The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-06-09

not disposed to 60, because that is rs far
as the case presents judicial questions.
Further than this, let the law Of supply
and demand govern the parties. The
field, open to either, is wide.
GBEENBACKERS OF OLDEN TIMES.
80 little do the general public know Of
history that they ysuppose the now prom
inent financial ideas Of the National
Greenbackers are entirely new, and .
kind Of craze, instigated by real or sup
posed injury inflicted upon them by the
bond and bank system Of the day. This
state Of mind springs mainly from two
causes first, carelessness in reading
early history, or lack Of such reading
at all and second, the important fact,
that every possible effort is made by the
money-lending, stock-iobbing. specu-
lating classes to mislead all others as to
the principles Of money and finance.
These classes, which have both money
and leisure, use the leisure in lnying
schemes for dcceiving tile people. and
the money to carry out their plans.
Though these plans IRE born Of cold
selfishness, as stiff and chilling as q
northern iceberg, and as sure finally to
bring disaster and ruin upon their au-
thors, as well rs upon all others, yet
they are pursued with relentlessness
worthy Of far better cause. To this
end, not only is that almost invincible
power, the press, controlled and used as
far as possible. but our hooks are cor
rupted with the most barefaced false
hoods and Misrepresentation of history,
and the professorships Of our high
schools, colleges and universities are
filled with men indoctrinated with politi-
cal falsities. In this far. seeing work
the English money-lenders and free
traders take bold hand, while Ameri-
cans tamely submit.
Hence, under all circumstances, it is
not very strange that people are 50 gen.
orally in the dark on these great qucs-
tions, though 50 vital to their own pros
perity and happiness. It is, perhaps,
the most important work Of the present
age to overcome the influence referred
to, and lead the people into the light oi
truth.
We will give few facts in proof Of an
early knowledge Of the true character
Of money and the principles involved in
its use as medium of exchange.
Many other substances beside gold
and silver have been used for money
since very ancient times, and the money,
when made legal tender, by law Or
common consent, fully answered the
purpose for which it was created, re-
gardless Of the intrinsic value Of the
material of which it was made. As late
Is 1874, Holland made money Of paste
board. It was cheaper and answered rs
well as gold and silver. The Chinese
have used various materials, beside pa
per. Seven hundred years before the
Christian era, Rome made money oi
leather and wood, and it passed current
as readily rs ever gold or silver did.
France used leather money as late a.
1860. and the Spaniards used the same
kind Of money at different periods. SO
it was in a great many instances that
could he cited, where the fact or princi-
ple was demonstrated that any material
which the people might select could be
successfully used as a medium Of cx-
change, or money. Lycurgus, the great
law-giver, proved this, as we have re-
Gently stated, where he coined and made
legal tender of iron.
Jonathan Duncan, the historian, says:
Zone Of the earliest plans adopted t.
surmount the difficulty Of creating and
keeping medium Of exchange, was ths
creation Of national currency III each In
dependent state for internal trade the
distinctive characteristic Of this money
was in the total absence Of intrinsic value
which effectually prevented its exporta'
ton. This left the precious metals K
be wholly employed in settling the bal
ance Of foreign trade. Thus the cities
Of Byzantirm and Clazomen@ made iror
money for their own citizens, which
circulated ut home for the value stamped
on its face by public authority"
Plato, who tried to help his fellow-be
ings as much Us possible, recommended
that each nation should have two kind,
Of currency; Zone having value in tn,
state, but, affirm, must have no valu.
to the rest Of the world" But, fo
foreign use, travelling, ETC., Plato pro
posed coin Of intrinsic value, which
would pass current everywhere. Casa
had money made redeemable in taxes
but in none Of these cases was the none,
intended for common use made redeem
able in gold or silver coin. It was tn,
creenback idea money of itself alon,
"A legal tender for taxes and dues.
One Of the most remarkable case
known. and the nearest like our green
back currency, is related by Sir Johl
Vaudeville, OF England, who, Will
travelling in Asia in the fourteenth cent
ury, found the description Of an ancien
fiat paper money, which is believed +
have been used 1000 or 5000 years pre-
yious by the great Chan of Persia an
Tartary. The account given is by Jevo
in his "Money and Mechanism Of Ez
change" as follows:
"This Emperoure may dispenden al.
mocho . he vile, withouten estyma
cioun. For he dispendeth not, he max
9th money, out Of lether emprented, o.
Of papyre. And Of that money, is son
Of gretter prys, and som OF lessr prys
attire the dyvesitur Of his statutes. Ant
whsn that money hath rome SO long,
that It begynneth to waste, then meI
beren it to the Emperoure's Treasurye
and then thei taken newe money for til,
old, and that money goethe thorghe OH
I'll the contree and thorghe out oil hi
PROVINCES. For there and beyond hen
thei max no money, nouther Of gold no
sylver."
Il i evident that tho people had sui
Tered for the want OF money; that gol'
and silver money had fed to other coun
tries, % Is 90 often the case, and thel
statutes had been made by the grea
Chan, or Emperor, to provide leather Q
paper money-not promise to pay gol'
and silver on demand, but real money
which was renewed at the treasury whe
worn by use, just as greenbacks are r.
newed to-day. Those Asiatic Govern