The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-17
CABBAGE AND TOBACCO LEAF
MONEY


To the Editor OF the Eagle.
e. In the EAGLE of the 7th your cores
pondent, DR.. E. P. Miller, asks what
is constitutional money!" evading the
question put to him by myself in for
mer article, viz: sis not every dollar
we have of whatsoever kind, a dollar
because congress has made iG so? in
other words, placed its fiat on the mate
rial and thereby given it what the doctor
calls intrinsic value?" He also concludes
his article by putting several other ques-
tons, viz: "What do we consider sound
money legislation? What money is, and
of what material we would have it
NADER" all of which l answer and know
| reflect the voice of a large majority of
the American people:
First-That sound money legislation is
that in which the people are as nation
most interested, and that will do the
most good to the greatest number of our
people, and not as now, that ignores the
prayers of the majority and caters to
the behests of the few.
Second-We would have, by the eter-
nal power vested in congress, money
made of gold, silver and paper, with the
governments fiat on the same, to
give it intrinsic value if you
please, in sufficient amount to
do the business of our great country on
cash basis, and as the doctor suggests,
should gold, silver and paper run short,
then we would substitute the cabbage
and tobacco Leaf" we would have all
paper money redeemable by the govern
ment, but not on such gold basis as the
money sharks of Wall street might de-
mand. and under no condition initiate
the circulating medium beyond perfectly
safe and legitimate bounds, which could
and will be done in the next congress.
Mr.. Miller asks what money is. Web
ster gives the definition of money just as
the people understand it to be, viz:
stamped metal by authority of the gov
eminent; any currency usually and
lawfully employed in buying and sell
ing bank notes and the like.
The doctor will not have the hardi-
hood to affirm that all the money we
have is the 81, 1874, 100, 215 gold and sill
ver). How about the 1898, 100000 in
paper money that has always been on a
par with gold? He admits the possibility
of my showing the constitutional right
70 make money of cabbage and tobacco
and limburger cheese, but doubts my
showing the power to make the people
accept such for money. Will Mr.. Mil
Ter please consult colonial history Of
1776, when Gen. Putnam was in COM
mand at Philadelphia, when the enemies
of the struggling colonists were
putting every possible obstruction
in the way of favoring continental
money. Putnam gave those Tories to
understand that they would accept the
money of his country's make, or Go with
out. We all remember well when the
rebels refused 10 take as good money as
our yreenbacks. It is the constitutional
right of any to refuse to take any of our
money, but it is the especial province of
congress to provide legal medium of
exchange legal tender-and IF the
enemies of our people will not from self
ish motives accept it, they can do worse.
Why. from ANYTHING but selfish mo-
tives. one will advocate money policy
that Is so injurious to the larger number
of his fellow men and not necessarily
profitable to himself. is hard 10 under
stand. Everyone admits that if we had
on our $50, 600, COO, 900 of property, 800
per capita. which all know well would
be perfectly safe, that every American
citizens condition would be bettered and
the grasping millionaire would lose not
one cent Of has generally ill-gotsen
wealth. All this tslk OF the country go
ing to ruin and the gold all fleeing, IN
the event of free coinage OF silver, IS
simply absurd. and the me1 advocating
such do not. we think, believe IT. and
ali the filings made az those advocating
for enough legal r1oueyto meet the re
quirements of our people are simply for
want of facts TO support their allega-
tons.
II requires no great stretch
Of the Imagination TO see a. once
what the result would bs
If the hard money men could deu1onetize
gold and silver and make diamonds the
Intrinsic money. l. Is plain that ths
common people would scarcely ever have
any OF the precious stuff and the million
aires would possess il AL and Increase Its
purchasing power az viii. Il Is not best
in any country for the money to be con
trolled bv few. When money can be
boarded BIZ the rich and few. II 5 always
at the cost Of the bone and sanew q: the
laboring people. When money Is plenty