The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-01-02
SECTION III


Money must be legal representative Of
property, for it is impossible to find any
light and portable material possessing the
requisite inherent value to equal and balance
the value Of the property and products to be
exchanged. The real value is in the prop
erty and products, and the money is only
the legal medium by which this value is
represented and by which exchanges Of the
property and products are made.
Every representative is distinct from the
thing which it represents and its presence
implies the absence of the thing represent
cd. A representative has power to act for,
or in lien Of something else The power 20
represent Is always independent of the nat
ural or Inherent powers of the representa-
tive; it is superadded and delegated, and
cannot alter the Loriglnal capabilities and
qualities of the agent. Delegated authority
gives the agent, the person or thing, power
over other persons or things, which, with
merely his natural capabilities, he cannot
possess. ActiCg for himself alone, his acts
are all individual, and incapable of binding
any but himself. For instanc e, he cannot
give q note, bond or deed, which will bind
others, or the property Of others, unless
to him. He may receive authority
to give note or bond binding the property
of the people for its payment. This author
ity does not diminish or alter his capabili-
ties as an individual it is superadded to his
natural endowments. An ambassador rep
resents our nation alta foreign court. II be
be lost at sea, the nation loses but one indl-
Vldual, although he represents and acts Tor
n.,k he
annihIlated, and the ambassador should
reach his destination in safety, he would
cease to be q representative he would have
nothing to represent. He would, however,
possess all his powers as an individual-he
would lose only hls delegated authority as a
representative.
A representative in Congress is chosen by
the people, and is empowered to act for or
IN lien of them. Still it is not suppOsable
that he possesses as much knowledge and
skill as all his constituents. They are farm
ers, mechanics, manufacturers, and mer-
chants. OF many of the arts with which
they are familiar, the member Of Congress
is ignorant. He is their representative for
one specific purpose e., to make laws to
govern the people. He has q moral percep-
ton of justice corresponding to their percep-
tions of justice, and this fits him to be their
representative in making laws. Money is
made solely to facilitate the exchange Of pro-
ducts. To be capable of effecting this ex-
change, it must be endowed with q lega
power to represent actual value for it pos.
sesses no inherent Quality which makes il
equivalent to products 1T labor more than
the representative in Coneress possesses al
tie Knowledge and sb IS OF his constitu-
ents. Il is held for tn re being in lieu Of
property we cannot lt- as properly, and
if we wish TO use sctu property We must
obtain It by giving tn sgal representative,
money, IN exchange ilt lE- A representa-
I i've AZ Guns - n-.- .-v sUie AZ ---~-T,. -
act there, and the Pc i whom he repre-
sents can neither control MIN, nor he heard
II lieu of him. They 1avs no authority Dol
voice in making The Tvs except through
( their representative F; llt he laes which he
Eelps to enact have a ling force on his
constituents and 9TH Sc Of money
when it is made a repres NATIVE Of value II
controls and determines the value of labor
and property, while these have no power to
control and regulate the value Of the money
The money is the only legal tender for debts;
and oil property and labor are as powerless
to discharge an obligation as the constituents
OF q representative are to act in Congress
after they have delegated their power t. then
member. The representative oil value should
no more have power 10 accumulate property
in the hands Of few than the representa-.
tive OF the people should be allowed to leg
iSlate for the benefit of few Of his consti-
tuents, Both are mere representatives, en-
lowed with powers for specific purposes
the former to exchange products, the latter
to enact laws. The producing classes elect
and support the members of Congress, who
are bound to make laws for the equal bene.
fit Of the people. The people also furnish
the material Of money and the property
which it represents and the representative
of value should be such as to conduce in he
highest degree to their welfare.
FRO BE CONTINUED