Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-09-17

national honor, and charged all who
were in favcr of paying the government
obligations in silver as being repudia,
tors. He has not always held to this
belief. however, for 10 the United
States senate on February 9th, 1857,
in speaking of the bondholders who
wanted the 52O's paid in money other
than greenbacks, he said.
Equity and justice amply satisfied If we
deem these bonds at the end of five years In the
same kind of money, of tho intrinsic value it
bore at the time they were issued. Gentlemen
may reason about this matter and over again:
and they cannot come to any other conclusion
sfter the most careful consideration. Senators
sometimes in the habit. in order defeat the srgu
| ment of an antagonist, of saying that is REPUDI-
ALTON! Why, sir, every citizen of the United
States has conformed his business to the legal ten
der clause. He has collected and paid his debts
accordingly"
In 1868 he wrote to friend as fol-
| lows:
| 81 was pleased to receive your letter. Ny per-
sonal interest are the yours, but, ike you.
do not intend to be influenced by them My
construction of the law is the of careful
animation, and feel quite sure impartial court
would confirm it, if the be tried before conrt>
| send you my views fully stated in a speach-
Your idea is that we.propose to repudiate violate
a promise when offer TO redeem the principal
| in tenders. think the bondhoIder violates his
promises when he refuses TO take the kind of
money he paid for the bonds. l hate reputation
or nythng like it, but ought not to be deferred
from doing what Is right by fear OF undeserved
epthets. Ii under the law it stands, the hold
ers of the five-twenties can only be paid in gold
then repudators if propose to pay other
wise, II the bondholder legally demand only
the kind of money he paid, then ne is repudiato
and extortioner to demand money valuabi'
than he gave.
Truly, Y ours,
JOHN SHERMAN.
Hon. Thad Stevens, the great COM
moner, declared in the House of Rep
resen tatives ip 1868:
'if knew that any party in this country wantet
gold for paying in coin that which is payabIe il
lawful money, thus exchanging it one-haif. If
| | knew there snch platform and such a deter
mination this day the part of any party, woul
, vote for the other side, Frank Blair and all.
would vote for such swindle upon the taxpayer
OF this country. would vote for no such paymen
in favor of the large bondhoIders the mllionarei
who took advantage OF our folly in granting thel
coin payments of intrest."
! Senator Morton, OF Indiana, declar
, ed:
1--WE should do full injustice to the goyernmen
and to the people of the United after sols
t those bonds on an average for not than &
| cents on the dollar propose to make a me-
contract for the benefit of the bondhoders.''
And yet. with the testimony @
q Senator Sherman himself and others O
i in,
time, in saying that in the payment @
our government obligations in the de
preciated currency with which the
were bought, we were not repudiators
:. this great self constituted guardian O
4 the nations honor calls those VIII
|, would not pay the bonds in anythin
= but gold repudiatorsl Would it be an
+ less honorable, 1 ask, to pay outsrand
@ ing obligations of the government nol
Y in silver coin worth hundred cents il
i gold, than it was to pay the five-twen
: ties In 60-cent dollars? Senator Sher
g man begs the question when he advise
, payment in any other than gold coin
] and no man who wants the truth in re
d gard to this matter will accept his sophi
: stries as anything but those of dem
T agogue. His action in 1857 makes hi
T present position untenable, and n
8 amount of talk he may indulge in wi
g convince the people that if he was hon
r est than he cannot be other than dis
b honest now. The people are after th
n truth and nothing less will satisfy then
W. E. CARR.
a Great Bend Lodge No. Ia, Nations
| RaS6ryp Association 7friv nrno N