters that
held them to service. In the other case
the holders of our non-taxable bonds
have mortgage upon the people that
will eat up the products of our industry
year by year as certainly as the old Eu-
ropean barons devoured the productions
of their feudatories. In both cases 1t is
only a fight between the wolf and the
lamb.
In Europe and America all who have
capital in large sums are eager to invest
1t in non-taXab1e bonds This motive,
with the inducement and effect of it, Is
the same that gave rise to the feudal
system that Napoleon destroyed in Eu-
rope and that we thought our constitu-
ton had destroyed here. The property in
which the investment is now made is ma
tional indebtedness instead of lands. To
prevent the industry and frugality of the
laboring classes from breaking these
chains and escaping into freedom 1t is
obviously necessary that they should be
restrained from accommodating money in
large sums, and this is the key to- the
feudal system. Such denominations
would cause them to aspire to rivalry in
the control of financial affairs, and even
to social recognition, both of which are
placed under the ban. of that system.
To secure this repression no other plan
can be so certain in its effects upon the
great body of the people as that which
confines the full legal tender power to
coins of gold and makes them the sole
money of redemption-the solvents of all
obligations The scarcity of debt-paying
money thus brought about Is the one re-
suit that most certainly secures the con-
dition of servitude that wealth fixes upon
industry.
This is all so we'll understood that there
can be no surprise at finding that those
who have wealth, and their >retainers,
are in favor of what is called "the single
gold standard" and that the industrial
classes are opposed to that tyrannfcal
system of finance.
The toilers on land and sea demand the
full use of silver equally with gold as
precious money metal, as their only nope
of escape from this recent revival in
America of the servitudes and repress-
ions of the old feudal system of Europe
The St Louis convention has sided with
the lordly monopolists of gold, OF boun-
ties, of subsidies and of bonds, and has
decreed that the poor shall be poorer and
the rich shall grow richer, according to
the European plan. If that decree is con-
firmed by the votes of the people their
ruin cannot long be delayed, and If the
present condition Is not relieved their
ruin is already assured.
Until the year 1896 the aggressiveness
of these favored classes was clandestine
and deceptive Now it has appeared
without disguise, and imperiously asserts
it's right ito destroy a metal that God
must have created as twin money
metal with gold, since 1t Is capable OF
few other uses, and was plainly designed
as medium of exchange and a meas
ure of values among the people. No
civilized country has ever attempted to
entirely dispense with silver coins, and
1t is impossible to entirely destroy silver
as a money metal. Thai will never be
done. 1t can only be forced into a sub
ordinate relation to gold. To prevent its
use as a debt-paying coin, equally with
gold, the countries that are still under
the control of the principles of the old
feudal system, which includes all of Eu-
rope, confine its use, as money, to SUBJ
sidiary coinage, and limit it's legal ten
der power to sums not exceeding SO in
one payment. 1t Is thus made 1.-THE
money of the poor" as 1t is called, and Is
not permitted to enter into the larger
dealings 10 which 1t would become the
compe titor of gold coin. Those who earn
1t by days work. or in small dealings,
must spend 1t in small sums. IL they
would enjoy its value as money. They
have no inducement to lay It up until the
sum gathered by them would become