Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1863-06-16
Surplus Money.

The soldier remittances having been
heavy for many months from the twothou-
sapd soldiers representing Grant county,
there begin to show large accumuations Of
money in til, hands of depositors, and in
the handsof persons holding old claims that
have been paid. The.opportunities for the
practice Of extortion by excessive usury
have ceased, as a result of the plentifuIness
OF money; while the stringent usury laws
Of Wisconsin forbid the like, even should
there be great needs of money. or even a
panic. The channels of speculation by the
purchase and sale Of property and the traf-
tic in merchandise are clouded With threat
ened prospects Of future depreciation and
.cheapness. Land improvements and build
ing investments are damped by the dear
ness for labor and materials. If men buy
or build or hire, the design IS to sell out
soon and then operate in some other way.
Debtors are fully in the intelligent spirit
Of the times, for they are straining every
muscle to earn money and clear themselves
of that state of financial bondage which
has hung about them for so many years.
So by all these means and inducements,
money is rapidly accumulatng in the shape
Of dead capital. We suppose there are
still opportunities for loaning money on
good home bonds at seven per cent, but
such loans must be taxed; and taxation
upon such positive capital begets tilnidity
with men. They dread it; so they are in
yesting their surplus hundreds and thou
sands in government fye-tweuty bonds,
drawing six per cent. interest in gold, pay
able semi-annually. Some Of the old
usury bruisers. having consciences all tat
tered and torn with mental reservations
under swearing, and by false listing of
property TO the assessor, after hunting
through all the by-places for something TO
shave, and failing TO find only but nib
bic here and there are at last investing
their old twenty-five per cent. accumula-
tions in Government five-twenties. Good
for them; it will make them loyal to their
country, for there never was any other way
to make them so. When they Get an in
terest in the country and lis preservation,
they will be loyal and work for its saliva
ton. Their interest formerly was TO work
for its ruin, for hard times SO they could
shave people. for panics so they could get
hard working inca's farms for tribe, for
bad luck and poverty so they could live
cheap, for a reign of wickedness SO they
needn't pay so much for religion, Cor 10
norance so they wouldn't lie taxed for
sebools, for bad legislation so as to bring
poverty and rpin and he'll upon ealth--
and finally for democracy and slavery and
war. Let the Old taoeaty IRE per cents
now rush into the government fire-twen
ties, and our word for it they'll stand by
The Union and Constitution after that.
They won't have to put on magnfying
glasses TO see that slavery and its twin sis
ters, vice aud crime, brought on this war;
and that nothing but destruction Of the
cause Of the war can restore The country
so peace, They'll see it all without glass
es-see it through their pockets. Read
ers, this war---yast as must be the cost Of
lite and property, viii be Of immense gain
LIN putting down the combinations Of
misers and Shareholders, as well as for a
thousand more gains. Almighty Cod is
at work il His ewn way 10 make things
right.
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