The Peoples Voice. (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, November 8, 1895 Page: 1 of 8
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Rirouitha Uw was written dowu with
parchment or with peti ;
Before the li*w made oitlaeiik. th* mural
law made men.
Law (taii>l« for human riirht*. hut when
it fail* those rights t«i jfire.
Then let la* die my brother, but let hu-
man beings live.
Che
ma.
Labor Is The I'arrnt Of Capital, Encourage Labor> and You Build Up Capital-
VOL. 4.
NORMAN. CLEVELAND COUNTY OKLAHOMA, FRIDAY,- NOVEMBER. 8. 18Q.S.
"Our Republic can only exist
so Long as its citizens respect
and obey their self imjmscd laws."
NO 15.
THE VITAL ISSUE.
Who Shall Control the Currency
of the Country.
BANKS VS. THE PEOPLE,
Eminent Authority Concerning Dangers of
Delegating to Private Corporations
the Privileges which belong to
Government, Placing the
Destiny of the Many in
the Hands of
the Few.
(E. II. Itchlon in Chicago Expreea.)
One of the greatest issues now be-
fore the American people is, shall the
people through the general govern-
ment, issue anil control the paper cur-
rency of the country or shall this
power be surrendered to private
bank corporations? Advocates of
the latter course claim that paper
currency depreciates in value when
issued by the government. Let us
examine the facts and ascertain the
cause of the deprciation: The Con-
tinental Congress issued f>2,000,000
of Continental Currency May 10,
1775. These issues altogether aggre-
gated #300,000,000. During the
same time the seperate colonies is-
sued #150,000,000 more. The cause
of their depreciation was because
they were redeemable in Spanish
milled dollars, which the government
did not possess and because the dv-
ration of the continental confedera-
tion was very uncertain, being then
in a struggle against Great Britain
for Independence.
Again during the rebellion,the gov-
ernment issued treasury notes (green-
backs) which also depreciated. The
reason of their depreciation was be-
cause the government refused to re-
ceive them for duties on imports and
failed to make them a legal tender in
payment of interest on government
bonds. Notwithstanding the conti-
nental currency depreciated, it car-
ried the colonies .hrough the revo-
lutionary war to victory. \lso the
greenback carried the nation through
the rebellion to victory. During both
these wars there was no coin money
in circulation. With like paper
money and without coin, England
was abls to conquer Napoleon after
he had conquered all Europe.
Sir Archibald Allison tell us that
"thispaper currency carried England
to the highest pitch of power and
prosperity ever known in any na-
tion."
During the Franco-German war,
France issued #450,000,000 of paper
money through the bank of France
which depreciated 2)^ per cent.
Then the government issued $160,-
000,000 more of the notes that were
legal tender which so inspired confi-
dence that they rose to par with coin.
Joh Stuart Mill says: "In France
'paper money' actually means incon-
trovertibility, convertible notes be-
ing mere 'billets a porteur.' "
Victor Honnet of France, says: "In
the midst of the greatest calamities
that ever befell a nation, with an
enormous ransom to pay Germany
and with gre .t domestic loss to re-
pair, a credit circulation (paper
money) was maintained four times
as large as its base without de-
preciation,although it reached #600,-
000,000.
Again, in the war of 1812 between
the United States and England,
treasury notes enabled the govern-
ment to carry the war on to a suc-
cessful issue.
Thus History shows that all na-
tions have to depend upon govern-
ment issues of paper money to pro-
vide the sinews of war, when coin
money always hides from view.
Now, if paper money is all nations
can depend upon in war, why is it
not good enough in peace and if
coin money cannot be depended up-
on in war, why should it be used in
times of peace?
Again, if paper money, when is-
sued by a stable government, and
made a full legal tender for debts
anil is receivable by the government
for all public dues, always remains
at par with coin money, as history
shows, what better currency does
any nation need?
Again, if the paper money curren-
cy is issued by the general govern-
ment only the people have control
of the amount issued and receive all
profits that may accrne from its is-
sue while under the present system
of delegating its issue and control to
private banking corporations, they
reap the profits, which have amount-
ed to over one eighth of the entire
national wealth in the past 30 years.
Again, what is the need of a gov-
ernment issuing interest bearing
bonds to form a basis for a national
bank currency and compel them to
pay interest 011 them? The national
bank currency being based on bonds
is no more secure than treasury
notes as both the bonds and notes
are based upon the wealth and sta-
bility of the nation. The govern-
ment, having the taxing power, can
draw from the wealth of the nation
to redeem the one as well as the
other, and in fact when the govern-
ment receives them for taxes or oth-
er dues it redeems them.
If these conclusions are correct,
then had the government issued its
notes instead of interest bearing
bonds to prosecute the war the tax-
payers would have been saved over
two and one-half billions in interest,
a sum nearly equal to the cost of
the war besides over sixty millions
as premiums paid on bonds. The
people would have had a cash sys-
tem without interest instead of a
cash system with interest. Besides
the people would have monopolized
the currency instead of its being
monopolized by private banking
corporations, which monopoly has
been opposed by our greatest states-
men.
Jefferson said: "Bank currency
must be suppressed and the circula-
tion restored to the nation where it
belongs."
Jackson vetoed the bill to rechar-
ter a national bank.
Lord Chatam said: "If the Amer-
icans adopt our banking system
their liberties are gone.
John Adams said: "I always did
abhor our banking and funding sys-
tem."
The Democratic party had in its
platform for some years, Resolved;
"That the separation of the moneys
of the government from banking in
stitutions is indespensible for the
safety of the government and the
rights of the people."
Thomas Benton said: "The gov-
ernment ought not to delegate this
power if it could. It is to great a
power to be trusted to any banking
business whatever."
Webster said: "Banks are the
most effective means to fertilize the
rich man's field by the sweat of the
poor man's brow ever invented by
man."
Calhoun said: "Never was an en'
gine (banks) better calculaled to
place the destiny of the many in the
hands of the few .'
Such declarations from eminent
statesmen and philanthropists could
be multiplied ad infinitum.
Now, dear reader, if you agree
with these eminent men regarding
the dangers of placing the issue and
control of money in the hands of
banking corporations, how will )ou
vote? The Republican party es-
tablished the n?tional banks. The
Democratic party, under Cleveland,
and its leaders, tried hard to destroy
the greenbacks and place all the pa
per currency in the hands of the
banks. The People's party plat-
form says: "We demand a national
currency to be issued by the gener-
al government only, without the aid
of banking corporations."
Whom will you serve, God or
Mammon?
Died: Last Wednesday morning:
at the residence of Rev. Wells in ttiis
city, Mr. Jim. Doolin.
Money I'ower Now Exerts Bar-
baric Sway.
IN NO COUNTRY ARK CONDI
TIONS MORE DEPLORABLE.
(Eugene V. Debs 111 Chicago Tret*.)
In European anil Asiatic countries
couditions relating to the different
classes of people excite little concern
as compared with the United States.
Here the most impoverished as well
as the most affluent have the ballot.
Here all are sovereign citizens and
eligible to the highest official stations
in the government. In European and
Asiatic governments such rights and
privileges are unknown; the one or
two exceptions to the rule need not be
mentioned sin9e they do not, in the
liberty of their citizens, parallel the
rights and prerogatives conferred by
our constitution and laws.
In referring to the essential differ
ences in conditions it is proper to ob-
serve that in the one case centuries
of despotism have created acquies-
cence. The rich rule and are content;
thepoor obey and theirobedience has
been long and so cruelly enforced
that like "dumb driven cattle they
submit. In the United States we
have by constitution and laws the re-
verse of such conditions. Here we
started out upon what was deemed
an eternal truth, that "that all men
are created equal." We discarded
titles and inherited preri gatives.
All were clothed with divine right to
rule. At the polls the poor and rich
met on a level. Here we swept away
everything resembling caste. The
pomp, and pride and arrogance of a
titled nobility and aristocracy we ta-
boed. In a word, we started out
with a nation of free men. More
than 100 years have elapsed since we
began teaching the doctrine of equal-
ity before the law. These lessons
have been woven into the fibre of
American thought, into our laws and
literature, into our national songs
and anthems. The fathers fought
and bled for the truths they embody,
and multiplied thousands have died
for them. Here, and only here,
every man counts one, and no man
counts more than one.
ARE WE LOSING OUR BIRTRIGHT?
The questions arise, are we insen-
sibly drifting toward conditions
which exist in less favored lands? Are
we relaxing our hold upon our birth-
rights? Are we using our dearly
bought rights and prerogatives in a
way that shall eventually wrest them
from our grasp? Is American liberty
in peril ? What is the condition of
the rich and what is the condition of
the poor? Without exaggeration, in
words of truth and soberness,what is
the trend of affairs ? The rich are
growing richer. Fortunes mount sky-
ward. We have produced an aristoc-
racy of wealth requiring extravagant
speech to describe. Our millionaires
are counted by thousands. 1'hey con-
stitute a money power which has de-
veloped barbaric sway. It has grasp-
ed every source of production and
every means of transportation. It
controls the ballot and dictates leg-
islation. It blotches state and fed-
eral statutes. It debauches judge
and jurors. It bribes congressmen,
senators, and legislators, and to build
higher its mountains of wealth it
turns footpad on all the highways of
labor and robs those who toil and
live by wages. Such are conditions
on the one hand. No one denies it
whose opinion is not debauched.
What are the conditions of the
poor in the United States ? I chal-
lenge the record for a denial of the
averment that in 110 land beneath the
skies are conditions more deplorable,
and President Cleveland, in his mes-
sage to Congress, declared that these
conditions are the result of "con-!
gressional legislation." Here the I
poor are becoming poorer. Here j
squalor and degredation are spread
out over a continent of food products
I in fabulous abundance; and in sight
of bursting granaries men, women
and children starve. What is to be
more harrowing in Europe or the
land of the orient ?
CRISIS IS NEAR AT HAND.
Can these conditions be oerpetu
ated? If so, by what means are they
to be permanently established! If
we admit that they ought to be per-
petuated, no change in the means
which have created the calamities
need to be made. I do not believe
present conditions can be made per-
petual. I do not believe the means
about present conditions are to con-
tinue. 1 believe a crisis near at
hand. I believe that the debauching,
crushing, degrading money power
will be required to take its hoofs off
the prostrate millions —who are evin
cing a mighty unrest. I do not doubt
that armies, and courts, and all the
machinery the money power can
command will be brought into the
contest. I do not doubt that there
will be traitors in the camps of those
who are loyal to the eternal princi-
ples of justice, as there were tories
in 1776. But there is to cornea bat-
tle of ballots and bayonets, when
Truth shall triumph because "the
eternal years are hers." I take 110
stock in the "decline and fall of
Rome" theory. History, in that re-
gard, will not be repeated in the
United States of America, The
American people are not like the
Romans. A century of freedom, in-
stead of centuries of slavery and op-
pression, will bring forth fruits when
the final struggle comes different
from anything that ever ripened in
the fierce heat of battle. Loyal to
law and obedient to its mandates, the
time iscoming when "we,the people,"
will declare that bowed forms, a
slave's garb, huts, and peonage are
not American, and that the laws and
systems which create such abomina
Hons are not American, and then will
come another reconstruction period,
and, Phoenix like, Liberty, rejuve-
nated, will come forth fram the or-
deal to live and flourish and bless
the world.
Woodstock, 111., Oct. 9, 1895.
The editor of the State Democrat
makes a great tirade against the
County attorney alleging that the in-
dictments drawn by Mr. Berry were
worthless and had to be quashed.
He went on to prove his case by
citing two indictments as samples,
one of which was where the individ-
ual was indicted for illegally "pro-
pounding" a precription. In this
case Mr. Berry followed the lan-
guage of the statute in diawing the
indictment knowing that the court
was very partial to the "Language
of the statutes in indictments." If
he had used the word "compound
ing,"instead of the word "propound-
ing" he would not have followed the
language of the statute, and the
court might have held the indict-
ment bad on the ground that the
language of the statute had not been
followed as he did in an indictment
the day before. The other case cited
was where the party was indicted
tor carlessly handling a gun and
shooting at another feloniously. The
grand jury was the judge of the tri-
vial character ot the matter and
they returned a true bill and Mr.
Berry had to draw the indictment.
As to the trivial character of the of-
fence we will simply state that it was
a case where one man caught the
headband of his pants near the hip
and requested another man to shoot
a hole through it with a revolver.
The fellow made an attempt to shoot
the hole as requested; but struck
one of the fellow's fingers nearly
severing it from his hand. Our
statute provides for the punishment
of men who carlessly handle fire-
arms and if the above was not a
careless handling we would like to
have the editor of the Stite Demo-
crat define the meaning of the lan-
guage of the statute. The above is
an explanation of the sample cases
selected by the editor of the State
Democrat to prove his allegations,
and of course they were the two best
samples he could select to prove his
case. When reading Bixler's edito-
rials we could not help but think of
what the Indian said about the soda
pop after he had drank it. "Heap
big nothing."
Concerted Action in Making Mi
leading Statements.
"DEBT IS NOT MONEY."
Prearranged Policy of the Rothschilds Ring
to Force the American People to Qo to
Them for Cold—Unfortunate Ig-
norance of the People on
the Money Ques-
tion.
Half a dozen leading goldite or-
gans have suddenly come out with
editorials on the same day, saying
that "debt is not money," meaning
that every form of government pa
per money is not a debt, therefore it
is not money and must be abolished.
The concerted action of these
journals shows that the movement
springs from a headquarters, and it
is the intent of these papers to do all
they can in forcing the government
out of what they call the banking
business—that is, out of issuing the
money of the nation.
The idea at the base of the above
quotation is a condemnation of their
own advice to the government in the
first place ever to make its paper
money, in appearance at least, a
debt.
This was done at the instigation of
the money lender during the war,
when all attempts in congress at that
time to maxe the greenback a de-
clared dollar and a full legal ten
der, nonredeeniable in anything,
were defeated by these money len-
ders, who succeeded in wording the
law as if the government owed a
debt in the issue of that form of
money.
In point of fact there is no debt
about it, and that fact is now recog-
nized in the monthly treasury re-
ports, which have recently removed
greenbacks, etc , from the category
or classification of debt.
The government owes nobody any
thing for its greenbacks, but the
above newspapers, in conjunction
with money lenders, are striving to
deceive the public into thinking that
it does, merely to make a point for
greenbacks' extinction.
On this point one of the above
newspapers said: ' The greenbacks
were issued during the war for ser-
vices and supplies with which to
carry on the war. They were 'notes'
in precisely the sense that a mer-
chant's promise to pay is a note.
They never were and never can be
anything else, They are promises
to pay. evidence of debt."
That is the kind offalse reasoning
this clique is putting forward in order
to destroy, first, the greenback, then
all other forms of government paper
money. These greenbacks bear no
resemblance whatever to a mer-
chant's note. A merchant's note is
given in exchange for goods, and
when it matures it must be met in le-
gal tender money, the very legal ten-
der money the greenback is.
Money is nothing but a legal ten-
der for debt. The legal tender ten-
dered is all that any money can do,
110 matter what government issued
it. Gold is merely legal tender
money when so coined. Remove its
legal tender quality, and it ceases to
be money. Money is the final thing
which can be used in making ex-
changes of merchandise. That is
what it is issued for. To call money
a debt merely because it is exchange-
able into another form of money,
then to be reissued on its own ac-
count, as is the case with the green-
backs, and comparing it with a mer-
chant's note is an unfortunate ig-
norance of what money is and what
it is used for.
Every greenbacker has since dep-
lored the money lenders' indifference [
when the greenbacks were made re- |
deemable in'o anything except them- *
■-elves. It was a crime against the
j people when the money lenders at
| that time succeeded in their purpose,
: for the greenbacks should be non-
J redeemable, precisely as are the
notes of the Bank of France to day.
Then, when the greenback is made
to read in the law of its issue that it
is one dollar, irrespective of any re-
deemability, all confusion such as
the above journals are striving to en-
gender at once ceases.
But these above journals are mere-
ly carrying out a prearranged policy
of the Rothschild "ring" in its intent
to force the American people to go
to them (the "ring") for the gold
then made necessary to carry on
United States trade.—Philadelphia
Daily Item.
A Populist.
(Sew Charter,)
\ ou are a populist, are you? Yes,
I you bet I am. Well, I am glad to
| hear it. What we want are men de-
[ voted to the reform cause. What
People's party paper do you take?
None. \ 011 see I am very poor and
—What's that paper you have in
your pocket? Oh, that's our coun-
ty paper; you see I want the county
news and—What's its politics? Dem-
ocratic; you see—. How many sub-
scribers have you got for Populist
papers in the past year? None eli---.
How many Populist books have you
bought and loaned in the past year?
Not any. How many people have
tried to convert? Not any; I have
to work too hard and—. How many
people have you tried to get out to
Populist meetings? Oh I haven't
time to run around after people,
and—. What have you done to sup-
port Populist speakers or to encour-
age the movement? Well—you see,
that is—I have got to look after my
wife and children—well I am not in-
terested in politics anyhoy. Now
my dear fellow, don't plead pover-
ty. There are not a Populist edi-
tors in the whole country but what
make sacrifices every year that
would discount your sacrifices for a
whole life time. A man who will
take an old party paper and not
take one of his own party has reas-
on to blush with shame. The man
who does nothing to support and
encourage those who are fighting his
battles shouldn't talk about caring
for his wife anil children. The man
who in these trying tiuies for human-
ity, sees the light clearly enough to
say "I am a Populist" and yet who
is doing nothing to help the cause,
is a devilish sight meaner than any
old party man of whom I know any-
thing The most blame worthy man
I know is neither a Republican or a
Democrat, but a Populist who lays
back like a balky mule and lets
some one else do all the pulling.
There are not fifty Populist in Cal-
ifornia who cannot afford to take
and pay for one good Populist pa-
per. There are not 500 in the state
who cannot afford to take one good
state and t>ne gooel Populist paper
and pay for them. T here are not
1,000 Populists in the state but what
can induce one old party man or
more to take a Populist paper. And
if they did do what they could do
this state would give a clear majori-
ty of 20,000 over all for the Popu-
lists next year. Wake up and take
a fall out of yourself.
The editor of the State Democrat
now admits that he was mistaken
when he boldly asserted that the old
Democratic county officials records
were all O K. He now thinks their
shortage is not over #50.00. \ erily
the light seems to dawn upon him
slowly.
Dr. Scott has taken in Dr. ft. L.
Uoberson as a partner in the practice
of mn(Hch)M. Ur, Scott's practice since
locating in Norman, has grown so tlmt
along with his duties as deputy dis-
trict clerk he finds it too much tor one
man to attend to. Dr. Koberson has
served for the past twelve years in the
U. S. Army and is local surgeon for
the Santa Ke railroad. Dr. Scott is
fortunate in securing as a partner so
compete!]. and an experienced man
and we predict for ttie new firm a
steady and growing practice. Notice
the change in their card.
Estray Notice.
Ttits Is 10 certify Hint on the 4th day ofOeto-
ber, 1*95, J. h. Wilson took ii| the tollowiiii?
ilen-nlied clravx ut his residence on the s. K.
1 „ see. is. t « |) 10, limit?'- I. Ket-
one Iron tiley liolM-, tour years olil an<l one
iron ^ 1 •*v horse, three years old. one buy
hoi>f, IIIree veurc old. One inare two ye:irs
111.I. Knell o'l 1 he uhove ilescribed est 1uvs is
bruiuletl s s on the lett shoulder. Mud esuuy-
were valued tit #.i5.ut). W itness my hand and
seal 1 ti la the 31st day of October, 1NU5.
0. ti. wyxxb,
15—31. County Clerk.
I>on't watt Come NOW lor
your photos, at )(*—,00 per elozen.
I Will! t to fji-t everything finished
by the middle ol' the; 111011 h.
W. K. BUOOKS.
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Allan, John S. The Peoples Voice. (Norman, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 15, Ed. 1 Friday, November 8, 1895, newspaper, November 8, 1895; Norman, Oklahoma Territory. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc116774/m1/1/: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.