Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-09-04
COMMENTS ON THE ABOVE.

The first rude attempt to reduce the
history of Rome to writing was made 400
years after Numa Pompillus, and most
authors regard Romulus, Numa and
other early kings as mythical. But ad.
hitting Numa and his fat money to be
facts, his fOrty-three years reign of I'm :
broken peace is not conclusive for the
utility of such money at all times and
places The conquests of Rome were
achieved several hundred years later I'M
der different financial system. The
Roman soldiers first received pay and
served more than a month or two at
time, some 200 years later than the mid
die of Numa's reign, at the conquest of
Veil, a city some twelve miles N. E. of
Rome. In the prehistoric ages Of Mower
county, some thirty years ago, wider
domain, though possibly smaller capital
city than Numa's, our county commits
sioners issued orders till they we're worth
only 40 cents on the dollar. The orders
still paid jurors, witnesses and officers at
their face value, but books, stationary
wood, bridges and room rent for Offices
and courts, were paid for by orders suf-
fcient in amount to bring in cash the
market value Of these things.
There was little sympathy for witness
or juror Obliged to add cash from his
purse to his fees in orders, to settle his
hotel bill, but sheriffs and officers we're,
after while, partially compensated for
depreciation, by increase in amount of
fees and salaries. Resident taxpayers
generally secured county orders at a
proper discount within dollar or two of
their county tax. But the profits went
largely to the banker and agent with
ready money. They received cash from
lists of land in county orders, thus put
ting 40 per cent of money received into
the treasury and 80 per cent. into their
own pockets. Their profit was the same
when they paid for land bid off at tax
sale The first sixty million of green
backs were not made legal tender at the
time they were issued, but had that prop
erty conferred upon them by the same
act which authorized the issue of the
other and far larger amount of green.
backs approved February g. 1862. They
were issued as demand notes and paid
in gold whenever presented at the United
States treasury. Secretary Chases re-
port of December /, 1861, showed thai
up to that time 1914, $50, 325 had beer
issued. The banks suspended specie pay
ment during the last days of 1851, ane
the government was obliged to follow sui
in coin on demand became discreditec
to such degree that the banks woult
receive them only as special deposit
and not as money of account" SCI
Blaine Vol. I page 40. Their amour
reached 60 million when we stopped issu
ing that kind of money Feby %, 1856;
and for two months they had not onl,,
been worth less than gold. but the sus
pended banks would not take them a
money and agree to pay their own de
preciated bills The banks never op
posed their issue but did oppose til
issue Of the other greenbacks. Howeve
they soon became worth their face agai
because Of the growing scarcity Of gold
and because being demand notes tn
government continued to receive ther
for duties. Had the other and large
issue Of Greenbacks been made receivabl
for duties both kinds would have derre
ciated uniformly as the first had alread
begun to do instead of both having bee
Kept st DIR.
During the fiscal year ending June q
1869 customs duties amounted to 40 mi
lion, and had increased to nearly IS mi
lion for the year ending Juue 80, 1855
Our internal revenue for the year la
named was over 21O million.
The payment of 21O million taxes
the latest kind of money did not keep