The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-09-15

nave only 10 ask writers to avoid perSonali-
ties and abuse.
. ROCHESTER, Mimi, Sept. 4, rs.
II: Il: Young, Editor Grange Advance.
In answer to your personal request
that l should state my views on the
subject of the Resolutions contained in
the article headed "The Financial
Question:" in your issue Of the 25th of
= August, wish to say that it is with
considerable reluctance that say any
thing about it, for two or three reasons.
First, while haze an opinion upon
the subject, l confess that I do not
know enough about it, and am not suf-
6ciently certain in my own mind as to
what is best, to care to intrude my
ideas upon the public.
Second, I do not suppose that it is Of
any Importance whatever to anybody
but myself, as to what I may think
about it.
Third, it not being question that
can be Influenced by the election this
fall, except indirectly and remotely, it
seems to me that an extended discus
sion of it at this time is premature.
Nevertheless as you desire it, will
state a few propositions bearing upon
the matter that have served as basis
for my own conclusions.
Gold and silver money is the standard
currency Of the world; therefore any
country attempting to establish for it.
self a different currency, and one not
convertible into gold and silver at will
and at par, necessarily places itself in
an exceptional attitude to the rest of
the world, and must as necessarily, in
these days Of rapid transit and univer-
sal exchange Of products between all
countries, place itself at disadvantage.
The familiar transactions Of every day
= life between man and man are full Of
illustrations Of this proposition, and
need not even be cited.
We cannot isolate ourselves if We
would, but must conform in the matter
Of trade and commerce to the trading
and commercial world around US, and
when We buy from abroad we must pay
in their currency or it's equivalent.
The evils Of attempted isolation grow
ing out of the protective tariff system
have been sufficiently marked, without
trying the same disastrous experiment
in another direction still more certainly
fraught with ruinous consequences.
But this does not necessarily mean
the abolition of paper currency. All
that it dees mean is that paper cur
rency, whatever its form, ought to be at
par With gold and silver currency.
have never yet been able to see why
the proposition contained in the first
resolution in the article alluded to
(Treasury notes instead of bank notes
is not correct, and have always been at
less to account for the introduction
of tie bank-note system, in place of the
Treasury note.
By what system Of reasoning it can
be made to appear that the government
or the people gain anything by selling
bonds and paying interest in gold upon
them in order that a bank may issue
currency upon the bonds,-instead Of
destroying the bonds and issuing Treas.
ury notes in their place. have neve,
been able to comprehend. I suppose
it is Financial mystery known only
to bankers, and one they do not care to
explain.
The policy, also, Of making green
backs legal tender tor what / may
owe you, and not q legal tender to the
government, has always seemed to me
TO be bad. The government thus dis
credits its own notes, and yet compels
you and me to take its discredited pa
= per. 1t has always appeared to me
that it would have been better if the
government had consented to take its
own notes, even if thereby it would lie
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