The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-01-30

thus arbitrarily making q measure OF value
and equivalent for which the properly OF
their subjects must b. exchanged. Because
Of their capabilities Of being so converted
INTO equivalents of power the SO called
precious metals were eagerly sought after by
all men in such degree that they came false
" to be deemed to have q special Intrinsic
value in themselves equal to the siligy of
value stamped upon them
ia the earliest republics, when Govern
ments were established by the people for
themselves, the worth and potency Of these
metals were Antagonized as attributes OF des-
po;iSm. They stamped value upon the more
common and equally useful metals generally
distributed among the people, to be used by
them as instruments Of exchange and trade.
Thus N early Greece the effigv OF the OK,
the most valuable Of the peoples posses
sions, was impressed upon pieces of brass OF
iron, intrinstcally Of little value, hut thus
made the equivalent Of comparatively con-
siderable wealth.
So Rome, Tor more than five centuries
used the ~ifigy ot the sheep, pecas, impressed
upon copp. Tor currency, thereby giving the
name yecuniI by Whioh money ant we~iA
were alterward designated ;hroug cat the
world Il = nov a United By - poiito.l
eco omis that finely engraved prlning
upon paper, fixing NJ value, Is the best 81
al possible spo rtltys .or coined money for
circulat,un, and cheaper as cu-rency for
people than gold Itself. IL ma, he efore
be safely assumed inst Tat the arts ana cd
urauun been sufficient advanced IN the
Grycan 10 + iman republics. toe m 'ney OF
tie people would nave bren such paper
instead Ul the ponder, "a and Inconveniert
inrtais
Not until the people d these free Com
mons ealthS became deter Grated 10y vices
and luxury, yiel ing their bert Is 20 1, rants
either BY cnoice Or usurpsuon, I'D goid d
silver, the ever-TeaJy aoJanc Of aespotc
power in ali lis forms asa degrees ObJain
lace and scope 60 a. their appropriate an
leN T-f4lhng work, the ensiaycmrnt Of the
labor OF the massts IL viii be remembered
when the victorious Gaui threw bis sheaghed
sword intO the scale IL the cOunlerp0ise OF
Rome's degradanon the beam was not bal
anced by her moucy, bur by the ornaments
ana tnukets Of the richer Of her citizens,
for she had neither gold nor silver COINS for
more Khan century.
Twelve centuries afterward, when the
feudai system dividing Europe, just then
emerging from the Ozark ages, into macy
smali Prlcipalites and powers bad gwen
petty princes, dukes, sarOns, and bishops
control " the liberties Of the impoverished
people, each claimed as his prerOgatiye the
night 10 hx his value to pieces OF gold and
silver, and ,he same TO change and deoase a.
his Will, ~ winch hts ser's must measure
t.eir possessions aud pay tribute TO him OF
81 they bad Coined gold aud silver has
ever been the handmald Of despotism the
prop If u0uarcllal poser the supporter
III tLIouc- tne upu0iler Of n0bllues AMI
presllO1d- obs engine by which the PRIV
eyes auI pret-usivns 0l aristocralS bave all
ways been sustained ga trampiug down III
ri-lis, d-vauung the Substance, anu absorb
.ng tie uurequt1I iab0rs uf the masses.
through al ume 10 possession Of money
has given power 10 the tvs % ensaye tue
labor III the many The benefit IF the
princes anC robes, add II, use mas been tbe
badge Of scrviJude Of all peoples 20 sOtOu
king 1r yranJ. 10 deny this at one ume
s. Jfe5s0n.
When the chief priests would fain havr
taken ht Of ne words Of our Lore " that
80 they might deliver him unto the power
and authority Of the glverBOr,' they asked,
Is 1t lawiui i0r as 20 give tribute unto
Caesar. or POP But be perceived their craiu-
ness and said, WY tempt ye mef Show
mg 4 penny. Whose image and super>crlp
ton bach it? They answered, Ce-ar'S.
AID he said auto them, render, therefore.
uut0 Caesar The things mat are sesar's, ami
unto Gyd lie things that are Gods. And
tley narvelled at his answer"
n.,- ,..rr-,.r4 f-rh.vs fauudt- ~ T.nuar,.
meut FIR themselves VI tits continent, care
Iu y shmiualsd iron is framework every
attribute o. moHsrchy ana arIstocTacy, the
divine right Of kings, patents u nubility,
the succession Of pTimogeniturv, the law OF
entail, tae tealty Ui one man 70 another
every one of the cyces 81 Aingcra.s ard
oppression ", ia which the people are gov
-r.ed b a ciuss-al, save one the' re-
tQired, whether tor good ~ evil, the precious
metals stamped with tue kings image rs The
standard by which 90 measure the r0perty
ard industry VI the new Republic ID was
a grevous fault" and grievously have their
children answered It. Great, wise, and good
mru, W. marvel that they fyresaw sO much,
" but they saw not al thirgs"
q is easy % understand what determined
them iu tnis ,ycepuoral adoption q goid and
silver, which we're he mouaTchical standards
O.! value. I ey bad just emerged from
aar far berry, during which they he'd seen
their paper substitute for that standard rem
dcrej quite vaueiess and useless because
made convert ON and redeemable 10 gold and
silver 1uIy, where g1lI aud silver were mn
p0~s bic % b. bad.
But the Cont entail currency wanted ev
erytmng which couli give Y vaiue issued
by az aggregation, or cougIOmeraIon rather,
NJ States Jus. ling FIR xI-tenc. Try
ivy All experiment III govo-'.'n IL il q new
world which many of ben best people more
than doubted would b. a failure and end in
anarchy, thoul 3hec X and 1u.rus against
ov,rissues, cusr.e.y q grsved, easy Of for
gerry, graded By crGntertelts by their en-
, mes, 80 that It was q ltfi .ult " distinguish
thr genuine from tie false, the Onl, wonder
Is that such a currency Was ever capable Of
the good services Il did az ID the war d in
dependence.
An infant country without commerce OF
article ~ export, save almpst only tnat winch
v az u avn tr0u. tue sea, 'nuut mauuiac-
tur 3, with every neces~ar, not 70 say lux
ury, Of Ina % buy from abroad, save what
came Irom ne sIil, tue founders II the re-
public might well have been tempted to
btlug themselves Into connection with the
great family OF nations by adopting as their
money the precious metals by winch ali the
intercourse Of the nations OF the
earth was then carried On, aud 10 bear with
such endurance a they might the loss, DIS
p-.,T, ana ruin which the adoption Of such
standard ~ value At once entailed upon the
ooultry, for !, Is worthy Of observation thai
rs harlsuips Was so great To produce a
serious rebellion and outbreak against the
law 10 what was then as nov the most calti-
YaJed, intelligent, and law-ablding portion OF
thy country.
That he evils attending the Inauguration
Of their monetary system did not cause our
iathers % cuang- their financial policy, with
its probable Consequences, is not a subject
Of surprise Tor they had 10 almost present
the action Of revolutionary
anct III issuing th, 0Ssignafs aud yylHBdats