Griggs courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., Dak. [N.D.]) 1885-1902, 1893-12-01
EDITORIAL NOTES.
And Other Matters of Interest
to the Readers of the
Courier.
MONEY QUALITIES.

MON Il r GU UAA1I4ES.
In selecting money article ex-
penence has taught us we should be
careful in discriminating between
those that offer themselves lest we
be embara ssed in effecting our ex-
changes.
Such is the relation of the nations
ot the earth TO each other, such is
&hc International character of all bus
lness, such is the intermingNng of the
races in every cline t:at the article
70 be used as money should have, as
one of its qualities, universal pur
chasing power. There should be no
trouble to exchange it anywhere,
where exchanges are effected among
snen. 1t should have value through.
out the entire human family. Our
own money article, as nation,
shculd have this quality. We are a
n .tion of races; we have most in,im-
ate relations with other nations.
Our business is international and is
not confined to civilized peoples.
As the years go by the whole world
Of business is being reduced in size
by the wonderful inventions of the
age, and the many peoples are be-
coming more and more one.
The money article must take note
OF this and make itself as convenient
as possible as it goes from hand to
hand circumscribing the world of ex-
changes. 1t must be careful not to
lose its value before it gets around
: the long circuit.
According to definition money is
n measure of value. The things to
be valued are services and commo.
'dities. That which is to determine
value in other things should be valu-
able in itself, and its value should be
rs fixed as possible. 1t is generally
accepted that "the prime and funda-
mental element OF value" is in the
cost Of production. Labor required
to produce a given article must be
counted in with the cost of its pro.
'duction. Our money article, then
should represent both labor, anc
what that labor costs in producing
It. Money is merchandise-it ha:
to be bought. 1t is not given out te
men for nothing. There is no kline
of money that has not cost societ,
something. This is right it money
Is to measure value. Unless tb,
money article fairly represents thu
necessaries of life in their actual cost
and labor itself, it will not be tn,
standard of value by which the com
parative value of other commoditie
may be ascertained. That there
should be some measure of value i
Just as common sense as it is tha,
there should be measure of length
or weight; and that this measure 0
value should permanently represen
given amount Of any grade, or kine
Of labor goes without saying.
Moreover, the value of this none!
article should be constant and con.
tinuous under all circumstances, and
especially. under those which woule
destroy the value of most commodi
ties. 1t would be folly for us to u.s.
many Of the money articles of th'
past now. What could we do with
COW money, or grain money, or sal
or lea money? Cows have no uni
form value. Grain is too bulky, ant
too hard to preserve. Salt ant
tea are inconvenient on many &C.
counts. These, and numerous othe
things. would not do tor money be
cause it is so difficult to maintain
their values constant and centinuou!
under all circumstances.
It is very desirable that the money
article should be convenient tt
handle. It should not be too bulky
vr too weighty. We do not need t
argue this. Every man who handle!
much money ~4i; at once admit th'
common sense Of it.
To sum up then the poin