Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1890-09-25

currency be enlarged to such a,
amount as would give to each perso,
the highest per capita proportion
compatible with a sound currency
There car be too much as we'll a,
too little money. Tho right pei
capita amount can be fixed. y
This would largely swell the pre-
sent volume of the currency anG
would give untold relief to the agri
cultural classes. f5E
4. The abolition Of national banks
In the place Of national bank notes
let the government issue its own
notes in sufficient quantity, taken in
connection with the present volume
OF the currency, to furnish ample
money to do tho business Of this
great country.
8. Government ownership of rail
ways, steamship lines, express com
panies, telegraph lines, aud all othc,
business Of g i"asi-pahlic nature
Let them DO operated by tho govern.
ment as cheaply as possible for the
public convenience and general wei.
fare.
The tax levied by transportation
lines upon producers and consumers
is immense. The amount wrune
from the people by common carriers
would bcwilder the common people,
if it was just known. Nc wonder,
VIC have railroad magnatcs, with
millions of money, who control legis.
laturcs and shape tho legislation OF
Congress!
This great tax can be saved to the
people by government ownership Of
these enterprises. The only diff
Guilty in the way is, can the govern
mcnt DO these things? If it can
transport, as it nov does, the mails,
it can carry all II products. If it
can transport, rs it now docs, dry
goods through the post office in
small quantities for the people, it can
own railways, and carry merchandise
in bulk for the people.
If it transports money by virtue
of its money order system, it can
transport all express matter.
This is such a gigantic scheme that
it cannot be treated in the space of a
letter. l will only add that it was
embraced in the St. Louis platform
of the Alliance, and has not pro-
vokcd much discussion.
6. "Thc Sub-Trcasury PLAN" Not
in all details, not literally, as en-
braccd in either the Senate or the
House bill, but q measure providing
for financial aid to farmers at harvest
time, so that they will not he forced
to throw their entire crops upon the
market all at once at a deprecated
price, but ut such times as to enable
the honest tillcrs of the soil to Sc
cure the fair market value thereof.
1t would be silly to demand exact
adherence to the present details of
either of those measures. All that
should be asked is, that the govern
mcnt so aid the farmers as to prevent
spectators and gamblers from rob-
bing them of their honest earnings.
There needs must be an authority
lodged in the moncy-making power
and its willingness to come to the re-
lief of the people at certain seasons
and in certain crises. If not, GOV
eminent fails in its chief function of
furnishing protection to person and
property. It is not enough that
government should prevent the high
waymcn from forcibly robbing the
citizen of his goods and chattels.
This was sufficient in the rude ages,
and when there was little coinr!cx;ty
i'll social affairs. Now we arc cnvi-
roncd by greatly complicated circum-
stances. Robbing is not now ef-
fcctcd by force. 1t is accomplished
by fraud. Wheat kings, and corr
kings, and cotton kings, and railroad
kings a combine, can aggregate
capital, and, knowing the times of
harvests, can plan to II down prices,
and thus as successfully deprive the
farmer of his fair earnings, as if done
by highwaymcn.
There arc two remedies. One is
to punish those who combine to run
down prices, and to prevent the pur-
chase of large quantities of produce
or merchandise by any one save for
his own consumption or for sale to
customers who buy at retail for thcil
own consumption.
The other remedy is to put far
mcrs in possession of the means oil
fighting those who conspirc to injure
and to rob them. One way to dc