Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1850-12-13
Money should not draw interest.


draw is oppressive upon the productive popula-
ton of the country, and consequently destructive
of its best interests.
Our reasoning, it seems TO us, is correct and
plain.
| Thus money in ITSELF whether gold or silver,
or bank bills, possesses no intrinsic value. Gold
and silver, in many forms has real intrinsic va
lue, but as money it has none, any more than
bank bill. 1t is simply a representative, made
so by common consent, and neither law or popu-
lar sentiment can make any thing else oft.
| 1t represents the real values of the country.
such as houses, farms, &C. &C. Now let any
person look over the whole face of the country
and of the world, and tell or tell himself, what
article of value in the world, is not already in it
self, stimulated up to the highest point of produc
ton, and consequently if all the interest paid on
the mere representative is not SO much over and
above the real production of the article, and as
further consequence, dead shave on the pro-
ductive labor of the country.
The mere fact that labor has been employed
in the mining and coming Of gold and silver,
does not, of necessity, make it valuable. Labor
is employed in the manufacture of alcohol and
in nnumerable ways, productive of mischievous
rather than beneficial results Let any person
pin the matter right down to his thoughts and he
will be unable to find any real, intrinsic value to
money.
! 1t holds precisely the same relation to the pro-
ducts of mans hands that the non-producer in
society, does to the man himself absorbing vita
! lily from all parties and dispensing to none.
We are well aware that our position leads to
the condemnation of the use of money entirely,
for if money be refused interest of course it will
cease to be sought after, and will be no longer
used. The true commercial policy is to exchange
value for value, directly, without the intervention
of these non-productive go-betweens which alb
sorb value from the products on both hands, using
a commercial paper to represent the value Of
products, IN trGnSuu.
OF course it will be said all this is visionary,
impracticable and impossible. So it is under
present relations, but it contemplates change
of these relations
We throw out these ideas, to add our mite to the
solution of the great money problem, involved
in the questions Of banks, usury, &c. We once
thought that gold and silver, were the natural
and legitimate clements of trade, and that paper
was great fraud. We now think they are all
great fraud together, and the producing masses
will never get the full value of their labor or
know true prosperity as long as they are used.
The objection to banks is, that increasing the
quantity of money which may draw interest, the
facilities multiplied by which the products of
-.e toiling millions are absorbed, but bank paper
has just as much value as gold and silver in the
shape of coin.
GrWith some things in the Presidents mes
sage to regret, there are also recommendations
much to be commended. That with reference
to cheap postage is of the highest importance,
because probably, it was the only thing necessa-
ry to secure the establishment OF the measure.
| There can be little doubt, known to be popular
as it is, with the people, now that the President
has endorsed it, but that il will be speedily enac-
ted into law. Its benefits, being so universal
as well as particular in their application, can
hardly be appreciated. Whilst the nation is ag-
itated to its circumference, by conflicts of opin-
ion on delicate questions, and even the dissolu-
ton Of the Union is apprehended by many intel
ligen: persons, such measures as these come qui-
city and silently in, and by their operation knit
the hearts of the people in closer bonds. 1t can
not be doubted that any and all things, which ia
cilitate the intercourse of the people, will knit
them together in more fraterna bonds. All the
history of the world proves this opinion to be
| strictly correct, if it were not apparent from
the constitution of the human mind Every te-
legraph line constructed every rail road laid
down, and every new inducement to the people
to spread out their thoughts for distant minds on
paper, are active and powerful instrumentalities
! in carrying the race forward to more fraternal
conditions. And whilst this is the general re-
suit, of course each individual is benefited All
experience tells us too, that cheap postage will
pay. The reduction made a few years since has
worked well, for it is found that the revenues of
the department are more than equal to all its ne
cessities This cheap problem is being solved
at this day in all departments of business. 1t
was tried in England in the matter of postage
some time since, and the results exceeded the
most sanguine expectations ofits friends. They
are now trying it on their railroads and it is ha-
wing similar result. Cheap trains are running
/ filled, in every direction, paying enormous prof
its. The cheap postage experiment here will
give an impulse to cheapness in other depart
ments. Opposition railroads are springing up
opposition telegraph lines are being constructed,
and soon we will find the hearts of the people
running together with lightning speed over the
telegraph wires, assimilating through the mails,
whilst social intercourse, through the medium of
cheap rail road travelling, will become universal.
We hail the dawn of cheap intercourse among
the people, as to be productive of grand and ben
eficial results.
The Presidents recommendations with regard
to the harbor Improvements, will be satisfactory
to the people Of this section Of country, and the
north generally. Without arguing the strict
conshtutionality of the measure, it seems to us