People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-05-06

100000 less than Director Leechs figures.
Note-One very rarely seesa an old greenbacl,
while gold is a curiosity.
Population September so, 1881. 69. 75O.-
600. Per capita in circulation outside
of banks. SS.6j.
1t is not contended that the figures
are absolutely correct, but they are ap-
proximately 50. Near enough for all
purposes of illustration. For in
stance. while the figures given for
the net exports of gold are cor
rect up to June 81, 1891. there had
been recovered of gold, by October
81, 1891, the sum of 81. 30. 71S. Ahile
our domestic production for the three
months amounted to, say. 5000. 900.
This makes $50, 1923. 773 to be added to
the stock of gold in the codntlv. OF
this amount the sum of $1,000. 600 was
coined, which amount should be added
to the item, Gold coin acquired since"
Then there was bought by the treasury
department, between June 80 and Octo-
Der 81. say, $4,000, 900 in silver bullion
commercial value), which should be
added to the item, Silver coin and
bullion acquired since" This would
make difference of less than 40 cents
per capita in the net amount of money
in circulation.
But to offset this have estimated
only 5000, 100000 for gold coin lost.
boarded and carried abroad, whereas
Director of the Mint Leech esti-
mated the amount at s27O,OOO,OOO four
years ago. And | counted but Sl9O.OOO,-
900 gold bullion as used in the arts for
the whole nineteen years, whereas $751;
100000 was used in that way during the
last fiscal year, 5000, 900 of it being in
coin.
Conceding, however, that there has
been no gold or silver coin lost, used in
the arts or carried abroad, and no paper
money lost or destroyed, there is vet
only the sum of SS25. 9l9.2f. or sl9. 50
per capita in the hands of the people.
exclusive Of the legal reserves held by
the various banking institutions. More
than half Of this is silver produced since
1878. viii Mr.. Wheeler kindly tell us
what would have become of this nation
had it not been for the passage of the
Bland bill and the silver bill of 1890?
The precious metals (?) do not afford
broad enough base for the money of
the nineteenth century. An arbitrary
per capita limit is unscientifc and un-
satisfactory. The true limit to the
volume of the ideal money of civiliza-
ton is that amount that can be profit
ably used in productive industries and
commerce, at a rate of interest which
will make an equitable division of the
nations products, between the two fac
tors, labor and capital. The productive
real estate of the nation affords an alb
solutely safe basis for such currency,
and the present assessed valuation. or
any per centage of it, might be
used as the arbitrary limit to
to the volume of such money. If
such money is loaned by the people as
community, or nation, to themselves. as
individuals, at two per cent interest,
and provision is made for its funding
into interconvertible saving bonds,
drawing one per cent interest, the peo-
pie will be provided with an absolutely
safe place of deposit for their surplus or
IDLE money, and enjoy flexible volume
Of currency that will automatically adj
just itself to the demands of productive
enterprises and the volume of domestic
exchanges.
Thus would productive and distribu-
tive labor be freed from the CALLING do
minion of usury. and money become a
blessing instead of curse. being robbed
of its power to Oppress.1 So mote it
be.-George c. Ward, in Topeka Advo-
cate.
What the people are demaifding to-
day is simply the restoration of silver to
the place it occupied as a money metal
previous to 1873 They demand for it
the same treatment which gold receives.
(; a fraa oDd ,,pl;r,;+a1 oo;..oo.o n