The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-18
THE PARTING SHOT,

To the Editor OF the Eagle.
Dr.. Miller fires Parthain arrow at
me from the train as he flies to more
congenial companionship among the
worshipsrs of the golden idol in New
York. But he adds not an iota to the
argument-simply dumps waste has,
ket of assertions which have been heard
ad nauseam, but that is not argument.
Every one who has eyes knows the phys
ical difference between gold dollar, a
silver dollar and dollar bill, all possess
ing, however, one quality in common,
that Of beng illegal tender for debt. y
That is the supreme quality of money"
The bullion in the coin is matter of
weight, barter, price; SO is wheat and
other things, but that is not money. 1t
is the law behind the coins as behind
the bill making them illegal tender for
debt" that clothes them all alike
with the sovereign function of money.
1t is use that gives value to anything,
and this is the highest possible use, for
it is an order of sovereign authority
upon society for anything of use or
value it possesses and cares to part
with.
The definition of money was drawn
from the doctor in advance for pur-
pose. He has now discovered tine pur-
pose and opens up fusilade of fire.
crackers and small arms to cover his re-
treat. But he is evidently ratified, and
shoots wild. He makes assertions that
are even wilder than his reliance upon
the Foster statistics. He repeats HIM
self in denying that an irredeemable
paper money has ever been tried sin
this country or any other" The doctor
had better read the report of the Hersh-
ell monetary commission in England on
that point. In fact, omniverous reader
that he is, he seems upon this question
to have been looking not for the
truth but something to prove
preconceived notion, and hence
some of the most obvious and
significant facts in the monetary history
of the world have escaped his notice.
l know he is wild in his assertions as
to what has happened in the past and
think it quite possible that he may be
found no more trustworthy when he
enters the domain of prophecy, which
he freely does. The doctor is not alone,
however, for that is a common refuge
of people like him who are less sure of
their facts than they are of their own
opinion. With people of that sort, if
the facts happen to differ with them, it
is always SO much worse for the facts.
As to his inference that legal tender
issue of paper money by the United
States government being thing of no
value, that is point upon which he and
l will always and widely differ. He
would not assert that of United States
bond, yet wherein does the guarantee OF
the government behind the one differ
from the other?
The simple secret Of resistance in one
case and absolute trust in the other is
that the RothSchilds Of the world want
and intend TO limit the legal tender OF
every land SO they can control it and
thereby fix their own price upon the pro-
ducts of every land under the sun. This
is the kernel at the core of all this money
quarrel. Shylock wants his pound OF
flesh close to the heart and the other
fellow wants it to come from some point
that will not take his life.
In the meantime let us hear from the
good doctor as to the authenticity of his
statistics. S. E. j.