The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-03-13

The hard-moncy theories have 80 dis
torted all common-sense methods in the
general public manner Of thinking
about money that the rehabilitation Of
the truth concerning it. That it is Gre
alton of law, will evidently be a task to
tax to tho uttcrmost both the patience
and the persistence Of tho Greenback
Labor party. 1t is only by comparing
what we know of the absurdities popu-
larry held in other instances where the
want OF accurate knowledge forced
their general acceptance that We can
hope to illustrate the mistaken opin-
ions upon money.
Before, for example, the facts con-
corning the circulation of the blood
were known, the body was supposed to
contain it pretty much rs sponge
holds water, and the most common
error was the opinion that diminishing
the amount was specific for every sort
Of trouble. II the patient died under
the treatment the blame of his weak
ness and death was laid to any cause
under the sun rather than to Che scien-
tifict p loss of his life blood.
1t is very generally believed, even by
the profession now, that the process OF
bleeding to which Washington was sub
jected was much more the cause of his
death than anything else. And when,
thanks to the logic of events, expounded
and enforced by the Greenback party,
public opinion shall become as ed.
ucated and enlightened concerning the
nature and function of money, IS to-day
concerning tho blood, the science and
the practice of the hard-money school,
exemplified in such ignorant contrac.
tion as McCulloch and the whole line oi
his successors have advised, will be
looked back upon with the same
wondering pity that to-day is felt for
the medical practice of the doctors oil
Washington's time.
While the blood was supposed to be
placed in the body by some mysterious
natural process, and that the individual
must be thankfully satisfied with what
he has, for though he could let some
out he could not put any more in; we
can to-day zee how crude and imperfect
must have been the conception of the
inter dependence of all the organs oi
the body.
And in the same way the theory Of
hard money shuts out absolutely any
conception of the Importance of labor
in the preparation of nations money.
For, evidently, labor had no need fol
money; it was luxury provided by
Gods providence for the enjoyment oil
the rich.
The condition of the slave on South
ern plantation is an excellent picture
OF the estimation the educated and rul'
ing classes have always held, and still
hold too much to-day, concerning the
function of the workers in the social
organization. why" said the owner
of the plantation, "what do the hands
want with money? Have / not pro
| yided an overseer to look out that they
have sucl, hog and hominy, such coarse
clothes aud b-ogans as they require
| II they have not enuogh of these lei
them go to him. It is none of my bust
ness. What possible interest is it t.
the hands that they should be consulted
in any way about the money needed il
carrying on this enterprise? Let then
go to work and raise as big crop a.
they can. ] will see that the money il
brings is rightly disposed Of"
But to-day, when all the clear-seeine
know that money is the creation of law
that labor has (at least theoretically il
this country the making OF the law
and is rapidly learning that the chic
function Of money is not to support tn.
idle in luxury, but to serve the need
the workers have for exchanging will
each other the infinite variety OF thu
products they pr oduce for the suppor
and culture of our lives, is it any won
der that they begin to see that they art
disinherited?
It would he easy to illustrate, on,
after the other, oil the absurdties tn,
hard money economists maintain as thu
fundamental truths of finance. The,
are all to bc discarded to the limbo o
exploded theories, aud will be unques
tionably sent there in an equal ratio Will
the recognition of the Greenback Labor
party. Edrdrd Homldnd.