New-York tribune., 1877-11-10

moment one crosses the line between the world oi
affairs and the world of theories, which relate to
money and subjects kindred to it, his whole nature
seems changed. He has drunk OF the cup Of Gree.
tall le is deprived alike Of sense and reason Ricardo
possessed in an eminent degree the gift of money
making. and undoubtedly ranked high as man of
affairs. He, however 10 sooner took up his pen
than he seemed aSicnHy DISCHARGED Of oH reasoning
tdcuiig I'm the same sentence lie couid affirm propo-
Nuons exactly opposed the one 10 the other, without
the least perception Of their Incoumuity.' The
reader will not often fan upon Gnerbt Of criticism
than that, shewd. quiet, suggestive, and seii-Te-
strained
But perhaps the best thing in the critical way
which Nh Poor offers us, is his explanation Of the
fact so often observed but accounted for that
Scotclmcn are wholly incapable of analysis, unable
to conduct an argument through even single
paragraph without involving themselves m tie
grosscst mistakes and contradictions. To what IS
this apparent fcebeness Of intellect this inability to
make even ordinary distinctions, and this passion
for finding them where no differences exist ducf'
MI Poor asks this, but hc does Lot really expect
any OF his readers to tell He knows well enough
that they cannot. lie only puts il III that way to
arouse attention; and SO, without even walt
ing for second edition, lac goes right on
and says: NO other explanation can De
given than the uniformity in religious dogma winch
so long prevailed in their country. The reasoning
faculty Of her people was, as 1t were, lost Tor want
Of proper subjects lor its exercise, or from its I'M
proper exercise Now, comprehensive as that 49,
it is perfectly IutoHcblc. Ii Scotchmen have lost
their reasoning faculty. as il were, Of course they
cannot conduct an argument: and it was. II We may
say So folly ex-oficio for Hume Smith. Stewart, ana
MtCulloch, "ali Scotchmen,' as MIR. Poor with his
usual biographical accuracy and comprchenarehe s,
says. to undertake 90 write on money.
The pleasure which the reader derives from seeing
50 large a amount of frerbutvej justice dealt outina
single volume. il marred in one way only, namely.
by omission Mr. Poor fails to castigate the French,
Italian and German economists they deserve, ana
for q reason which, with profound Difference, ana III
the face of scientific methods wholly peculiar We
venture to regard As founded on mistake " 1t Is
hardly necessary to take INFO account Continental
writers upon the subject of money. None OF them
have treated, to any considerable extent, Of SYM
bolic currcncies. When these are referred to- Adam
Smith seems to have been implicitly followed The
most distinguished of them is Jeau-Baptisle say
NJ say, here aliuded 10, died at ripe old age.
forly-fve years ago. Since then. several writers,
quite as eminent as Of those Mr. Poor properly
cIa,tises, have written upon what the work before
Us terms " symbolic money! "Doyou know now
said Mr.. Pecksnh folding his hands and looking
over his young relative with an air of pensiyc in-
tere,t "that | should very much like to sec
your notion Of a cow-houscI' T. A pump continued
the moral architect, " Is very cha.te practice
The reader cannot fll to regret that he has Do Nj.
Poor's notion cf Roswag Knies and Gcycr of R'.-i,
Cou1cee-scueuil, and dippolytc Passy; while be
reflection will necessarily occur that any one or all
of these would afford ,ery ,..asto practice to Mr..
Poor's new aud different scientific methods But
though Mr. Poor gives up nine-enths of his book 10
notices of Others cannot in this humble efort to
recognize genius, tolerate the same disproporiion.
Let Us then proceed 10 ask what is the fundamental
principle Of our authors system.
When q large ard important subject, having been
trifel with for more than two thousand years
after the manner of Aristotle and the Schools is
i'm 1877, opened on purely scientific principles
something Of a treat may he expected The reader !
looks eagerly on. while Mr.. Poor, girGed for his |
sacred Office proceeds, so to speak, 10 tap the pos
opliv Of money: and. rs the full sweetness aud
strength which have been maturing and femeuting
through the ages gush forth under the blow which
our author deals firmly but gently as hrs custom is
who can forbear 20 excaim. Here's richness indeed
Aud anon Mr. Poor lifs the foaming goblet to our !
lips: "As the precious metals are always in de- |
maud al the OF their production their value is
absolute, depending upon condition, cost. That |
of all other articles is relative depending upon two
conditions, demand and cost"
That, II. That's the Genuine Stunning and no |
mistake nor is there need 90 demand with Copper |
field. with good head to 1t, if YOU please a |
good head, forsooth! Pent up for ages, working
like a blind Samson in its musty prson-housc |
yearaing with yeasty yehcmence TO break forth 20
bless mankind, the Genuine Stunning, when il does
come, comes with phiz and a bang that are almost
too much at first, for weak nerves. And, "if you
,,tooea foot A. Mr.. Poor COUld leiU If
Here we have, at last, tbc truth about money.
This is what Aristotle never found out much less
Adam Smith or Ricardo captious critic Of All
acute but unscicntiGc mind, might cav at the word
absolute lie might say for instance, that he fails
to understand how that can be absolute which de-
pends even though it be upon one thing only. III |
deed he might call in Senator COnkling 10 testify
that. if anything can make man nearly absolute
il il to depend on q few millions Of his fellow
creatures, while to hang upon single cord IS de
pendence indeed, in it's worst form. But this would
be TO speak after the manner of Aristotle and the
Schools" Down with such petty, carpHg criticism. !
Justly has our author denounced the method Of re-
solving deep questions by verbal distinctions Very
likely lie intended, i'm this particular instance, to
show his contempt for monetary diaectics and logo
machy by using the word absolute just in that |
way. IRE TRIBUNE Will follow Mr. Poor. lie saysab- |
solute says il in his most absolute manner says it in
capitals, and absolute it shall he. The value of !
silver, then TO take one of the precious metals for
convenience OF reasoning, is absolute, depending
upon one thing only-the cost of production.
What is the cost Of production of syerg is il the
value of the iron, and wood and quicksilver used
of the con and pork, aud coffee, and tobacco con-
sumed by the miners, Of the clothes they and
the hints that shelter them! II caunot be- because
this vould make the value Of silver 10 be relative