Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1846-02-18
From the Western Democratic Review.
THE MORALS OF CURRENCY.
BY A CONTRIBUTOR


s-ra... BY. a CONTRIBUTOR .:,.e,
WA are aware that the currencv !.
.sg.rded a. n thread. hare snb;.ct n e
,.ii ad oc svorv ,shar. Ioo;sia,;va ha,ls
-a....S - L..:o,;o a.ola,. 80, ...n
!, 'pa..u.r, ps.a,.hI;a. 90 hs,,.n.pad i
sbn.. !, i. l. ths ,hams or Sra s;de con.
vsrss;;on ..d .,ree, debate Ana vs,.
aher ali nsrhans ,hera !. no s,b;e =,
wh;.h. Ia. 70 ;o.ro,,, :, hea,;nns On the
w.itara of the commun;tv and ito every
nnsmher which is less Understood. All
avrea IN ona thiha that r is subject OF
.deen. .interest antf. vitals;unportanca: vel Vel
acarcely anv two aefee Il, t'he views tfley
,ak. ofi,} sgaSs. -. ,s.b foa .'JoR :
Ijnder these c;re,lmst apces we are in
a.,..dt to contr;bu,e .onr mil. io the GEM
srs, s,ocL oron;nion, We shall sneak
oc ,hs snh;ect not.as q noli,ician or an
s.onom;st hut chiefly a. a moralist.
Rv msnv The currency ;s called the
m. ,h,ood of The community. IF this
m.,snho or;coi descr;ot,on conyevs an idea
ar,ha cu,rencv in anv degree co,rect-
y = !. | =. NV j., INV sen.e or ,o INV ~.
49,. ,h., ~. cnrrencv ia the hlood of
Ne"; .,;. '"a. ."s o.,.,. :, :, IL :,
" Nv .., % s.,;J H. Lent nprs' How i'm
.a..... sa % ,ha. oil ohs,acles to rreedom nt
P:s'.,.,;"n ho renewed How ;mno,t.
a;.,.;, ;ts eveo aow nnaAacted
~. - .so;,amoo, of G.var or Tho ,,rnor
y 'ne ill., ;nno,,.,t - nro
,lv f,om ,ha nnocLarr of
S,,o.:r. o.o"' "'@ hu, crou ,he nnackerv of
o.Pe."' ~: ~
o'~" H.. h,,,,h,
"r,,, W. o,sr.ncv comnot ha main.
80. ~ " .:.h.,, Ln,w,edaa of ~. laws
.aasu .'n:su :, ""' '",'0, ohsv ~ ,bo G,n..;ons
49,, 49, :. s, t,,,cy mn sh'n ao.J =
c.n ~ ,nanan,s IN enou;r;og into ito na.
..,S.. ~" " "oI ".as W. do not ~ sxnso, ~
w.. W. M o,usrd ] INV nsw ;ds,s h"t mora.
1'"s ',, w. % ,;nd .ona os,ahl;shs ID
Ill hnow, nronos;,;nn.
~" ~. W. 1890, ] 10 That hv which ex.
:. "o '" ..a .Eso,ed i, !: rho ms,sur.
S"a" 0'o go ~ al .voha"oa.h,e
y: ""s" I".a.,n;naa Az wa ssv ~
49, .,,;," oc mao nf ,e.d hot :,
~" taa"ny ,,v no"nI. an we s,v of The
".I,s. oc ,ha same D,ass. that il Is worth
v.o m.nv dol,ars, The wants and conve.
n;."ces of mankind give occasion to the
49,. NJ measn,. IF ouantitv. and so do
,hs w.n,. nd convenience Of mankind
a;vs occaxion to the use of measure oil
Value There is an imoortant difference
however between the measures of value
and ali other measures, in this, that
Will. other measures are absolutely fixed
and I;ahI. to no variation from the ope-
ration IF natural causes the measures of
x.lua, m ,be contrary, are liable to
Great and rapid changes. We shall
rave occasion to notice ,this more par
,;cuI,rlv hereafter. AT present, we
sh.ll sneak univ ofthe necessity of hav.
inc such measures Of value. arising out
Of the circumstances Of human inter-
course. ltis plainlv impossible to carry
m N. diversified operations of society
bv the direct exchange of what one has
for what one wants. lie who has yoke
Of oxen and wants suit Of clothes, finds
shat the tailor has no use for oxen. He
Who wants a steamboat, and has farm,
6ods that the steamboat builder will not
take his farm in exchange for the boat,
When Abraham bought the cave of
Macnelah Il seems that the owners did
NOT want HE flocks and herds, for we
End that he paid an equivalent in money.
Th;. nracticaI Inconvenience gave occa.
sion for the use of money, which is call
ed currenov. because it passes current,
from hand to hand in the transactions of
life.
+ il varx ohv;ous. however, tha,
xha,aver ,oa,er;a, be selected to per>
form this function. it must either have
value in itself or be- accredited represen-
tative Of value: for no man in his senses
w;ll exchange valuable things for things
Of no value or for things which have
isss value in his Judgment, than those
vh;ch he rivss for them. Accordingly