The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-17
OPINIONS.

The attempt to kill Russell Sage has led
to various comments. both in and out of the
press. A few days ago we gave the views
of two of our newspaper contemporaries up
on the topic; one suggested that we should
cease to defy our millionares," for they
were really made of very common clay"
The other thought that Sage had taken adj
vantage of the desperate in some financial
operation and that this was why the attempt
on his life was made. This morning we
copy a communication from the New York
Sun, signed by Lexington (Mo) banker.
which that paper publishes, with the simple
question. us this banker crazy?" The
communication reads as follows:
To the Editor of the Stm-SIR: Is it possible
that any one not money lender can read the
proceedings of the America Bankers Associa-
ton in New Orleans and not be struck with the
utter selfishness, narrowness and blindness OF
the majority OF men who expressed their views?
Are they never going 10 see until the most des-
perate men who are suffering under their OPP
pressions open their eyes with dynamite? II is
useless TO answer that superior force Will be
used; the existence of the French republic, the
child Of the French Revolution proves that this
cannot always be depended Professor Had
ley said; 1.-The railroad question In America is
like the Irish land question. Railroads are
owned IN the East aud operated in the West, Just
like the IriSh land Is owned in England and
there Is effort on the part OF the people who
use the property TO fix the rates instead of letting
IL be done by the people who own it," This Is
specimen Of a wise man from the East" who
ignores the fact that railroads get their right 10
run over peoples property only by the power Of
the State, and that the State, hence, has a right
TO regulate rates; and man who seems not 10
know that those who use The roads are compelled
TO pay three times as much as Is fair by an eX-
Incident that = known MIR
THE diminished use Of silver throughout Europe
has reduced its value below The ancient stand
ard" Does he forget that our silver dollar was
worth as bullion more than gold dollar when
we demonetized it? Mr.. Knox serves up again
his ''ches nut" so familiar 10 all bankers that
the national bank system has reduced the rate of
exchange. He talks as If the three or four bill
lions of exchange handled In the United States
annually were money shipped to New York TO
draw against Ii is products sent from the West
and South and manufactures received In return.
AS railroads have been built and The freight on
these things fell the rate of exchange fell, OF
course. And, again, MIR. Knox jumps with both
feet on the corpse OF State banks OF Issue. When
Missouri banks were forced to retire their bills
sthe bills were worth $50 per cent more than Fed
eral currency per dollar; Kentucky bills
retired at a premium over the Federal currency,
and let any one say that Mr.. Goes bank bills
were worth any less when 1t was State bank
than when 1t was nationazed.
l do not believe that Shareholders could have
been convinced that slavery ought TO pass away
except by the logic that was used, and l am be-
ginning TO think that avarice among mOneyed
men Will never give way before any milder argu-
ments than the one used in a prominent fnan-
cier's Office in New York the other day.
GEORGE WILSON, Banker.
Lexington, no, December s. 1891