The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-12-12
FRIDAY, DECEMBER is. 1890.
GOOD MONEY.


Some thousands Of years ago hing Solo
mon. the wise mar, declared "that money an
swercth all thlpgs.v while in this day the re-
spect felt by ourselves for money Is some"h"'
oxnressed In the title awarded in common
sDeech 10 the almighty" dollar, as II a dollar
were sort Of Republican royal highhess.
But n should be remembered that the k'nu
Of money which "answereth all things
and ia entitled 10 be considered "mighty'
Is only first-class money.
No inflated paper or token com currency
can attain unto such dignity. NO one VIII
take such inferior money wheu better ana
more serviceable currency can be ue-
mapded. Nothing but the best will be taken
when the best may be had.
Who, then, desires inferior money! NO,
the great army of laborers, mechanics ana
salaried men. Their wages would be tne
same in number Of dollars, but not IN Vaiue
and purchasing power. Not professional
men. Their charges would not increase as
the value OF the dollar decreased. Not the
widow, orphan and helpless ones whsse
livelihood depends on the return oil interest
and dividends from careful Investments
Not the bankers and money owners VINO
have lent out good money. Ihey WANT
equally good money in return.
In all probability only those desire such
debased dollars who owe money, and VINO,
having borrowed the "mighty" dollar, wish
10 repay with the weak dollar.
These financial problems are deep. The
hold theorizer whose mind is completely
filed with one idea may, upon the acqulsl-
ton OF additional information, have his
deep convictions changed, but there are GER
tain moral truths at the bottom OF all this
money discussion which no amount Of
defamation can unsettle. Among these
truths we mention the old-tashioned golden
rule:
"Do as YOU would be done by" and
nav back what you received. Ii you
received thoroughly good and universally
acceptable money, pay that same kind
back TO your creditor. 1t is very likely that
In this 'more- money" agitation there Is an
element Of hope in the breast OF debtors
that they may escape with only partial
payment.
The whole social fabric, no matter
what the kind Of government may be, de-
ponds upon the trust and confidence which
can be placed in the stability of the govern
ment and the integrity of the Individual
citizens. Destroy this, or even assail 1t,
and the ordinary course Of business in trade
and finance is at once cow ulsed, as is now
the case IN the Argentine Republic, and the
weak are remorselessly trampled by the
strong in their effort to escape from the i'm
pending danger.
Those who own the money will call for II
while 1t is good, and place it where they
think II will be safe, whether in safe deposit
boxes, old stockings, or "beyond the foui
seas
Ii is fact that in all money hurries' even
when there is no question about the charac-
ter Of the money itself, countless thousands
ofdollars are instantly taken by the owners
and put away in safe places out Of the ordl-
nary channels OF trade and finance. That
there should be more money is true, and the
better opinion now seems to be that gold OF
itself does not afford sufficient basis for
the exchanges OF trade and finance, al
though it is aided nearly tenfold 10y the cir
culatIon media Of checks and other evil
dences Of credit But as gold is unques-
tionabiy the standard of value in
the greatest mercantile and financial ma
tons of the world, il would be madly
hazardous for this country, powerful as II
is, TO set up alone different aud inferior
standard, and thus inevitably drive
the gold amounting to hundreds of mil
lions out of circulation; and, by so much,
reduce the volume Of our currency, which
needs TO be increased. not decreased.
BY all means restore silver to its place as
one OF the two great money metals of the
world. There can never be that equilibrium
and steadness with only one metal which is
felt when there are two TO rely upon; but
thene must be equilibration; gold and
silver dollar must balance in value.
1t may be that the American standard OF
sixteen for one eventually will prove the
correct ratio Of value between silver and
gold. That, however, is not the case. ls
II wise then to assume arbitrarily that that
ratio will hold good and so open our minis
for an indefinite time TO the full and I'M
limited coinage Of silver without the con-
currence Of the other great nations! To
preserve the confidence Of the thoughtful
public at home and abroad no such precipi-
tate step should be taken.
The enlargement of the present Silver
bin to the purchase Of double the amount
therein provided for-that is, TO 100000
ounces per month--would in two years add
about Sl20, O00, 900 Of silver currency 10 the
amount already provided for, while the lin
itations and provisions of the law give as
surance that there Is a dollars worth Of sill
yer in q silver dollar certificate. No one
who endured the scourge Of fluctuating
and cheap currency during our interstate
war, on either side OF the Potomac, ever
wishes again to see anything approxima-
ting IL.
Let there lie as much money as the owners
of silver and gold choose 10 turn from bull
lion and bars into money, but provide be-
You'd doubt that cheap silver dollar shall
not swallow up and lose to us our plump
gold dollar. as 1.-THE ill-fayored and lean
kline did eat up the well-favored and fat
Kline" and this country, like Pharoah,
wake UP from It's dream in trouble.
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