Willmar tribune., 1899-10-04
The Currency Question.
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ORGANIZED TREASON.
and supreme Court Crying u
Down the Currency. ~.

What does the American Bankers as
sociation propose to do for the Amer
lean people? Their New Orleans re-
port, 1891, page As, declares: 1.-THE gov
ernment, not being producer, cannot
issue a sound currency"
Yet the first $50, 100000 of greenbacks
were always at par the globe around
and never were unsound. Then the At
lanta report, 1895, page So. eolemnly af-
firms: ''The value of every coin that
was ever made has depended upon the
weight of pure metal in it, -.
The well-known fact that the trade
dollar had nine-hundredths more pure
silver in it than the standard silver dol
lar and was worth as money 20 cents
less, answers that falsehood. And to-
day the silver dollar will buy nearly
twice it's weight in pure silver in the
open market. Not satisfied with these
reasonable utterances, this American
Bankers association must needs assail
the greenback decision of the United
States supreme court, rendered by full
bench, eight out of nine justices con-
curing. Atlanta report, 1895, page 50,
is a palpable falsehood: Under the tic-
ton of law established by the supreme
court men are compelled by force of
law to accept the promise of dollar as
a substitute for a true dollar"
These search-conspirators throw off the
mask in the Chicago report, 1899, pages
A and 45, thus: 'In order to accom-
plish this, first of all silver purchase
must cease; without this it is absolute
ly useless to institute other reforms.
Then our legal tenders, the greenback
and treasury notes, must be retired.
This brings us to the question: What
shall fill the gap thus created? There
is but one answer. The present tenden-
cy in all the great nations of the world
is toward bank currency. Bank cur
rency is what we, too must dependupon."
The national banks boldly propose to
usurp the constitutional functions of
the federal government, and every man
and paper that lends them aid and SYM
pathy in their plottings is equally
guilty. The Detroit report, 1897, page
80, after denouncing all government in
reference, adds: ''The legitimate func-
ton of banks is to issue currency, re-
ceive deposits, buy paper and make
loans."
These "sound money harpies" in their
Chicago report, 1898, page 43, claim that
their national bank blackbacks, with
from 20 to 30 per cent. more than their
face value of government debt behind
them, are oversecure, while silver and
greenbacks, with the constitutional
power and wealth of the nation, are un-
safe. If we had free silver, sixteen to
one, unlimited coinage, and allowed the
national banks to manipulate the
currency, in a short time the country
would be in the soup worse than ever.
The Chicago report, 1893, page AZ,
speaking of the revolutionists, ex-
plains: ''The same agency ian official
organ) would be their best method of
influencing legislation. It was an
avowed object of the association to
struggle for the repeal of certain tax
laws. In this they were successful.
They influenced Legislative opinion. 1t
is comparatively easy for them to gain
the ear and confidence of the admins
trative officers of the national govern
ment. Some of their members are high
federal officials. The treasury depart
ment stands always with it's ear
towards the managers of the financial
institutions of the country. But it is
not so easy for them to win the conf
dence and approval of the legislative
branches of the government. A great
deal of effort must be put forth to gain
the attention of congress-
This national banking octopus has be-
come very vampire of oppression that
is slowly but surely sucking the life.
blood of the republic, poisoning and
paralyzing the patriotism and integrity
of the nation. Its baneful influence is
everywhere recognized, seen and felt.
M. N. Butler, in Mississippi Valley
Democrat.