The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1892-01-13
CRANBERRIES AS MONEY.
A JERSEY MAN WANTS CERTIFi-
GATES ON HIS CRANBERRIES.
The Democrats Getting Things Mixed
Republican Vote Since 1880 Blaine and
Harrison-The Tin-plate industrial
Card To Silver Men,
Tho Man who Want. Cranberry Money.

Card tn Silver Men.
Tho Man Who Wants Gran berry Money.
Recently gentleman living in New
Jersey wrote To the Hon. Roswell q.
norr, In which he asked these ques-
tons:
1t has just occurred TO me, if it is right
Tor the government TO purchase large
part or the surplus silver go to the eX-
pense OF storing it, hire men to count and
watch II, and pay the expense of coming it,
OF the issue of silver certificates TO circu-
NM In its ssead: all because it represents
SO much labor and capital (and, suppose.
also To keep those silver capitalists out OF
the pOorhouSe), IL that is right, why would
IT not he right Tor the government to pur-
4Aase the surplus of farm produce which
represents Just as much capital and little
more hard labor, and then 60 through the
same proceeding, issue grain certificates,
or make the grain up into pancakes, and
issue pancake certificates, II you please ?
Now, It would help me out considerably
this year If the government would buy up
The surplus of cranberrieS, the healthleSt
OF fruits, and go through the same process.
know You will say the last would not be
right. Then why the first?
To these questions Mr.. Horn answers
as follows:
First, the government does not coin
W(hOuCt, cllllcI SOlu SllNCI, tSpCCldllJ w
aid the men who mine these metals, but TO
aid all the people of the country. AS the
law now stands (and as it ought to re-
MANI the government pays for silver only
the market price, just what these capital
lists who mine the metal could Get for 1t In
the markets of the world. Coinage with
It's attendant process or assay Is simply the
establishing the purity of the metal and
guaranteeing the amount in each piece.
No more, no less. The whole business OF
coming money, and of using gold and sill
yer bullion as basis for certificates TO be
used as money, is done for the entire peo-
pie, and the expense is properly paid out of
the public funds.
This whole matter turns upon the fact
that silver and gold have been adopted as
the money substances of the world. They
are everywhere used as the medium OF eX-
change. We have come TO express our
ideas of value by naming certain com,
which contains fixed amount of one OF
these metals. Not so with grain. Not so
with cranberricS. Suppose certificates
were issued with cranberrieS as a basis Of
value. A certificate is promise to pay,
on demand, certain quantity OF that
against which iC has been issued. The
cranberries would in q few months have
decayed. If the certificates were not re-
deemed Tin cranberriesl almost lmmedl-
ately after their issue. the basis OF their
value would have entirely disappeared,
and the certificates would be worth mere
ly the paper on which they were printed,
and no more. There would be nothing
left with which to redeem them.
If the act for the free coinage of silver
had been passed, and had become law,
then the government would have been
compelled to take all the silver brought to
its minis at a fixed price. The price named
was far above what that metal now brings
In the markets of the world. Such law
would have been in the interest of the min
ers and owners of silver, and clearly
against the interest or the people.
1t would be n fair question 10 ask why
should the government buy and pay an
extra price for silver? 1t does not do SO
for gold, or any ether article. If for sill
yer, why not for gram and cranbcrrieS?
kSure enough! But that question does not
arise, because at present the government
does not take either gold or silver and pay
for them more than their market value in
the money centerS Of the world. 1t does
not take gold and silver at all except for
the purpose of utilizing them as money.
In doing that, its work is for the benefit of
the entire people who use money, and in
no sense for the benefit or any particular
class.
The government never buys gold or sill
yer for the purpose of making jewclry or
tableware or any other Of the purposes of
consumption. 1t never buys them for any
purpose except 10 convert them In some
way into a circulating medium, into mon
ey. So long as they are not, they do not
come within the rules which govern the
precious metals. This whole question
hinges on the fact that silver and gold are
used as money; and it is q proper function
OF government to do all in its power to
keep the money used by the people honest,
pure, and of equal value, dollar for dollar.
II. G.. HoRR.