The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-10-09
Col. IngersOn on Money.

Col. Ingerson on Money.
If Col Ingersoll's religious belief is as
baseless and illogical as his money theory,
there 10 not much danger that his creed
will materially affect Christianity. Speak
ing of money he says: ,r
Nothing ever has been money, from the
most barbarous to the most civilized. un-
less it was product Of nature, and a
something to which the people among
whom it passed as money attached cer-
tain value, value not dependent upon
Law, not dependent upon Stat" in any de-
gree. Hr
Nothing has ever been considered mon
ey that man could produce.
Shades of Moses and his errors!
Is the chunk of quartz blasted from the
rocks of the Sierras, money? ----5
After it is crushed and placed in the
crucible, is it money?
After the metal containing several alloys
is precipitated. is it money?
After the pure gold has been cast into
bar, Is II money?
Shave off 25.S grains, nine tenths fine, ia
that money? .
Pass it through the mint, and behold,
an Eagle! Now is it money. But who
created and named it, and breathed into its
form the soul of money-legal tender?
Again:
{ You cannot live upon the promises OF
your government any more than you
could live upon the notes of your hired
man-any more than you could live upon
bond issued By the occupants of the
county poor house.
Neither can you live upon gold any
more than you can upon the gravel that
covers the dead body of the pauper.
And right here wish to ask one ques-
tion, and would like to have il answered
some time: If the government can make
money, lift can create money, if by put.
ting its sovereignty upon a piece of paper
it can create absolute money, why should
the government collect taxes?
Because, not lonly the constitution but
the public good eDjoin upon congress the
duty of regulating the value of money, and
its value can only be regulated by regulat.
ing its volume. A constant increase OF
money to the extent required to meet the
public expenditures, would depreciate its
value 10 the injury of creditors and CON
tracing parties. When the volume is am
pie, its value can be kept uniform only BY
deiraying the public expenses out of the
existing volume.
But here is something rich-worthy o.
the critic of Moses and Jehovah:
Another thing: If the government car
create money simply by stamping what
they are pleased to call its sovereignty up.
on a piece of paper, why should it waste
that sovereignty on one dollar bill; why
not create ten dollar bill. hundred, {
Thousand, million2 Why should w
stop? .,,.
Solomon tells us to answer fool accord
ing to his folly: So we reply by asking
other questions equally as foolish:
IfGod created all things by the fat O
His infinite sovereignty, why did He vast
His energies and powers on feas, lice gnat
and other in6inItesmal organisms?
Why did He make millions of suns ant
billions Of worlds? Why did He not mel
all the suns into one grand orb, and tn,
myriads of planets into one monstrou
world, and inhabit with giants ten mile
high and eight miles around the waist?
Why not ell the sea with few mon
strous whales, instead of fooling away tim
on clubs and minnows? .a-
And here is another extract:
The other day had conversation will
one of the principal gentlemen upon tina
side, and told him: Whenever you cal
successfully palm off on man a bill Of
fare for dinner, shall believe in you
doctrine; and when can satisfy the pang
of hunger, by reading cook book, I shal
join your party.
A man can make about as square mes
of greenbacks as he can of gold. Neithe
would digest well, but one will exchang
for good dinner as readily as the othe,
and always would.
Col. Ingersoll is no doubt in favor of tn
soldiers petition, for if their pay and rati
ons consisted only of the "bill of fare," tn
government is in duty bound to suppl
them yet with the real "shoddy" and char
tack" which it promised.
In speaking of the hard times, Col. In
gersoll denies that there is or ever has bee
any ffering or loss for the wanto of moi
money. He says:
We have plenty Of money but not epoug
business. The reason We have not enong
business is, we have not enough confdenc
and the reason we have not confidence
because the market is slowly falling, an
the rerson it is slowly falling is that thinl
have not quite resumed, that we have n,
quite touched the absolute bed rock {
valuation. Another reason is, :those WI
left the cultivation of the soil have n
yet all returned, and they are living son
upon their wits, some upon their relative
some upon charity and some upon Grim
In short, times are hard because produ
ers still get trifle too much for the
products. Prices are falling. and whit
they get down to bed rock, business wi
boom confidence Will be restored, and '
shall be happy. The farmers are sufferil
, because those who left the cultivation
the soil during the war have not yet o
returned to compete with them.
Too high prices makes too little bus
ness.
Too high prices destroys confidence