The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-15
KANSAS NOTIONS

KANSAS NOTIONS
The Populists' Talk Of Free Money.
| From the Hartford Courant.
| The following very remarkable private
! letter from a correspondent in Kansas
was received recently by Colonel Greene,
president of the Connecticut Mutual,
and he has consented to let the Courant
print it. 1t is the best pen picture Of the
situation out there that we have seen
anywhere, and it shows that, with all
the fOOlI5hness abroad, there is hope
full common sense among some of the
people which has the vitality of the
right, and may be relied upon to prevail
in time. The letter says:
WICHITA, Kan, Jan. 81; 1892.
Colonel Jacob L. Greene. Hartford
DEAR Slr-lt Is refreshing, amid the
shower of political and financial heresy,
with which we in Kansas are afflicted,
think, more than our equitable share, to
read the clean. logical and sound resoiu-
tons introduced by yourself, and adopt
ed by the Hartford board of trade, with
a copy of which you have favored me.
You have doubtless, been interested in
the very peculiar developments of the
past few weeks in this state. [ think
that It must be difficult, however, if not
impossible, for any one at distance
to correctly appreciate the character and
virulence of the intellectual disease
which prevails here, if | may describe by
that term disease which has so little in
common with intellect.
The great mass of men who have gone
into this new political movement are
honest. They pay their debts, when they
can, and when they can not, they pay
interest. And they do it willingly.
They seem to have some indisLinct sort
of idea that if there can be new deal,
with new party, everything will right
itself, and righteousness will reign on
the earth without any need Of watchful-
ness on the part of the people against
ill-disposed persons, but just simply
reign.
There are other men in this movement
who are looking for some way to get
rid of paying their debts, and who are
ready to go to any extreme that Is safe,
to accomplish that purpose, except the
one way that honor dictates. A very
considerable part of the ''leaders" i'll
this movement are men who make
political capital of swindling
operations. and pose as martyrs TO cor
porate greed, when they borrowed more
money than the property which they
offered as security was worth.
There are others who really have
cause for complaint on account of unjust
laws, and hoped that a new set of men
would enact laws that would compel
more equitable dealing on the part of
the railroads, with the agricultural,
products, and enact a better mortgages
law than we now have.
But the aggregation is so Heterogeneous
that it is idle to attempt a complete
classification of all the elements that
enter into the composition Of this re-
markable political menagerie.
Instead of attempting vainly to de-
scribe the men and their doctrines, per-
NIT me to illustrate their principles by
an anecdote or two.
Last summer l was coming down
town in a street car with the present
governor of Kansas, and The conversa-
ton turned upon the subject of finance.
In answer TO that gentleman's argument
that money is solely a medium of ex-
change, and measure of value, aud does
not need in itself any value, any more
than the yard STICK needs TO be as valua-
bic as the silk or velvet which it meas
ures, | called his attention to the fact
that the instrument used as a measure
must possess the quality of the thing
measured; that in order TO measure
length, one must use something which
Is long; that 10 measure quantity, a
measure of capacity IS needed; that he
would find 1t incOnvenient to measure
silk with pound weight, or a load of
hay with pint cup; and that when it is
desirable to measure value, something
which is valuable must be used.
Mr.. Lewelling could not, or at any
rate did not, attempt to contrOvert the
position; but uttered this remarkable
opinion: Tho ideal currency, Mr..
-, is, in my opinion, a currency
which is valuable as currency, and as
nothing else"
The effect of the present legislative
middle can not be anything but IN
fortunate for the business interests OF
the people of this state. Already it IS
felt by farmers and others who need TO
borrow, many being unable TO obtain
extensions even when reducing the
amount Of the original mortgage. 4
gentleman IN this city, l am Informed,
is practically ruined. He began TO erect
a fine three-story building n a very de-
slrable location depe ndIng on the
LIfe company for SIS, coo, with which to
complete 1t. Now when he IS ready for
the money the company say that they
dare not put any money IN Kansas 1t
present. His money Is gone, his build
ing Is incomplete, and it is doubtful If
ne can finish it.
But | viii not weary you with any
further comments. 1fear that YOU are
already tired OF the subject. l know
that good many Of u out here are
tired OF living IN a state that has and -
richly deserves the unsavory reputation
which Kansas has acquired IN the last
Few years.
1t Is, however, only a question OF time.
aud ! think short tine until common
sense VIII resume its sway over the