Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-12-18

ana unSparlHg temper WITH which
whole cities and communities were OF
pressed, individuals impoverished and
ruined, and a scene of cheerful pros
perity suddenly changed into one of
gloom and dependency, ought to be
indellibly impressed on the memory of
the people of the United States. If
such was its power in time of peace
what would it not have been in sea-
son Of war with an enemy at your
doors? No nation but the freemen Of
the United States could have come out
victorious in such contest; yet, If you
had not conquered, the government
would have passed from the hands Of
the many to the hands of the few; and
this organized money power, from it's
secret conclave, would have dictated
the choice of your highest officers and
compelled you to make peace or war,
as best suited their own wishes. The
forms ok your government might for
a time have remained; but it's living
spirit would have departed from it."
Nicholas Biddle was then, as ].
Pierrepont Morgan is now, the leading
spirit of the money power. He man
aged to subsidize the leading demo-
cratic papers from Boston to New Or
leans. Thousands of dollars were
loaned (?) to congressman on no Sc
curity whatever. The leading papers,
both wing and democratic, arrayed
themselves on the side of the money
power just as they are doing now. A
congressional investigation showed
that government money was used to
influence democratic papers to take
stand against Jackson. When Jackson
learned this he instructed his secretary
OF the treasury to remove the govern
ment funds from the banks. His sec
rotary refusing to do it, he removed
him and appointed one that did. Then
terrific storm burst over Jackson's
head. He was assailed on every side.
Many of the leading politicians, among
whom were Clay, Webster and Cal
houn, joined in the war on Jackson.
Benton and others stood nobly by
him. The people rallied around him.
Many OF the interesting details of that
historic contest is given in lecture
recently delivered by Charles H.
Schreiner, a Lincoln elector in 1860.
Speaking of this memorable cam
paign Mr.. Schreiner says:
Nicholas Biddle was president OF
the great bank. He was the money
king OF that day and generation. He
was not only a banker; he was a
scholar, an author, an orator and
democrat, and had supported Jackson
at his first election. He lived in a
marble palace on the banks of the
Delaware, fifteen miles above Philadel-
phia, and there in that palace of pure
white marble, with great Corinthian
columns, this money king dispensed a
equal almost to any king
in Europe. Thousands of people
thought him a vastly greater man
than General Jackson. l was a boy
then, IA or is years old, working in a
printing office, and l remember all the
papers announced one day that Mich
olas Biddle would pass through our
We had no railroads then.
People travelled in the old stage coach
or on the canal packet four or five
miles an hour. You will hardly believe
me when l say that people came fifty,
sixty, eighty and one hundred miles
came on foot, on horseback, in wag-
ons, any way and every way. Came
for what? Why, to see the great
money king, Nicholas Biddle, as he
stood on the deck of the boat going
up north to take command of his party
in the fight against Jackson. These
good people wanted to tell their chill
dren that they had seen the great
money king, Nicholas Biddle, the man
hat crushed General Jackson!
"Of course Jackson was not yet
crushed but they were so sure he
would be that to them it was just the
same thing. Well, some time before
Biddle's charter expired he took trip
to Washington to have talk with his
then friend Jackson about a new char
ter for his bank. The old one would
expire in 1886, and, as Jackson was a
candidate for reelection, he thought
it would be a good thing to tell him
about the vast power and influence OF
his bank and it's many branches. He
told Jackson that the merchants and
men of affairs through all the states
we're, as a rule, largely indebted to his
banks and that through the influence
Of his branch banks he could control
the election of any state in the Union.
Then I'D rose Andrew Jackson, and
with suppressed emotion, said: Mr..
Biddle, if that is true-and l think 1t
Isl tell you here and now that II
YOU control the election of any state
in the Union, that is too much power
for one man to have in free coun-
try in time of peace. And l will tell
you further, here and now, that if you
get a new charter from congress for
that bank, by the Eternal will veto