The Gold Dollar

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By E. Mason

Ah, little gold dollar, republican name,
Let peace be thy motto, and freedom thy fame;
may all use thee kindly and not hide thy face
Like misers and bankers in some lonely place,
But gain thee by labor or calling that’s just,
And part with thee freely whenever they must;
Let labor’s adore thee as both kind and civil,
Though bankers may make thee the root of all evil.

‘'Twas labor that caus’d thee to leave the gold mine
‘'Twas labor that made thee in splendor to shine,
‘'Twas labor that coin’d thee and fashion’d the mold
To shape thee so nicely a dollar of gold.
Since dollars and labor are nearly allied
In payment for labor they should be applied;
And all who will labor six days out of’ seven,
Gold dollars in payment should always be given.

‘Tis cheating of’ labor when misers do hold
And store up so useless those dollars of’ gold;
‘Tis knavery that bankers should keep them in gabs,
And substitute for them a vile trash of rags;
A bill made of’ paper, pure gold to alloy,
To build up the rich and the poor to destroy.
Unknown to our fathers who fought for our freedom,
Forbid it ye younger who doth now succeed them.

Arise then ye freemen, use liberty’s hand
And drive this vile paper from liberty’s land,
And let the gold dollar be coin for the poor
And circulate freely to every man’s door,
Awake up to freedom and not be controll’d,
Submit not to bankers to pocket your gold.
Put down the whole system of legalized knaving
And down with the brokers who now live by shaving.

Now look about the country and see those that shirk
Too idle to labor, too lazy to work,
Bank bills are their hobby, they live at their ease,
And make a new issue whenever they please;
They sport on the inter’st of’ bills they have lent,
Whose capital value is not worth a cent.
And cheating so common, the nicest inspector
Is forced to keep by him a bank note detector.

Then freemen use wisdom, be free when you can
Drive all the small paper from liberty’s land,
Send back to the bankers all notes under tens,
And draw back the specie to make you amends;
And henceforth refusing this paper disgrace,
Gold dollars and silver will soon take their place.
Our country will stand on a footing more civil,
And freemen rejoice at the downfall of’ evil.

The preceding poem appeared in the October 3, 1849 issue of The Bradford Reporter, of Towanda, Pennsylvania.

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