New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-10-29
NOT LIHELy no ROB THfMSELTES.

The notion that the United States Govern
ment can "create money! at will has led
10 some OF the worst and widest demands OF
the Giecuhack party. The absurdity OF the
notion Ought to DC apparent to every sane
man; IA Colonel Ingcrsol has asked, :" Ii the
d" Government can create money what bust
ness has it TO tax anybody! Let it make all
"thc money il wants" Any tax whatever
would bc outrageous injustice. If the Govern
ment could create money for all its expenses.
As we'll might old ocean ask for the loan Of
some water, or the go trotting around
"to borrow Il candle" In fact if the people
rs a whole can create money what sense Is
there IN doing any work Why not
use the Government to create for
every citizen all the money he wants
10 support him in idle luxury, and let all in
dustry cease The Government is ours. II
we can get rid Of all need of labor, or busi-
ness, or risk, Icy clubbing together as Ma
lion and creating" all the money We can
USE in the name of common sense why stop
short with creation merely sufficient to
meet the public debts2 For men of ordinary
sense If would seem TO be hardly necessary to
demonstrate that one cannot lift himself nv
his own boot-stTaps. Neither can nation of
individuals really "payr any debt or any
expense by printing paper money in their
collective capacity. and forcing eaclf other to
take the paper instead of cash. BY that
process ihc people can only borrow money or
steal Il 4; they can take IT from those who
possess money or property, but can create
not the tloUsandth part OF one cent.
But the Greenhack party, in its officially
published tract entitled " Meat for Men," is
sued from the " Headquarters National Green
% back party" not only demands that all
United States bonds outstanding shall be
burned and declares that. il the bOndbolder
refuses to take pay III fiat money the Green
back party will strike for reputation OF the
entire debt Il; It continues (page -: Let
" him rave, and his financial damnation rest
OH his own dishonest head. We will have
"nO bonds of any kind issued by the Coy
eminent. 1t is wrong to labor for the Gov
eminent 10 take interest out of the pockets
Of the people, for money it Is proved the
" Government has the supreme power to Gre
"ate.p
Jones the workingmap, has been frugal and
thrifty. and by many years of hard labor he
has accumulated a thousand dollars. This
money he UlS IL ElpHt W bDtHu, DuL uOE-
ernment ia in need and asks a loan to help
il SUPPRESS rebellion. For the use OF the
money, it offers per cent yearly. Jones
could get G per cent by lending TO friend,
but thinks IL will he safer 10 trust the Gov
eminent Then comes a demagogue, calling
himself a Greenbacker, and tells Jones that
his Government is robbing him. the iaborer,
by paying any interest to him, the bOndholder
..Why did Government borrow my money, if
cit could really create by a stroke of
the pen all that | earned and saved Z"
Jones will ask. The demagogue answers,
" Because the Government was managed in the
interest OF dishonest bondhOlders." AS Jones
bappens TO know that to be he. it Is very
| probable that he will not vote the Greenback
ticket. And the number OF workingmen like
Jones, whose LIES savings are largely invested
in Government bonds, either directly or
through savings banks and insurance aud
trust compaHies, happens to be greater than
the whole number of families in several of
the Eastern States, and just such men as
Jones are the majority Of all the voters in
| every State east of the Alleghanies. The
demagogue will hardly get them to rob them
| selves,