Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-09-19
From Gen. Garfield. Speech in Boston


There were three things our fathers put
Into the Constitution, which they evidently
believed Congress could do. They said
Congress shall have the power To TX the
standard OF weights and measures and to
coin money, and declare the value OF mon
ey when coined. Let Us stop for 4 moment
and try 10 get down TO these fundamental
ideas. What can Congress do about
standard OF measures: Can 1t create meas
uress What Is a standard OF measure: It.
l. something which measures call exten-
sion, length, breadth or hight. Who made
extension: Did Congress create il! Did
human law invent It: Extension is a pow
er OF the elements which belong to the un-
iverse, as independent OF human laws as
the stars above the earth are independent
OF II. applause Can you conceive of
such thing as a Legislature creating
length? Unless, indeed. length of session.
(Laughter.l
This is what the law can do. Ii can take
something that has length and name il a
yard; It can separate that into three equal
parts and call each part foot; II can sep
arate that into twelve equal parts and call
each part an inch, but it can no more create
length than 1t could create the universe. 1t
can subdivide and name the subdivision
and the standard, but IL can create none Of
the elements which go to make up extern
sion (Appiause.) Fry to conceive OF some
one giving a standard OF weights which has
no length in Itself. The thing Is iuconceiy-
able. challenge the Intelligence of any
man who hears me 10 think Of such thing
as measure OF weight which has no length
IN Itself. Suppose YOU were to say that the
light which CLEANS from the burner shall
be called foot. Suppose Il lady to say,
VIII name the fragments OF a moss rose 10
be the standard Of foot; does that mean
! anything! Ii Is inconceivable. No, by laws
higher than human legislation, length,
depth, hight were created; men can only
name, and declare 1t length, and so with
weight. When Congress came to the bus
lness OF fixing a standard OF weight. it
could not create weight, but it could take
apiece OF metal-that has weight indeed
and name 1t pound; it can subdiyide il
Into 10 parts, and call each one an ounce,
but II could not create weight unless the
weight was there. (Applause.)
Now let US get an idea OF value This is
little more complicated. q little more ab-
stract than length or weight, but neyerthe-
less what you and believe BY value, what
the world calls value, Is the same. and all
qualities that enter into 1t are the same
Your merchandise has value for the auali-
ties which are in IL; your grain, your pro-
value for the exchangeable qualities in il,
and In rule seeking a measure for that
value. ask any man who hears me to-
mig ut II it De conceivable that you can meas
ure value by that which has no value in it,
self, tapplause) any more than you can
measure length by that which has no
length, or weight by that which has no
weight? .t ..-... ......
defy any man to describe that opera
tion OF mind by which you can conceive
measure OF value that III itself has no val-
ue. recoilect once 10 have read a singu-
lar sentence from Horace Greeley, from his
book on political economy, in which ne said
he did not know but IL was possible 70 get
standard OF values that was not 50 costly
as coin. For instance" said he, Il sup.
pose gold yard-stick would be q very nice
thing 10 have, but 1t would be a costly
yard-stick; think We might have one OF
India ubber, or Of wood, or Of iron that
would answer just as well IL it would meas.
ure just as exact. Certainly, we could. but
can you have a yardstick that has no lengthf
III you can you cannot have measure Of
values tnat has no value, ii Is inconceiva-
Bile (sppiause) and the fiat Of law cannot
give it value. But then some one comes
Ia at this point and says that J., all very
well as q matter Of philosophy. bll sup
pose, Mr.. Garfield, you probably have a
dollar bill in your pocket and with it you
can 60 and buy a shovel, cannot you9 Do
you say. therefore, that you can buy it
with something that has no value? How
Is it, does not every dollar bill refute the
theory you have offered" Not In the least,
you will follow me moment further.
what IL Paper Money
So called? Is it money? 1t is a title to
money. deed to money, but is not mon
ey. Your farmer has his deed for q hun.
drsd acres OF land; is that the land? 1t IL
paper, but 1t Is his evidence Of title that he
owns the farm. Suppose you wanted to
buy bis farm; you look at his deed. the
frst question you raise is it genuine or
counterfeit? Ii you find that it is genuine,
that it has been issued BY the requisite au-
th0rity then you still have another ques-
tiOn.g YOas see it calls for one hundred
acres Of land. but you send . survey or out,
he traces the lines he takes the angles : he
makes the measurements, and when he has
come back with his meas0ssmeat and do
clares there is in the within boundaries
described one hundred acres of land then
the deed Is the evidence Of all it pretends