The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-12-17
An instrument of Exchange,

Here is half sovereign which / hold
in my hand, said Prof. Price, in
lecture at Oxford. That is q COMA
piece of currency. What is it? This
coin is piece of gold with mark
upon it. What is that mark? The
arms of the Queen Victoria. Those
arms are put upon it at the factory
where it was made-the Royal Mint of
England. Did they put into this metal
anything besides gold? Yes; they
put little alloy into it merely or the
purpose OF hardening it, in order that
the mark may not be erased by constant
wear. But in England nothing is
charged for that. You get the same
quantity returned to vou in coin that
you bring to the bank in ingots and,
therefore, il is pure piece of gold.
What on earth was this little thing il.
vented for? If I were in Egypt I
should say il was something TO put
around woman's neck or in her ears,
to Use as ornaments but we know that
this is not the application of it in great
cities and nations. Then must trace
it, and what does it do? If I see o
cart understand directly what cnrt
ia. There are two shafts, which I'M
mistakably indicate horse; the wheels
indicate motion, and the body indicates
a capacity to carry weight, and 1 know
ali about cart at the very first sight.
What is this coin for? must watch
the people who use it. 1 find people
buy it. They give their property for
it, and as they don't use it in the way
of ornament, watch them closer, and
perceive this man who has given GER
tain property for it is very soon anxious
TO get rid OF It. That is the next won
derful thing about this little coin. It
is bought, and then the next step is to
get rid of it as quickly as possible. Il
becomes, then, current" thing. 1t
runs. Currency is the "running from
euro in Latin. Then buy it to run,
and not to stay with me. My next step
is What is that necessary for? When
it leaves me what has happened to me
[ have gained other goods. It has had
this wonderful effect upon me. l have
got rid Of Il quantity of goOds III my
hands which [ did not want, and I have
got into my hands quantity of goods
1 did want. All, then, I see at once
what II means the operation finished,
L find L have exchanged the goods ]
bad for another set Of things. There is
q certain quality in human nature
which finds It's way into human society,
and it is this We cannot make all onr
things 10 ourselves. There must be q
division OF employments, division of
makings. One says 81 will make hats
if you will make shoes" Another says
81 will make coats." 4 third says
" l will make carts" And in human
life all these things must be exchanged
somehow. The man is not going to
give his horse for the hat. That would
not do at all. Well" says the halter
to the other person with whom he is
trading, "there is something reason
able in that. The horse cost you a
great length of time il care, plenty of
corn, plenty Of hay SO it won't do to
give it for the hat. We must have some
principle of exchange" And then he
discovers that this little thing which l
SHOW to you is tool. And, gentle
men, from the first word I say to you
now to the last word 1 say TO you, l
wish you never to look on the currency
as anything else than tool of exchange
and all the mess, and all the disorder,
and all the utter confusion on this sub.
ject is that people will not submit to
grasp the idea that this thing was in
vented as a machine for exchanging
goods, and for nothing else--nothing