Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-04-02
Money-What is It7
From the Cincinnati cor,mone, /


Eds. Com.-The man at my elbow saws
what a foolish question, the people will all
laugh at you. The man that is afraid of being
laughed at is not worth shucks. What is
money? Why, it is. money. That is the
name of it,; the name Of the thing and the
thing are two different things Describe it
and tell us all about it. Well, let me see
money! money!! can't do it. but L know
would like to have sone There are thou
sands Of other people in the same fix; they
don't know what it is and won't learn what It
is, is one reason why they have not got more
of it than they have; they let their rulers
and shylocks swindle them out of it, Before
going into description, I will ask another
question: What is yard>stick or yard !? Oh,
that is measure, to measure length, breadth,
height and depth. How is it made and
how did it come into use? When [ was at
school, read in the book, and the school
master taught me IL barley corns make one
inch, II inches make one foot, land three feet
make one yard. What is barley corn?. It
is a small grain of uniform size, or SO near so
that there is no appreciable difference. They
take II OF these grains and lay them down 10
row or straight line, and mark the begins
ming and ending of the space, and this dis.
tance is called one inch. They take l2 of
these spaces and place them in straight line
for the foot, and then three of these for the
yard !; thus the yard is formed. You see we
first assume something that is uniform or or con-
slant, Interchangeable in size, and call it, the
unit or measure. To make it practical. it is
necessary that the whole community should
agree to it, or establish it by law. Iffevery
one was free to make his own measure; there
would be confusion instead of stability and
uniformity. And, if any one used vard-
stick of different length, how quick be would
be called cheat 1t is thus we sec that a
yard is measure established by the whole
community for the purpose of facilitating
transactions, or for the convenience of persons
having intercourse with each other; and that
no one or two persons have right to alter
that measure without the consent of the rest
of the community.
Men OF thought, in the course of their bu-
sipess; found that if they could establish other
measures, as, for instance, weights, bushels
&c., for quantity, and also a measure for val
ue which should be constant. it would be
great convenience in their business transac-
tlons. The measure they established for val
ue they called money. 1t did not grow like
wheat and corn, nor did they dig it out of
the earth like gold and silver; but they (the
community established it in similar manner
to the way that they established the yard.
stick, by assuming uniform and constant
unit Of measure. which was made of gold and
silver at first and aftcrward of other material,
with marks and numbers signifying its value
or how much capital or property it should
represent.
Property docs vary, but money or measure
of value ought not to vary, as was shown
when we examined the yard or yard. stick.
Any one who joins a ring OF q strike gives
himself a master and tyrant at that. Rings
and strikes are not the proper remedies for
the evils complained of they but aggravate
the evil. The proper remedy is to go to work
and learn what money is, and what your Gov
ernment is, and then you can tell, when those
you put to rule over you, administer it properly.
In the course of time. men of thought con-
ceive the idea that by the assistance and use
of money capital they could improve and en-
hance the value of their other property or
capital; hence originated the idea of banks or
places for the deposit and loan of money capi.
tai, and, as it would be necessary to have per.
sons to manage and take care of these institu-
tions, it would be hut just and proper that
these persons should receive Just compensa.
tion for their time and labor, "for the laborer
is worthy his hire; )" hence originated the
idea of interest on money capital. How to
graduate this interest is the question 1t is
possible for the country to improve without
money; for we could fall back upon the old
system of barter or exchange of one product
that we did not want for one that we did want,
(bear IN mind that money is measure made
by man, and of course produces uothing).
But could the country improve without
labor or those industries that do produce or
improve the country? Evidently not Then
as these interests or occupations are the most
important; we ought to be careful not to injure
them. Men are always anxious to make the
most from their capital If money capital is.
allowed to bring in greater interest than
other capital they would draw it out of other pur-
quits and hold it for this high of interest and
thus, to certain extent, paraIyze tie other indus
tries. Some contend that this interest on money
capital ought to be left free; then il would be no
longer measure. would still have the na rae
but would thin that was frat e.tabiisbed:
but fix this interest. make it constant or unifarrn
and it again becomes measure, though altered
from what 1t at FIRST.
By examina tion of the various industr lies (nro
ductive lndnstfiesl we find the average rate of
profits to be abont 81 cet.. and what the
If you make It greater than that. the tendeney
would be to increase the non OF droaes II
Su..ion o. |. .S shs, dinnith
tate business 1t all nations having commerci.t
transactions with each other would adopt the same
nsasrycs in Al tbi1ezL :
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authority clearly not nc n
)MANh>SlI<1uS1uzu.lh A1oMzeMeMe eeaG
PIE thst thus .ayetbtbe Lord, "UnIess the rulers
aud the people walk in my eounesA4 ana SeeS Wy
s,aSutesl y WIN hNeak thern up" Keep itbeiose th.
people that thus sayeth the Lord, "Cone andfa.
qufre of and will write my Jsv In yo1r hearts
and nfnds,'so that you will Know my isw and do
R1rres q. o., 5.Aerson Co.. " Va.
Il Washington editor is mad because q
conpositor headed his editorial. .The Cham-
pagne Opehed,' when he wrote The Cam
paign Opened. He says that printer Is always