Article Text

Gold Won't Break-Gold, Gold, Give us Gold!! An interesting scene occurred at the Citiens' Bank of Cincinnati, the day after the failure of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company. It Was reported that the Citizens' Bank had large deposits with the Trust Company, and hence was likely to suffer embarrassment and perhaps be compelled to suspend payment. This institution has, all along, been popular with the poor and laboring classes. Hundreds, upon hearing the news, rushed to its doors and earnestly entreated the cashier to pay them the amount of their deposits. Old men and young men, women and children, all came hurrying to the counter as though life itself depended upon their exertions. One poor woman. with gaunt and hoggard form and trembling limbs, hastened up and cried in a tremulous voice: "My notice-thirty days notice-for-my money." "But, my child," rejoined the broker, "wouldn't you prefer the money now?" "Now, now, NOW," she almost shrieked, "can I have it now? Mus'n't I wait thirty di ys!" "Ob, no, my child," again replied the banker, and turning to the teller, requested him to pay the wom n her $350; then accosting her again he said, "we can give you gold, if you prefer it, at two per cent. dis. count. "Oh, gold, gold, gold, give me gold," she cried vehemently, "that won't break; do give me gold." There is A moral to this story-one by which private individuals, political econo. mists, and governors may profit. There are thousands of poor toll-worn laborers all over our broad land, just in the condition of that poor woman-only not SO fortunate. They work from early morn to dewy eve, and, in the hope that by and by, they may have something for "a rainy day," they deposit their scant earnings with the bank. The bank breaks and they are suddenly reduced to poverty. Could the aggregate sum of these small losses from the hands of honest laborers, and occasioned by the failure of banking institutions, be correctly ascertained, it would amount to hundreds of millions. The moral of the story is this: Gold is better th n the paper promises of an incorporated bank. If you have money, invest it in land, in real estate-in something that cannot be blown away with a breath--in something that cannot be stolen. Deposit it where no well dressed, speculating, purse proud aristocrut can rob you of your rights. It teaches an unmistakable and important Tesson to those public officers who have in charge the rights and interests of the people of a State. The State of Ohio stands today in the humiliating position of an unfortunate depositor, whose whole treasure has been swept away by the failure of a moneyed corporation. Had her treasure consisted of gold and silver, deposited in vaults built by the State for its deposit and protection, instead of these miserable "promises to pay," she would now have in her possession more than a million of money to meet the public demands. As.it is, she is bankrupt in purse, and ruined in credit. Enormous and crushing taxes or-repudiation, stare us in the face. Every day makes some new develop. ment of our embarrassing position. Every day furnishes a potent argument in behalf o an INDEPENDENT TREASURY. Give us gold, gold. Let us be divorced from all banks and banking-let us have a law, clear stringent and practicable, which will provide beyond a hazard for the safe keeping of the public funds. This, and this alone, will re store confidence to the people, and retrieve the credit and honor of the State. Stewart, the Democratic candidate for Governor of Missouri, is elected. Good !