Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1892-01-21
NO. q.

properly administering the govern
. ment. Much of this tax was used out
side of its original and legitimate pur-
pose in the way of perpetuating the
power of those in office. And it seems
that this tax was oftentimes ap portion.
ed in such manner as to bear une-
qually upon the people. For instance
much capital in the hands of the rich
was by special enactmen Is of the law
makers exempted from it's share of the
burdens of government I, when really its
proportion should ha We been greater,
as it (capital was evidently more in.-
| terested in good substantial forms o.
government than the land or cattle of
the poorer individuals. The tax /
should have told you, was generally
collected annually and by certain ap-
| pointees of those in power and it was
| often the case that the more helpless
were made to pay a larger proportion
than those capable of Offering resis-
tence, and the tendency of the system
was to corrupt and debauch the citi-
zenship of the country 1t is surpris-
ing to us to know that it continued to
obtain for such period of time
| Pupil-''How was it calculated to do
the harm you speak Off
Teacher-"Y see that the portable
nature of the currency made it an easy
matter for the conScienceles to carry
it away. and the similarity rendered it
50 difficult for difference to be de-
| tected that 1t was often miSappropria-
ted in that way and it was such weap-
on of power for evil, in the hands of
the evil disposed. that their was no
place nor situation but what was avail
able to those who possessed a quality
of it. And those who did not have it
by reason of their condition and spur
red by wish to secure the necessary
position to be attained because the
willing instruments of those who did
possess, and stopped to any means,
however base and servile, to accomplish
their purposes. The possessor there
fore was enabled to secure almost any
object upon which his head might be
set. even to the destruction of any op-
position i'll his way, and was scathless
as to punishment. Murders. theftS. rob
berries and all manner of crimes. were
! the results of an inordinate desire to
! become the pOsSessOrs of this mighty
source of power and from the very
nature of things a craving desire to
accumulate seemed to pervade the
the minds of the entire human race. 1t
was the beginning OF all teaching and
was inculcated in schools and depart
] IleHIS OI ledIIllIl8 ulJu II SEEMED 10
have become the chief end of man.
Sentiment, religion. science, discovery,
all dashed forward in the mad race for
money. knowing that money was the
| foundation stone of all earthly ambi-
ton. Thus the poor and weak we're
crushed and trampled and ignored and
made the servants and tools for those
who were fortunate enough to possess
| this strange power.
! There seems to have been a hallu-
! cination that possessed the minds of
some, and especially of the poor and
| ignorant, that rendered the metals
notable gold peculiarly the objects
of alteration. An indefinable impress
| sion seemed to possess them that these
metals possessed an occult value be-
yOnd others as to their adaptability for
the condition of commercial media,
powerful nations played upon these
insane Superstitions and through them,
forced these metals to be accepted as
standards of value, knowing full well
that by such standards they would be
enabled to continue to dictate to other
and weaker nations. 1t was pointed
out by some that a medium of exchange
should not be of such a nature as to
depend upon accident in the way of
discovery for its stability, and that it
placed power in the hands of the de-
signing that was subversive to free and
enlightened government. But it was
against the policy of those in power to
listen to these wise teachers, and they
continued to oppress and over burden
the masses until patience ceased to be
a virtue-until the last feather crush
ed the camels back, and then they
rose up in their might and made a
change in the financial policy of the
world. 1t is now known even to the
most ignorant, that no inherent value
attaches to any particular metal be-
yond its adaptability to use in the diff
ferent avocations of mankind, and
that the fiat of government makes and
unmakes, and that even the diamond is
only glittering gaud, possessing no
inherant power to satisfy the cravings
of hunger nor to warm the freezing
| body. My boy, let us be thankful that
the age of folly and superstition has
passed. RUSTY KUSS