The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-09-06
MONEY MAY BE ANYTHING.
But Nothing is Good Money That Will Not
Expedite Trade.

OF CIVILIZATION, DarGer arose. lle IllaO
possesses what is in greatest demand
always occupies an advantageous posi-
tion. He can always find some one to
take up what he has and his exchange
is limited only by his wants and his
possessions, while one who produces
an undesirable article often finds it
left upon his hands.
It sometimes happens that one can
best exchange his product by taking
something that he does not want him
self, but is wanted by others, who, in
turn, possesses what he desires. he
produces cotton and wants iron. His
neighbor has iron, but wants no cot
ton. A third party has iron and
wishes cloth. Cotton is exchanged
for cloth and with the cloth iron is
procured.
HOW MIDDLE MEN STARTED.
When this kind of exchange became
common it was found advantageous to
set aside class of persons called
middle men to buy products from one
to sell to another. In time all great
traffic fell into the hands Of middle
men called merchants. This class
arose, not as parasites fattening on
the community, but as a necessary ad-
junct to prosperous exchange. The
merchant enables the producer to find
ready market for his wares, and
without leaving home to purchase
goods produced at a distance. The
establishment of middle men is gain
in time, comfort and wealth to the
producer, who would otherwise lose in
all by hawking around his wares:
One buys for two purposes: First,
to procure directly something he
needs; and second to procure that
with which he can get what he needs.
The more complex the wants Of the
people become, the more prominent
becomes the second object, that Of Sc
curing the intermediate commodity.
This being procured for the purpose Of
exchanging it for something else it
will not perform it's intermediary
function unless it is parted with. The
best intermediate commodity is, of
course, that which is in the greatest
demand.
This object of greatest demand va
ries in different countries. In the
desert water and salt are most priced
in wild country a weapon or ammu-
milton is the object Of greatest desire.
A person, therefore, will readily ac-
cept pound Of salt in the desert or a
bullet on the frontier, knowing that if
he does not need it himself he can get
something in exchange for it. When
the possibility of exchange amounts to
certainty the commodity is perfect
medium Of exchange. To the extent
that uncertainty Of getting rid Of it
exists, to that extent it fails as per-
feet medium. This is an important
fact, and lies at the bottom Of great
many important truths which are not
generally comprehended.
WHY A THING is CALLED MONEY.
After thing has become an object
of such general desire as to constitute
a general medium of exchange it is
called money.
Money may be anything. There is
no divine command declaring what
shall and what shall not be money.
The establishment of anything as
money depends on the tastes and de-
sires, or necessities of those among
whom it is to circulate. The only es-
sential is that everybody is willing to
take it, whether it be wampum among
the Indians, or bullets on the frontier,
or salt in the Sahara, or gold in Eng
land.
THE TULIP GRAZ IN HOLLAND.
At one time everybody in Holland
went crazy over tulips, so that sim
gle bulb was worth many times its
weight in gold. AS long as everybody
wanted tulips, so long would they suf-
fee for money. But as a change came
in the tastes of men, when one took a
tulip in exchange for his productions,
he was by no means sure Of disposing
of it. Indeed, many persons were
ruined when the craze subsidized.
NATURAL MONEY.
When anything by natural selection
becomes an object of universal desire
II becomes what may be called "natu-
raj money" or natural tender" In
the history of mankind many things
have striven for this honorable dis
tinction of becoming natural money.
But as time wore on one by one fell
out of the contest, until at present
among civilized nations only few
things are sufficiently desirable to be
called money.
The most conspicuous in the history
of the world have been cattle. iron,
copper, silver and gold. These are all
useful still, yet cattle and iron arc not
now regarded as money. Copper,
which once served it's purpose well,
and is still able to be useful in sub
ordinate position, is only used for the
purpose of paying small debts.
SILVER AND GOLD.
For long time silver and gold ran
an even race; but in the past genera
tion gold has greatly outstripped sill
vcr, and is now much more generally
priced. 1t may be put down as fact
that no one in the civilized world will
refuse to take gold in exchange for any
commodity he wishes to sell.
This is Fundamental fact. 1t may
or may not be explained but no one
can deny it's truth. Whether the rca-
son is sound one, or the result of
mere caprice or folly the fact remains
and cannot be argued away. When
you wish to sell to anyone yor have to
give him what he wants, whether you
may think him foolish in his tastes or
not. This is not your business. In
free country every man has the right
to dispose of what he has in exchange
for what he wants, and to refuse to
sell his property if he does not wish
to dispose of it, or if he does not care
to take what you offer him in cx-
change. TO take this liberty from
him is to destroy the bulwarks of a
free and just government.