The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-12-23

|, s,,v IN the scarcity Of money and the oe'
lnrsss,ons ~ business industries, hire them
selves 10 york for others ct farming, when
| n money were plenty they might engage N
the euterprise themselves by buying iano
Through The usual channels OF credit
Vbaf have we witnessed. without explaua'
ItionY A protracted and obstinate depression
In the value Of lands, far below all prece.
dents: and vet Il Is said we have plenty o.
money. Two things rebut this asser'
| ton The average banking ana CONNER
cjal rate OF interest IL from 0 to per GEMS
and the aggregate circulation Is much De
| low that which existed before the war
And vet the operations OF trade have Dc
come much greater. ~ t....,l..,
But Il IL useless TO point out commercial
disorders that wIll only be attributed 10
ANYTHING but the governments interference
with credit Ia the shape OF currency.
The Government was not instituted 10
mnrlv our wants, or 10 work our fields, or
TO direct or commerce, IL was estaoiisheu
10 gr1lrantee these rights to all. IL does
not give these privileges that are inherent
RIGHTS OF man, but was Instituted 10 regu-
late them so that they should be equally
encouraged and enforced, according 20 the
contracts and undertakings OF the people
n the Government interposes In the busi-
ness of trade, II 1t takes charge ana con-
troll OF the least OF Its interests because soine
arrangement exists, II Is implied tnat II can !,
remedy the difficulty; and u tnis De true, II
should prevent recurrence OIL 'ne troup'o;
But can Il do It? Do not deran8emehts y,
trade remedy themselves better than VIII
any other agency on earth tDat can os
called on? II is true stay-laws are resorte9
TO 70 arrest the process OF compliance WIZ,
obligations at times OF great commerclal
trouble. Bnt they have always been re-
garded OF doubtful virtue. They appear
10 save us from the consequences OF our
folly, bot do so at the expense OF 1ustice 70
others, and then they serve 10 lessen tue
warning TO us by Withholding retribution
while they promise like aid whenever we
may commit the same follies.
Government, in respect TO money, only
declares that gold and silver shall be legal
tender In payment OF debts where they are
named in the contract; and where we sim
DIV agree TO pay so many dollars and cents:
il means gold or silver, by the standard Oh
value of the Government. III we contract
IN nav in tobacco or bacon OF some agreed
oualjtv. we cannot be required TO pay IN
ANYTHING else. II we agree 10 pay In cur
rent hank-notes, we cannot be required 10
nav cold or silver. To undertake to con-
trol orr choice would be assuming the need
NJ iudgiup for us, and this would imply
an obligation to relieve us from the conse-
ouences OF our ignorance or folly. NO
earthly government ever successfully man-
aced such matters for its people. II Is
nsually found that its own follies, which
are ike those OF human offspring, are even
worse than Its peoples; and this arises
from the corrupting influence OF power;
Our weakness In all ngs-governmenlai
"a well as other--is the constant IN.
sstnatlon for some absolute certainty and
sufety. When we fancy we cannot save
ourselves. we cry out for some one TO save
MS. and we shall only md out in the end that
we would better have tried to save our
selves the best we could. The violations
Of commercial law must be atoned for JUST
as the violations Of the moral laws must De
compensated. 1t is the constantly-recur-
ring vicissitudes Of trade that secure a
maximum Of prudence and caution, ana
more than this man can never attain. our
Ignorance land every generation has Pc
riod OF mental imbecility) implies the need
n cnlture. Our experiences must be our
iutors-not the Government, which needs
greater tutor than ourselves.
III we restrict the Government witi"o
the limits OF its rightful, constitutional, and
iudica powers, we shall never lind i hS! d
ling or managing money beyond the co.,
lection of reasonable taxes for its SUPP I'll
ma paving these taxes out In the discharge
If It's obligations incurred in its Legitimate
works. -