The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-09-01
LAURENs, s.. c., Sept. LIST, 1891.
Something Better.

Something Better.
Since the demise of the late la
mcntod Suh-treasury bill, the AL
lance proposes to strenuously adj
yocate the poor ghost of q Sub.
treasury "plan" until something
better" Is offered.
We respectfully suggest q sub
stitute and beg that DIR. Stokes,
who is q prodigiously fair man,
will give it kind and careful at
tention. Here it is:
Following out the demand Of the
pOcala platform, let the government
issue bonds at a reasonable rate of
interest to tho extent of nine bill
lions ofdollars, and buy the railroad
and telegraph lines. Then let the
government issue a paper currency
redeemable in railroad passage or
freight, or telegraph toll limited to
tho estimated amount Of travel,
hauling and message sending likely
TO accommodate the population. TO
Illustrate: q bill Of u certain de.
nomination presented to a govern
inent tain conductor would call
for passage ten, thirty or Il hun
dred miles, or for carrying q bale
of cotton a specified distance, say
from Laurens to Richmond. The
government should of curse make
such bills legal tender, and receive
them in payment of all taxes and
import duties.
Gold,silver and g%recnbacks might
be kept in circulation just rs they
are now, q fixed standard of value
Of each to. each other and to the
new currency having been ascer-
timed.
Now for just q few Of the schemes
good points. The issuance of the
bills would greatly increase the cur
rency. The bills would be readily
accepted because in this bustling
age everybody either wants to
travel or is interested in shipping.
A bill good for Geographic dis
patches would pass at its face
value just as five two cent stamps
will buy a dime novel from the
publishers. 70 make the currency
sought after out side of the-United
States, it would only be necessary
to establish a few national trans
oceanic steamship lines and marine
cables.
The new Il rrency would be fex-
IDLE. AS the products of tho soil, fac
tories and fisheries as we'll az the
s~infant" industry alluded to in the
. Governors Red Bank speech, in
creased there would be q proper
tionate demand for Increased trans
portatiOn and communication ia
cilities and to that demand it
would be the duty Of Congress to
constantly adjust tho total volume
Of the new bills.
The new currency wOnld be
equally convenient and just to
farmers and all classes Of people.
Every man, woman and child
wants to get about occasionally
and most of us are obliged to have
something to eat and wear brought
from somewhere else. Therefore,
our scheme is far ahead of the Sub
tresury in that it affords "equal
rights to all and special privileges
to none," it being provided that
private coaches be abolished.
Recurring to the bonds issued to
the present owners of the roads
and lines for their purchase, the
government could easily ascertain
precisely how much interest each
former monopolist obtained from
his share. Then by the adoption
of q properly graduated income
tax this robber class would be
speedily wiped from the face of the
earth forever and a day.
Last, and most glorious Of all,
tho new currency would eliminate
the free pass scandal from reform
politics. Senators, congressman,
and "three for a quarter" members
of the Legislature could no longer
beat their way back and forth on
their missions of d%eliverance.
\ We know that the subsidized
Noress will heap obloquy and ridi-
Acllc on our scheme, but we hon
fstly believe 1t is better than the
Bub treasury.