Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-05-01
BE- brought up in the nurture aud admonitioI
of the Lord.
TIE LIBERAL UNION MEETING.

At the lecture by j. L. York at Turner
Hall last evening there was good attend
! ance. The subject considered was, 1.-The
Ministry OF Wealth and the Tyranny of
Money" The speaker said: There is g min.
istry Of wealth which gladdena the poor
mans heart, and like ministry of good an.
gels, scatters blessings in his pathway; and
there Is q ministry of wealth which, through
greed and seihshness. rcbs labor, the only
true means of wealth. cripples industries. in
creases competition in the means of life, and
drawing all to itself becomes a ministry of
devils. The state of society which produces
mi!lionaires and paupers at the rate we are
doing to-day carnot be healthful state
These great extremes in society are sources of
widespread evil. In the providence of ma
ture the great object of life is comfort and
happiness, AID to this end the means, or 8
chance to produce the means of life, is the
greatest proolen o: any age, and as produc
ton sustaius life aud promotes happiness, let
me ask what are the means of production :?
Land, labor and capital are the three great
factors or means of life And all means
which tend to a better distribution of land,
labor and capital are friendly TO our race, and
every means which tend 80 sharpen conpeti
ton, centralizs wealth and lessen the chances
Tor Independent lie must be counted the en-
enies of our race. The monopoly Of land
the primary means of life, is the death knell
Of production. Lsndlordism in land is q
great crime against God and Insu. To take
away life by violence Is 3 crime; SO also
to rob s people Of the means Of life
by hook or crook or legal deviltry Is crime.
Blackstone treats of no title except that in
py1t. n x,in1apca farms fLa ErSt liplx .,1
is no other title, save that of the strong
against the weak to & single acre of soil The
title to land. wafer aud air. is il God, and no
where has Gcd or nature given any rig hit to
monoPohse these great elements of life,
Henry George says that the great cause of the
inequality in the distribution of wealth, is
the Inequality in the ownership OF land. But
there is no remedy IL that direction, as own
ership depends upon tbs means to purchase
the soil, hence ownership must always be up-
equal. The true cause Of inequality in the
distribution or wealth is not SO much owner
ship as it is in the occupation of land. Own
ership is the angel OF poverty which stands in
the poor mans way aud prevents occupation
of the soil. Norman should own the soil, and
the State should only exercise the right to say
now much land man and family may occupy,
and instead Of giving the lands to corporate
bodies, should hold them il trust as COM
mon inheritance for the peoples occupation.
Another great agent and instrument in the
distribution of wealth is money, hence uni
form medium of exchange sufficient in vol
ume TO meet the wants of the people is
matter of 10 small moment. All means by
which the volume of money or currency is
depressed. and ths rate OF interest increased
robs labor of its wages and thus dspresses the
only means Of honest wealth. Money is not
q commodity but q creation of law, and as
such possesses the only true value as
medium of exchange, measure of values and
token of wealth.
The true value of money consists and de-
pends more upon its functions Of exchange
than upon tie substance out of which it is
made, ard its legal attribute gives it its trus
value aud right use. Any other value at
tached to money IS fctitiois. The doctrine
that money Is commo i;ty, AID subject to
the law of supply and demand. to be regula-
ted in volume, or increased in PURCHASING
power. by bankers and brokers' cc,rr,ez with
it the elements of Oppression and tyrannv of
money.