The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-02-15
"MoNEY ANSWERErH ALI
THINGS"
SPEECH OF HON. VIM. NJ. sTEwAT, OF
NEVADA, IN THE SENATE OF
THE UNITED STATES
JAN. g. 1889.

JAN. q 1889.
ga feast is made for laughter, and
wine maketh merry: but money an
swereth all things" 1t is now more
than three thousand years since this
truth was declared by the great law
giver in Israel. Napoleon was once
asked, "What are the three most essen
tial requisites in WARP" and replied,
"The FIRST is money; the second is mon.
cy; and the third is money" What
is true of war is true Of every under
taking or enterprise. The power Of
money is not confncd to the acquisi-
tion of property and services, but it
draws after it rank, station and badges
Of nobility. All things are estimated in
money. Countless millions toll for it;
commodities are manufactured and pro-
duced to secure it; trade and COM
merce are conducted to obtain it; the
hidden mysteries of nature are explored
for inventions aud discoveries to be re-
warded iu money. The acquisition Of
money is the ruling motive for industry
and progress. Nothing is wealth that
can not be exchanged for money, If
money is not wealth, it is better than
wealth; it commands all things.
BRIEF SKETCH OF EARLY HISTORY OF
MONEY.
Some medium Of exchange has al
ways existed in every tribe, community,
or nation Of which we have any knowl-
edge. Many things have been used at
different times as money, 1t is impos-
sible to determine what was first used.
The American Indians used wampum,
the ancient Greeks cattle, the Cartha-
ginians stamped leather, the Abyssin-
ians salt, the Icelapders Goldfish, the
Anglo Saxons used living money
slaves and oxen-in payment of debts;
the Chinese the bark Of the mulberry
tree stamped by the sovereign.
Silver and gold have from very
early period been regarded as best adapt
ed for use as money. For many CEN
turies they have teen designated "the
precious metals" and employed as legal
tenders and measures of value. During
all the period recorded in the Bible
silver is constantly referred to as money.
Abraham, two thousand years before
the Christian era, ''was very rich in
cattle, in silver, aud in gold" On the
death of his wife he purchased bury
ing.place with "four hundred shekels
of silver, current money with the mer-
chant" Joseph, his grandson, was
sold by his brethren into Egyptian
slavery for twenty pieces of silver. and
when be became minister OF the king
his brothers brought silver in their
sacks mouths to purchase corn. When
making himself known to his brethren
Joseph presented to his younger broth,
er three hundred pieces of silver. AE-
ter the Israelites returned to the prom.
ised land they used silver as money,
which practice has continued in that
country until the present day.
There is no record in the Bible of
the use Of gold as money, although it
was extensively mined. The gold fields
of Havilah are referred to in the sec.
ond chapter Of Genesis. and it is de-
clared that "the gold of that land is
good.' Gold was used as ornament of
the person, like onyx, sapphires, crys.
tails, pearls, rubies. and other jewels,
and also for the decoration of affairs,
temples, and palaces. King Solomon
acquired it in great quantities from the
land of 0phir aud used it with mag
ni6cent liberality in the construction
of his temple in Jerusalem.
Silver for many centuries passed
current by weight before the practice
of coming was adopted. Herodotus
tells us that the Lybians coined gold
and silver nine hundred years before
the commencement of the Christian
era. and that Greece proper commenced
coming some time in the eighth century
before Christ. The Romans first coined
silver. 9sl B. c., and gold 207 B. @,