The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-10-14
Baron Goerz. the Rlushaeker.

IL was on DeauHful JAY morning In lIl5,
In villa near the Holsten city OF Kiel, that
Baron Goerz said to q friend In answer to
remonstrance at bis going to Stockhol "Why
hing Charles the Twelfth of Sweden, has
asked me to be his prime ministsr."
he is rash and whimsical man, and the
treasury is empty" was the reply.
"Ah' but l know how to I'LL it," said the
baron. 81 have long studied the question, and
know now sure way of making govern
ment rich"
Goerz had written a number of pamphlets
on finance, one of which, entitled "The true
money of civilized country" had created q
profound sensation 10 Europe. In this PAM
phlet he advocated principles identical with
those of the American fiaters of this day.
Every governm ent should make It's own cur
rency and enforce its circulation" was one of
its declarations. The hard-headed old frederick
William the first of Prussia, said: "The man
who wrote this is a dangerous lunatic." Bat
Charles the Twelfth of Sweden, thought other
wise He was q daredevil soldier, as ignorant
as he was brave, and like sucb was always
plnched for money.
In the year above mentioned he was so
pressed by his innumerable creditors that be
wrote an autograph letter to baron Goerz ip-
viting him to become his prime minister. Go.
err accepted, and went to Stockholm 10 Noyem-
Der OF 1715, the month of the fall elections, be
ii noticed.
He at once began to revolationize the govern
ment, and jast as the Nationals want TO. fat
an unO, fat IN onlneS. The baron abolished
parliament, deprived the mobiles of their privi-
leges, and leaned upon the peasantry. In other
words he made au end Of constitutional gov-
ernment-asing the word not in its pestifeious,
but literal sense. The bugbears Of class ana
monopoly and limited action were wiped aWay
into dead level, that, had it no warrant for
its action, i'm nediately made a warrant by
passing law to that efect-national doctrine
to the dot of an i.
The Baron became immensely popular, aud
oo the strength OF this he began to carry bis
financial 6atism into action. He caused ten
millions of dollars to be struck off on blue and
green paper.
Those notes, which are nov very rare, had
this inscription;
ROYAL SWEDISH CURRENCY"
''HE WHO REFUSES TO TAKE THIS BILL
AT IT'S FULL VALUE WILL SUFFER DEATH"
The Prime Minister cent notice to the rich
men at Stockholm that they would have TO sur
render their gold and silver in exchange for the
at Stockholm that they would have to surren-
der their gold and silver in exchange for the
paper currency. This order was received with
q great deal Of grumbling. 10 two or three in-
stances violent resistance was offered to its en-
forcement The culprits, however were sam
marily punished. Two of them were beheaded,
and the third was banished from the country.
Government emissaries secured the whole
country for gold and silver. In three months
there were eight million dollars in coin in the
royal treasury. Charles the Twelfth was de-
lighted. He had never had so much money in
his life. He immediately organized three new
regiments of infantry. and began to talk about
declaring war against Germany and England.
But the people began to get restless. Prices
rose. The necessaries Of life became excessively
dear. Trade and industry stagusot. In Nor
way the psople refused to give up their gold
aud silver, and threatened to sever their connec-
ton with Sweden entirely. This SO txasper-
ated King Charles that he organized an expi-
dition against Norwegians for the ayowed par-
pose of laying waste the country. This was
the condition of affairs in 1718 when fat mon
ey had existed for nearly three years War
was inaugurated. Charles was killed at Fried
erickshslle, the first place besleged. Goerz,
who had remained In Stockholm, was thrown
into prison BY Charles successor, tried for high
treason, and early in 1719, beheaded, because, as
his sentence read, she had dishonored the ma
tional faith, and fatally injured the financial
credit OF Sweden, n,"-Iudisnapoli News.