, 1875-01-03

ana We aS-ee With him fully, ''Ihot, IN the VaiI
Attempt to prolubit the ugo OF Intoxicating
liquors, the temperance people have neglected
] many practical measures for lossouing tho mis-
use, which is all they have any business with"
| As 4 second illustration. VIC will take Mr
Nordhof's chnpter on t.More Greenbacks.' -
There is here, too, great deal more Of financial
| wisdom than is to be found among the acquisi,
| tions Of many toys three times 1G years old
| h1r. kordhoH tells his readers that, il bauiel
| claimed he might issue 9l01.000 in bills, or
| the plea that he had no money or properly At gil
with which to redeem theu1 he would be rightly
! thought fool and, il he pcrsis.cd in such an
aosurdity, be would bo sent by his friends to =
| lunatic asylum It he should demand besides,
that these bills which he desires to issue should
be declared legal-tender, no doubt ho would
be put into etralt-jacket or sent to the in
crrable ward. and the loSeat attendant in the
aaylum would laugh at him rs m absurd
creature !; for it woula require very lttle brains
to sec his blunder. But this is precisely what
the Government does in issuing greenbacks
It Issues promises to pay the plea that it has
no money and it makes them legal-terder be-
CAUSE they ara not good"
Another subiec. which every ono ought to un-
deGstand is the effect Of usury 1aws. This Mr.
Nordhon very happily illustrates. It is 10 mora
reasonable to prescribe tho rate nt which loans
shall be made, than to fix tho rate at which
houses shall be rented. Tho rate, in both in
stances, must be- regulated by tho ratio OF the
demand to the supply. Usury laws are intended
for the benefit Of the poor; but, ultimately, it
IS, AZ 41r. Nordhof saya, tho poor man who is
injured by them; just ultimately it is tho
poor man who is benefited by the power to bor-
row OF which usury laws deprive him, in sending
money E1lera there are no usury LAWS at all, or
where money eau be loaned ut higher ru.e.
Among the duties Of American citizens, our
author impresses on his boy that it is his
duty to act generally With some political party :;
but, when tho party noulinates bad man, he
tells him to vote against him. This is sound ad-
vice, and might bo adopted without injury by
those who habitually try to play the part Of In
depcndeuts,-an impossible rolo.
There are some few points in which We do not
feel disposed to agree with Nr. Nordhon. Wo
disagree with him, for instance, when he says
that Governments are d necessary owl, and that
their necessity arises out Of the selhshness and
stupidity Of mankind. Now, wo do not think
that Governments are necessary evil. Were
there neither seldshness nor stupidity amongst
men, Governments would DO still very neces-
sary,-necessazy to accomplish, for the good of
all, what no individual could do for
himself. The view Of Mr. Munford, that
neither the Nation nor Government is
an evil, because eyil, in it's necessary
character, ID not formative because 1t creates
nothing and produces nothing, but only con-
sunes and destroys because it has in itself no
elements Of order, and can Ibrins forth none,-
$Cf1 f+nr$ $4,nn 1fN 16~f4n %,x
also, that our writer is too hasty in condemning
State-ownership OF railroads., and IN recommend
ing that every child be compelled to attend, net
q school, but the public or free school Of his
district, from 10 to II years OF age. However
advisable compulsory education may be, It il
scarcely to be counseled that parents shall be .
compelled to send their children to any particu-
lar school So long as child receiTes good
education, it matters ttlo Wne1o it obtans it.
Even in Germany, parents are allowed to edu-
cate their children where they will. It is
consonant with our political views rs
people, or with our ideas Of liberty, to
to the extent recommended b7 Mr.
Nordhoh, with parental choice OF An educational
wlAtover might bo the incidental
advantages OF having nll the children Of dis
trict educated in the sarne school, from ths age
Of 10 to the age Of II.
We have not spaco to pass in review the many
points treated by Mr.. Nor3hof.-the evils of i'll
defined responsibility OF officials the absurtlity
and danger of attempts It non-partisan govern
mont, so-called; the wisdom Of allowing eyen
those who have no property to vote; the Ques-
hon Of the appointment by their chief OF officers
to tho Executive or Of their election;
he nature and use Of money banks, banking and !
credit; corporations, etc.,-on Ill which points |
10 conveys solid instruction in s. plain, simple, !
Ind direct way. Mr. NordhoE4s book is not |
written for statesmen, nor for advanced stu |
ients. It is written for the people, old ns wei. |
.s young, but especially fos the latter; Every
7ouug man preparing to vote should have it. It
gathers together 1nass of information and of |
principles which can be obt1ined elsewhere only
y vadins through many large and 1bstruso |
reatises. Herein lies it, CHIEF axcsllence and /
7ery great utility.