Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-09-18
IT is A FALSE PLEA.
MONEY LENDERS OF COUNTRY
NOT PATRIOTIC.
The His<ory of the Past Weighs Them
In the Balance and They Are Found
Wanting - Constitutional Money
Wanted.

The patriotism of the bankers ant
moneyed men of the nation Is frequent
ly alluded to as one Of the reasons fo
much Of the special legislation enact
cd to preserve and maintain the public
credit. AS matter Of fact the mon
eyed men Of the nation have never as {
rule displayed any patriotism. Those
among them who went into the field
against the enemy during the late un
I pleasantness are exceptions. II they
were drafted they sent a substitute. Il
is matter of history that the men who
had money employed horde of lobby
lists to besiege the national capital fol
the purpose of exacting the most ex-
] tortionate terms from the government
in the hour of its need. The banks con-
tracted to loan the government
$3.50, 100000 in coin, and when
they had furnished but $700O0,OOO
every bank suspended specie payment
and insisted on the government taking
their notes, and the most outrageous
terms were demanded, even for this use
of their credit.
While the question was pending as
to whether the government should Is
sue legal tender treasury notes or in
terest bearing bonds with which to
meet the expenses Of the war, Mr..
Spaulding made use Of the following
language:
But, sir, knowing the power OF mon
ey. and the disposition among men to
use 1t for acquisition Of greater gain,
I am unwilling that this government,
with all it's immense power and re-
sources, should be left in the hands OF
any class of men, bankers or money
lenders, however respectable and pa
triotic they may be. The government
Is much stronger than any Of them. Its
capital is much greater. 1t has con-
troll of all the bankers money, and all
the brokers' money, and all the prop
erty of all the thirty millions Of peo-
pie under its Jurisdiction. Why, then,
should it go into Wall street, State
street, Chestnut street or any other
street, begging for money? Their
money is not as secure as government
money. All the gold they possess could
not carry on the government for nine
ty days. They issue only promises to
pay, which if Congress does its duty,
are not half as secure as United States
treasury notes based upon adequate
taxation upon all the property OF the
country.
why, then, go into the streets at all
to borrow money? I am opposed. in
our present extremity, to all shifts OF
this kind. l prefer to assert the pow
er and dignity of the government, by
the issue of its own notes, pledging
the faith, the honor and property OF
the whole loyal people Of the country
to maitain their circulation and pro-
vide for their redemption. The de-
mand notes put in circulation would
meet the present exigencies of the gov
eminent in discharge Of its existing
liabilities to the army, navy and con-
tractors, and for supplies, materials,
and munitions Of war. These notes
would find their way into all channels
of trade among the people.
These circulating notes in the hands
Of the people would enable them to
pay the taxes imposed, and would IA
cilitate all business operations be-
tween farmers, mechanics, commercial
business men and banks, and be
equally as good as, and in most cases,
better, than the present irredeemable
by the banks.
It was the influence Of the wealthy
class that persuaded" the senate to
attach the two exceptions to the green
back, and to provide for the payment OF
interest on bonds in coin.
Senator Wilson realized the power
and purposes of the moneyed men IN
that contest, and on page 7S9 of the
Globe, 37th Congress,
eft these words on record:
II look upon this contest as con-
est between the curbstone brokers, the
lew brokers, and the money changers,
md the men who speculate in stocks,
IN one side, and the productive, toiling
men on the other"
Thad Stevens, the great commoner,
n opposing the "pernicious" amend
nents that Disseminated between the
older and the money lender, said:
II desire especially to oppose the
mendments OF the senate, which re-
uire the interest on bonds and notes
O be paid in coin semi-annually, and
which authorize the secretary Of the
to sell per cent bonds at the
market price for coin to pay the in
crest. The treasury note bill, as re-
orted first from the committee of
rays and means as necessary war
leasure, was simple and perspicuous in
IS terms, and easily understood. 1t
vas so plain that everybody could I'M
erstand that 1t authorized the issue {
[ legal tender demand notes, to circu- l
tie as national currency among the
eople in all parts Of the United States. s
am opposed to all those amendments q
I the senate which make unjust dis ,
4 ~, In fion hatWpon tho croditorc &c |