New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-07

will enable me 10 60 into the express business
and TO earn much more money than I am now
earning; l will give YOU $40 for the nse OF
that money for each year, and will pay you back
your principal as soon as my business will enable
me to do it," The bargain is made, the money
loaned and u note given
Is there anything wrong on the part Of either OF
these men in tina: business transaction? Is 1t
wrong for the man who gives up going into Dusl'
ness himself, and VINO furnishes the means TO his
friend for establishing that same business, to re-
ceive something for the use Of mis- hard-earned
savings? If there is. / should like TO know
wherein the wickedness consists?
But" says Mr.. Sherman, :" would have the
Government issue stocks or money to the amount
of $500 and loan it to this man security with
out interest" That sounds well, but, 10 begin
with, the poor man would have nothing to pledge
as security AS rule, the great bulk of the
people whom Mr.. Sherman is seeking to help could
in no way get single dollar OF the Government
money, while the people who already own large
amounts OF property would have plenty of Sc
curity TO pledge, and could borrow from the Gov
eminent untold millions
Again. under his plan he ncgects to tell us how
long he would have loan run. When would he
make it payable? In order to let the borrower
enjoy the entire benefit Of the transaction 1T seers
payment. The obligation given for the money
would be permitted TO state no definite time for
its payment, but it would be made payable at the
pleasure of the man receiving the money. AS long
as it would cost him nothing to retain it, there is
sort of suspicion in my mind that the time Of
payment would DC for long while postponed.
Another difficulty which suggests itself to me
in the premises is this / do not believe that
loaning money TO individuals to any one else,
except in cases of some great national distress
national benefit is one of the functions of any
well-managed government. / will not, however,
enter into that branch OF tie case
Since reading tie last communication. from this
Palmyra correspondent Of The Tribune. a suspicion
has taken possession of ME that in his cOmmuni
cations up TO this date he has nowhere frankly
stated just what he does believe. There is, how
ever, enough in this last communication 10 lead
me to mistrust that Mr. Sherman does not be-
lieve in the ownership of property by individuals at
ALL / fear that he belongs to a class of men
who fancy that the Government should do every
thing, should own everything, and that such
thing as the ownership of property by indi-
viduals should be made an impossibilty in this
world. Am l wrong about this or am / not (?
coul1 readily learn by inquiring of his neighborS
but every individual ought to be able to know
more about himself than any outsiders can posi-
bly, find out. Will Mr.. Sherman please drop me
line not for publication unless he desires it, CIV
ing me this information. 1t seems TO me no more
than fair that he should be willing to let me
know just what he is driving at, so that may
fully understand the meaning of some of his
statements which are now somewhat obscure.
l will be little more explicit. It occurs TO
me that Mr.. Sherman has been writing not his
full belief to the matters in dispute but rather
few things which he hopes to get published;
and that he has withheld statement of his real
position. L fear that when he calls the receiving
of any interest for the Use of money "usury" or
"extOrtion," that it is really because he thinks
the money lender is getting pay for something
which of right does not belong to him.
IL such be the case, why did he not say so?
j occasionally meet man who claims TO believe
just that, but his notions lead up TO the destruc-
ton of so many things which seem TO me best
for the human family that my treatment OF
such men differs entirely from the course l have
so far pursued with Mr.. Sherman.
That part of his article which refers TO tie
nature of i" fiat money" will receive attention
hereafter. Meantime he will please me greatly
if he will let me know where he proposes TO
bring up.
One thing is very clear he proposes TO tear
down the home in which the people Of civilized
nations have been living for generations. All
desire is to know what the is into which
he proposes to have the people of the world
move. r. G. IIORR