The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-04-28

hibit Gold Mortgages; Another to Limit
the Veto Power of the President; And
Secure an Appropriation of $4,000 for
Free Rural Delivery.
Correspond ence CT The Progressive Farmer.
WASHINGTON. D. Q.
Among the really few good measures
introduced in Congress during the past
few weeks are the following by Sen
ator Butler, of North Carolina:
A Ill
ITO prevent discrimination between
various kinds of legal tender money
of the United, and to maintain the
equal debt paying and purchasing
power thereof and for other pur,
poses.
BE it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the United
States of America in Congress assem-
bled that any note, bill, bond, draft,
check, exchange, contract, mortgage,
public or private obligation, or pecu-
mary liability, heretofore made or con
tracted, which may provide for its
pay ment in a spec fic kind, or kinds, of
legal tender money of the United
States, current at the time of its ma
turity, or collection, at it's face value,
such stipulation or agreement to the
contrary Notwithstanding"
In presenting this bill Senator But
Ter said: by it's title it will be seen
that it is a bill to maintain the equal
debt paying and purchasing power o.
all the legal tender currency of the
country. I see that the various State
conventions now being held to elect
delegates to the Republican National
Convention are declaring in favor Of
this policy, and pledging their party
to give the people such a currency.
Both of the old parties declared 1t their
policy in their last national platform,
and will probably so declare again this
year. In order that we may be able
to turn these promises into perform
aDces before another campaign, | hope
the Committee on Finance will report
this bill promptly. We shall then be
able to redeem, before their next
National Conventions are held, the
promises which both of the parties
made, so they will not have to make
these promises over again. The PEG
pies party stands ready to help either
party to redeem these promises. We
are ready to do it now. Gold mort
geges are plastered over every town
and hamlet in this country and nearly
every man to day who borrows money
is forced to give a gold bearing mort
gage or note. The Government should
not allow such discrimination against
any OF it's legal tender or lawful money.
1t is not only an injustice to the debtor
class, but it is a suicidal governmental
policy. 1t is all wrong and no party
can defend it. Both the Democratic
and Republican parties say they are
opposed to such a policy, but they have
done nothing to correct it. Tney can
correct it by passing this bill. The
law as it now stands, instead of main
tanning the equal debt paying and pur-
chasing power of all lawful money &C
tually makes gold dearer. How can
the Government deliberately legislate
to increase the purchasing power Of
gold, and then insist on paying its own
debts in this dear money, and force
private debtors to do the same. The
money lender and the bond holder are
the only people benefited by the present
law. 1t is to the detriment of every
body else. TIE bill which l offvr Will
correct this wrong"
FIRE RURAL DELIVERY.
Senator Butler also succeeded in Sc
curing the following amendment to
the post office appropriation bill:
Provided that fifty thousand dol
lars Of this amount be used to defray
the expenses of experiments in rural
free delivery under the direction of the
Postmaster General, and the amount
heretofore appropriated for this pur-
pose, and still unexepended be avail,
able for said experiment"
During the 52nd Congress, Hon..
Tom Watson secured an amendment
to the p~ostofice appropriation bill pro-
viding ten thousand dollars for two
years to make an experiment in rural
free delivery, but every Postmaster
General since that time has steadily
refused to apply this money for that
purpose, Senator Butler became &C
quainted with this fact and sprung the
above amendment, which he followed
with a vigorous speech demanding at