The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1890-10-10
A GREAT WRONG EXISTS UNI
DER OUR PRESENT FALSE
AND UNJUST FINAN-
CIAL SYSTEM.
No Set of Men or Combination
Should be Permitted to Control
the Value of Money.


From the National View.
The financial huctuation in New
York during the last few weeks, and
the interposition Of the Secretary of
the Treasury to prevent panic, was
one of those occurrences with which
the country has gradually grown aecus.
toned to. OF modern growth, the re
suit of over speculation. superiuduced
by our false system Of finance, what
ever else their effects have on the bus.
mess Of the country, they are exercis-
ing an educational influence on the
people, the import and potency Of
which the real authors little conceive.
Experience. aggravated by necessity
and long suffering, is bitter school to
learn in. While the lesson it teaches
is not very agreeable, nor at any time
very acceptable, once learned, however,
it is not forgotten; even if not, as a
general thing, sensibly and proftably
applied. The good is not all lost, for
there is always enough spared to re-
produce itself, of sufficient force to
keep on charging its circle of useful
ness. The logic of this demonstrates
itself, out of all great wrongs, as the
more they are enforced, the more per-
sistently they are imposed, the stronger
and clearer the deliverance is assured
from them. 1t takes strong fires to
extract the pure gold from rough, re-
fraetory ores, but when procured it is
all the more precious. So it is pre-
cisely in educating mankind to a prop
er appreciation Of all great truths
Granting that the process is slow one.
the educating goes on, all the same, as
is Enthusiastically manifesting itself in
the general unrest Of the people.
Modern thought and investigation are
doing their work, not only in exposing
great wrongs, but in suggesting rem
edies for them. Every great reform.
from the dawn OF civilization, was the
outgrowth of some abuse. This rule
will hold good in all cases, and partic
ularly in the enforcement of bad laws
AS Mr.. Seward once sail 4: 1.-THE only
way to get rid of an obnoxious law was
to inforce it," The effect is the same
with the discussion Of any great national
question, particularly with those en-.
tering into the economies of life. The
educational effect is always in the right
direction-a good one. Take the
question of finance, and the light that
is beginning to shed itself on it alone
promises to work out changes iu its
eutire system as radical and as revolu-
tionary as any the world has ever
witnessed. And, as stated, such re-
forms can only be evolved out OF long
abuses. The world has suffered and
struggled against many forms and de-
grees of feudalism, but uone so oppre.-
sive and unrelenting as the one OF
finance, simply and only because Of the
false, rotten system under which it il
couducted--thereby allowing it to be
controlled and monopolized by the few
to the injury of the many. There is
no more reason or right that one class
should have the power to control none )
the mere token Of exchange, of trade
as we'll as of wealth-than they shonld
be allowed to corner the food men eat
although by reason of this power
this same favored class does Writ
ually do so, and herein is the root
OF all the evils the real producers Of
wealth suffer to day. Money of itself
possesses no value, excepting what
labor gives to is, and yet, because Of
the unjust system under which it is
regulated, it is the master of all con-
ditious of life, and will always continue
SO, unless it is made free for every man
to get it who has the proper values and
securities TO exchange for it. There
should be no distinction between these
values and securities. No set of men
no combination, should be permitted te
control mony, SO as to COMPEL the ma
jority of mankind to purchase its con
venience from them, at prices out o.
which they get the largest share of the
wealth its mere use as a token OF cx-
change enables labor to produce. Here
Is where the great wrong exists, anc
governments the world over, are at the
bottom of it. They first legalize these
tokens of exchange, called money. anG
then enact how much Of it shall b.
issued and to what favored classes shall
be given the power to sell it for circula
tion. This is the whole story, and ou