The old Abe eagle. (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 189?-189?, 1893-08-03
EDITORIAL COMMENT.
ALLEGORY OF THE CLOCK.

gold ard silver to each other; and, as th,
conditions are the same to-day, the
article is applicable and most interesting
at this time.
| ALLEGORY OF THE CLOCK.
In an ancient village there once stood a golC
clock, which ever since the invention of clock
| had been the measure of time for the people OF
that village. They were proud of its beauty, itt
workmanship, its musical stroke, and the un
| failing regularity with which it heralded the
passing hours. This clock had been endeared &c
all the Inhabitants of the village by the hallowed
associations with which it was identified. Gen.
GRAFTON after generation it had called the child
rem from far and wide to attend the village
school its fresh morning peal had set the honest
villagers to labors; its MONDAY notes had called
| them to refreshment its welcome evening chime
| had summoned them to rest. So perfect was its
mechanism that it never needed repair. Sc
| proud were the people of this wonderful clock
| that it became the standard for all the country
| round about, and the time which it kept came to
be known as the gold standard of time which
was universally admitted to be correct and un-
changing.
In the course of time there wandered that way
a queer character, clockmaker who being full
ly instructed in the inner workings of timetel.
lers, and not having inherited the traditions OF
that village, did not regard this clock with the
veneration accorded to it by the natives To their
| astonishment he denied that there was really any
such thing as a gold standard of time; and in
order to prove that the material, gold, did not
monopolize all the qualities characteristic of
| clocks, he placed alongside the gold clock, an
other clock, of silver, and set both clocks at Il
noon. For long time the clocks ran along in
almost perfect accord, their only disagI cement
boing that OF an occasional second or two, and
even that disagreement only at rare intervals
such as might naturally occur with the best of
! clocks. But the Council of the village, in their
admiration for the gold clock, passed an ordin-
ance requiring that all the weights (the motive
power) of the silver clock, except one, be re-
moved from 1t and attached to those of the gold
clook. Instantly the clocks degan to fall apart,
and one day, AZ the sun was passing the merd-
ian, the hands Of the gold clock were observed
to indicate the hour of while those of the silver
clock indicated 1915. At this everybody in the
village ridiculed the silver clock, derided the
silver standard, and hurled epithets at the indi-
vidual who had the timerity to doubt the iafal
libility Of the gold standard.
Finally, the divergence between the clocks
went so far that it was noon by the gold standard
when it was only a. IN. by the silver standard.
so that those who were guided by the gold
standard, notwithstanding that it was yet gray
in the morning, insisted on eating their mid day
meal, because the gold standard indicated that
t,tnt1g haY Al
the heavens and its light was shining warm and
refulgent on the dusty streets Of the village,
those who observed the gold standard had al
ready eaten supper and were preparing for bed
But this state Of things could not last. II
was clear that he difference between the stand
ards must bo reconciled, or all industry would
be disarranged and the village ruined.
Discussion was rife among the villagers an u
the cause Of the difference. Some said the silver
clock had lost time others that both clocks had
lost time but the silver clock more than the
gold while others asserted that both clocks had
gained time but that the gold clock had gained
more than the silver clock.
While this discussion was at its height phil
osopher came along and observing the excitement
on the subject. remarked, "By measuring two
'hHb"f'A' hS"ih7AN Nic ONutIt lOu can never arrive
at any determination which has changed. In.
stead of disputing as to whether one clock has
lost or another gained would it not be we'll to
consult the sun and the stars and ascertain
exactly what has happened"
Somo demurred 10 this because, as they assert
ed, the gold standard was unchanging and was
always right no matter how much il might seem
to be wrong others agreed that the PHILOSOPHER 3
advice should be taken. Upon consulting the
sun and the stars ii WIS discovered that what
had happened was that both clocks had gained
in time but that the gain Of tho SILVER clock had
been very slight, while that Of the gold clock
had been so great 81 to disturb all industry and
destroy all correct sense of time.
Notwithstanding this demonstration. there
were many who adhered to the belief that tho
gold standard was correct and unchangins, and
insisted that what appeared 10 be its alterations
wore not in reality due TO any fault of the gold
clock, but TO some convulsion ufnnture BY which
the solar system had been disarranged and the
planets made to move irregularly in their orbits.
Some Of the people also remembered having
heard AZ the village inn. from travellers return
ing from the East, that silver clocks we're the
standards of time in India and other barbarous
countries, while In countries Of more advanced
civilization gold clocks ware the standard. They
therefore feared that the uso Of ths silver clock
might have thn e fleet Of degrading the ciyiliEa.
ton 81 Che village by placing It alongside India
and o:ber barharous countries And although
tie great mass of TIE people really believed. from
the demonstration mado, that tile liver s,and ri
Of time WIS the better one, yut this objection waa
~ momsntoua taat they we're puzzol what course
to pursue. and NJ lNst sdyces were consulting
the manufacturers ~ gold clocks as to what was
10 DO done.
Our gold standard men are in the
position Of those who first refuse 10 look
at anything beyond the two things, gold
and silver, to see what has happened, and
who' when II is finally dem 1nstratcd that
all other things retain their former rcla.
iions to silver, still persist that the law
which makes gold AN unchtnging stand
ard OF measure is more immutable than
that which holds the stars in their
courses. II thoy will compare gold and
silver with commodities in general. to see
how the metals have maintained their
relations. not TO one another but TO nII
other things. they will iind that instead
OF a TALL having taken place in the value