Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-09-24
Spirit Of Aeffersoll.
Charlestown, Jefferson County, West Va.
TUESDAY MORNING. sEPrEMBER2i, 1872.
lFor the Spirit of Jefterson.l
WHAT rs MONEY!

WHAT Is MONEY?
As in the case of human maladies, the first
thing is to learn and know the disease, and
what it is, before you can trea; it; just so too
in regard to money, you must know, as the
first step, what it is, and why it is before you
can treat tproperly, aud copfue it to its
proper Office and place ard where it is use
tul, and answers it's ends /; and, of course, and
as correilative, where you must deny 1ts use;
because, then, it is an uomitigated evils in-
stead OF good, and curse instead of bes-
sing This must be my apology for the repe.
tltion OF the above caption what is money 2"
May say again, money, of itself has no
actual oolue.; it has only legal yalue; and
That Uofue Is given to it not by any ,n0tciaual,
but by all society who use it; and, for that
reason, and, as an individual is entitled to all
the vdtue he puts on any article or product,
just SO too is society, equally, entitled to aH
the Udfue 1t puts on money =; and society puts
on money alt the oalue it has !, And. now. if
L am right in this logic-and challenge the
world, including the Free Press to show that
am wrought follows that society, through
its agent, the government, should issue all
money and receive for the public benefit all
the profits on it; and, that individuals, and
corporations of individuals should not issue
1t, or receive the profits on it /!
Is this logic in consonance with the Consti-
tuition of the United States? Answer: The
Constitution of the United States, erpress7y
provides and announces, that "Congress shall
coin money aud regulate the value thereof ~
And, now, if Congress does s.con money and
regulate the value thereof" is not Congress,
as the agent of the whole people, entitled to
all the profits on the money it s.coins and
values )" and, if so, how can individuals or
corporations be entitled to any profits on
money! The plain truth is, individuals, and
corporations, are entitled only to the use of
money TO exchange their labor or the pro.
ducts of their labor. hut all the profits to be
derived from NANCY belong to society who
create and produce money!
This view of money accords with reason
and with scripture: For it is said that, eff a
man does not work, neither shall be eat ~
Now, if man does not work in the creation
of mouey-as he, manifestly does uot-for he
does not create it or can for society, or all
the people, do create it-how can it be in ac.
cordance with either reason or scripture that
nat 'corhi"g or producing nsoncy-the achole
Peop/e WorG and produce it-he shall by the
profits of money, he neither worked for or
produced, ''eat" and live scithout tcorHte He.
Manifes,ly, either created money or he did
net: We see he did not create it; we see
S"c'ety, or the Dh0le people did create it -
Now, who is entitled to the rru1fts, those who
did create it, or those who did not create i. 4?
Upon this statement-as squat er0t 0c>
monstromrinm "a thing to be demonstrated"
L thiEk [ am cut tied to walk from the
d("ch' donrd with my proposition clearly de-
n.o"sfrufed and /,,oned?
III this be SO, then, we come to the proc
teal results: What are they? When the
war was ended in 1865, there was one thou~
sand millions in circulation as n,oncy, and the
Henderson furn, WIS estimated at over one
humo'rcd dollars per acre but the McCuIuck
and Boutwell, doctrine of hard nloncy was in
ansurated and pressed into service, aud, the
Henderson tarm sold for less than ftiy dollars
per acre,
Is this not lesson Cor you, ye people of
jefferson! fe people, who own the finest
lands, and the most permanent, Gods sun
ever shewn on? IT it is not lesson. have
only to say, you are stupid and british" ~
What have to say is this: 'sGive U.S. tho
farmers of Jefferson, only fair play, aud we
will hold our heads as high, and justly, as the
Boston or Philadelphia
monetary system:
Well what is an equal monetary system
I say:
A system, where money is only an erchang-
ing medium, and not a subject of speculation
and law
Give the people of the country, as against
the people of the City fair and equal none.
tary system, and money in the streets of
Charlestown, and in the county of Jefferson,
will be as common, and abundant, and more
so, than it is in any city; and the result will
De that, money being as common in the Coun-
Try as in the Ciy, the population of the City
Will How to the country, and manufactures of
every description will spring up in the coun-
try; and it will not be necessary to go to the
City for single article we want: all these
articles will be furnished at home We shall
be rid of transportation and shall be no
longer compelled to build up the private
palaces, aud marble fronts, of the proud citi
zens of cities and, at the same time, to feed
and elothe their paupers but, we shall see
our lands advance in value, and our labor adj
vance in value too-for, both lands and labor
go together-and, instead of our being trib-
utary to the cities, the ,ceanh would be in the
country and equally spread over the whole
land, and, the cities would be only great De-
pots 1or importation and expectation just
what they ought tn be, and no more and, in
accordance with the opinion of that great
Statesman and philosopher Thomas Jefferson.
At present, and under the present monetary
system and which is anomauus-the Cities
exhaust the Country, and have all country
men as their slaves.and menials.
To slew the power of money as against
labor, aDd the profits of money as against
labor, quote the following letter of Pliny
Freeman of New York a gentleman known
as one Of the ablest fnanciers, not only of that
city but of the entire country: and. at the