The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-09-25
(CoMrEHURD.)

Hu.rMr -E.tY (coNrIKDBD.) M
Is is impossible for the pro oducers Of a ma
tion to pay three, four, or i've per cent., or
more, for the yearly use Of property, and
also furnish themselves with the comforts
and conveniences Of life. All the per cen
tage collected for the rent on property, or
~ the interest on money, must be paid BY
sales Of the yearly productions Of labor,
which remain over aud above the support of
the producers. II very rich man, in any
civilised nation, should live fruEaily, and
their posterity should do the same, in the
course n few generations they would re-
duce 10 poverty nearly every other indivli dual
in the country. Consequently, under pre-
sent monetary laws, extravagance Ia the
rich, and the frequent inefficiency and i'm
becility of their children, are great advan-
tsges TO producers. The second evil is ne
cesssry TO modify the overwhelming power
Of the fret. .. -.ss .--
The income or interest, legally fixed and
maintained upon money, governs not only
the rent OF property and the dividends on
STOCKS, but also the entire general income on
all other things, because the interest on
money il the standard. This income is a
yearly tax LEVIED upon prod ucers, which at
the present rstesis enormous and oppressive.
Laws may be made to prevent the entail
ment oil property, to compel banks to divide
yearly or half-yearly their earnings, and
various other laws may be made to prevent
the unjust accumulation Of property in the
hands Of the few, and to give the laborer
what be really earns but all these will be
OK little avail to ameliorate the wrong. But
as the per centage interest is diminished
pl oducers will be benefited and when il Ia
reduced and maintained at the Just rate, the
laborng classes will receive ths chief part Of
their own products. The currency is the
national standard b. which the value Of 9
labor and prod ncts Of all citz ens is estim w
ed, and oil are obliged to use il and found
their contracts upon it Ifa fundamental
Law, like that OF the rate ~ interest on
money, be made Just. it will be easily sup
ported by other Just laws but if It be made
unjust, iG will be difficult g. support IL, for
all the laws which sustain 10 must necessarily
be unjust. A man who utters a falsehood
must support il By other false assertions
A hundred lies may be required t1 give the
6rst the semblance OF traEh s. il a nation
On m unjust standard OF value, every law
which sustsins that stadard must be unjust.
An unjust standard has been used from the
earliest ages Of which we have a record but
the long use of il will never make IL Just
more than the long use Of falsebood with
hundred lies 20 support il, will make false
hood truth; or the long use OF evil make
tho evil good. When government make
money unlim1ied 10 quantity, at just rate
Of interest, laws will be simple, deots paid,
labor rewarded, and peace and happiness
wall pfevade the country. Money Will be
easily obtained in exchange for labor, ia
stead Of labor being superabundInt, aod
money scarce. NGn-prodoclng capital. e.,
anything which requires the expenditure OF
labor to make it prOduce-should bear low
interest. Actual production will then re-
ceive q suitable reward.
The other day the dead body Of an infant
was found 10 a sack on the banks Of the
Mlssiss ppi at Muscatine, Iowa. showing that
it had been drowned. With the sack as a
clue as policeman ferreted out the mother.
who scknOwIe ICED the whole thing Her
own brother was the father Of the child. and
had drowned il immadialsIv af,or . ~.