Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-29

d much attention. Some kept slender
he minds of men of singular type.
foundry stirred millions of men, caused
ZEN were put away as Impractical by a
'le- Such were greenbackism and free
main bank was at Philadelphia, and it
had twenty-five branches in the United
ton. and the early records of this city
contain many references to 1.-The branch
bank" In 1880 the bank had $1,000, 900
IN government money on deposit and
s6,0oO,oO0 in. other deposits. 1t had a
note circulation Of ST., 000.000 and line
OF discounts which at one time
amounted to 100000 900. AS it received
and disbursed government money, it was
necessary that the government should
supervise it that watch might be kept
tS to its solvency without reference to
the legality of its charter
jackson recommended to Congress the
removal of government deposits from
the bank. The Senate was composed of
fhirty-five democrats and thirteen
wings and the House of Representatives
refused to follow the recommendation
of jackson. At the next session he re-
1ewed his recommendation and also
recommended that stock which the
United States owned in the bank should
be sold. Bills ito make these recon-
IL
a bill renewing the charter of the bank
was passed by Congress. and was vetoed
by Jackson, July 10. 1882. The elections
in the following fall were interpreted as
sustaining the President on this issue.
an In the h. following spring the Pres Isl
Treasury. William J. Duane of
Pennsylvania, to deposit no more
government money in the bank
Duane refused and was replaced by
Roger +. fancy of Maryland, who
had been Attorney General under
great Intelligence in sustaining. and
in a measure guiding, Jackson in the
bank contest. fancy carried out the
instructions of Jackson. The bank
failed to get renewal of it's charter.
but in 1886 secured a charter from
the legislature of Pennsylvania. 1t
suspended in 1887. then resumed, and
finally closed its doors in 1889.
Variously Interpreted.
Jackson was long the idol Of the
plain people" and became a demo-
cratic saint. His fight on the Bank
of the United States has been SO
different faiths have imbibed inSpira-
ton from it. The strict construction.
lists got comfort from it. The liberal
constructionists, who would extend
the powers of government, also got
comfort from it. because jackson
ing functions which he believed the
government should perform. Anti
monopolists have gained comfort
from it because they profess to see
that jackson aimed primarily at the
destruction of corporation that hao
become monopolistic. But fair read
ing of the history of the jackson
ad administrations would seem to show
that Jackson'S central idea was that
the government had no authority TO
engage in private or quasl-puolc
business. He believed in the control
Of corporations that they might do
public good and not harm. but even
in the exercise of that power he
would not have the government over
leap the limitations OF the ConStltu-
ton and encroach upon the ourlsolc-
ton Of the states.
.ion was the democratic shibboleth up
TO the civil war, and for decades aIter
that epoch it was a democratic ran!
ing cry, but here and there was mani
tested an increasing disposition 10
stretch the Constitution on the GROUND
of implied powers, until unde. .ne
influence of the peoples national party
and .populisna' a preponderaHt ele-
ment of the democratic party came to
favor nationalistic and anti-States-
rights projects that would nave
seemed shocking to the federailst
party-the "imperialist" organiZatlon
against which the founders ,oe OIL the
democratic party made war
In the period following the civil war
there arose a medley and discord or
voices in the political arena. The
Joudest calls were for reconstruction
of the governments of the states late
in secession: for the punishment OIL
f0 !
the Union; for amnesty for all people
who had sided with the ConfederacE
for the restoration of the civil rights
of those in the border states VINO hao
been seceSsioniSts and FOR the en-
forcement OF the terms of the Jour-
teenth amendment. that all persons
born or naturalized in the United
States and subject to the jurisdiction
thereof are citizens OF the United
states and of the state wherein they
reside" that mo state shall make or
enforce any law which shall aoridge
the privileges or immunitles OF cltl.
zens of the United States: nor shaii
any state deprive any person n, OIL NE
liberty or property without due proc
ess of law; nor deny to any person
within its jurisdiction the equal pro-
lection of the law.
Calls for Enforcement.
Later the air was full Of calls for
the enforcement of the PROVISIONS Or
fine fifteenth amendment. that 1.-The
right of citizens of the United States
to vote shall not be denied or abridged
by the United States or by any state
on account of race, color or previous
condition of servitude." In the con-
fusion of voices could be heard de-
nunciation of corruption in public OF
flee. denunciation of eXtravagance in
national expenditures, demands for re-
form in the civil service and demands
for the resumption of specie payments.
Out of the din of demands for this
reform and that might be picked up
here and there call for putting a
curb on monopolies. This call was at
first weak. but it steadily grew III
volume until it was quite as loud as
the others 1t was always the WORD
monopoly" for the word trust IN
connection with corporations had not
come into being. because that form o.
industrial unity now called trust
had not been invented.
The cry against monopolies did not
arise against railroad corporation
but mainly against banks and the
system of banks created by the ma
tional bank law of 1863 and the
amendatory act of 1864. The money
power was the devil and the bankers
were his impS. Gradually the outcry
against monopolieS came to include
railroad and telegraph companies, but
the early opposition to the railroads
was not that they charged too much
for their service. or rendered inferior
shippers and localities, but that they
were consuming the ma tional do
main''-that is, they were being sub
Sidize0 by land grants.