The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-06-28
CAUSE AND THE CURE
HOW DISSATISFACTION HAS BEEN
BROUGHT ABOUT.
Every one Familiar With History Knows
That We Have Good Times and Con-
tented People When There IL rlrnty Of
MOney-Gcneral Political NOtes.
Reform II Demanded.

all the luxuries and even comforts of
life and their families are arraycd in
purple and fine linen, fare sumptOusly
every day and spend their lives in idle
ness and travel, while those who pro-
Guce wealth exc ont miserable exist
ence in tenement houses and are de-
MED the privilege of working for q
crust and are turned upon the streets
charity, beg or steal, is proof positive
that there ~ something radically
wrong in our monetary system.
The very fact that such conditions
10 exist is sufficient evidence that the
existence OF the republic demands re-
.Orms, prompt and effective.
1t is indeed strange that there
should be any difference of opinion as
to the cause Of the deplorable condi
ton, when every one is confronted
with the fact that the masses were
more prosperous from 1866 to 1872
than they ever were before or since.
During these years there was more
money in circulation. Wages and
prices of all property and products
have declined in All exact ratio with
the contraction of the volume of
money from 1879 to this hour: nor
should there be any difference of opin-
ion as to the remedy.
livery one familiar with the history
Of the race knows that in every age,
plenty of money in circulation has
brought general activity in every di-
vision of labor, good wages, property
and rapid development, and that a
contraction of the volume of money in
variably produces staGnation i'll every
division of labor, falling wages and in
creasing hard times. 1t produces
tramps, confusion, anarchy and
finally revolution. Such are the plain
facts on every page of the worlds his
tory.
Let us consider what is money. The
Encyclopedin britannica, highest au-
thority on the subject, defines it thus:
Money is that which passes freely
from hand to hand throughout the
nation that ISSUES It, in final discharge
Of debts and full payment of commodi-
ties, being accepted equally without
reference to the character or credit of
the person who offers it. and without
the intention of the person who re-
ceives it to consume it, enjoy it or APP
ply it to any other use than in turn to
tender it to others in discharge of
debts or payment for commodities.
This fixes the fact that all money
ia purely and exclusively the creature
of law. and that the volume in circu-
lation depends wholly upon the law
for law makes and unmnkes it. Our
fathers recognized this great princi-
pie when they took the power to coin
money away from the states and give
it exclusively to Congress- and in doing
SO made it obligatory upon Congress to
issue sufficient money to enable the
people to transact their business on
cash basis; also to devise ways and
people and keep it there without ia
voritism or creating any monopoly, or
permitting others to do IT. For Con-
grcss to fail to- .lo this is to fail to
form II more perfect union. establish
justice. secure public tranquility. pro
vide for the common defense. promote
the general welfare and secur. the
blessings OF liberty to the people. and
to their posteritv." the very things for
which our revolutionary fathers fought.
and that constrained them to formu-
late. adopt and ra,ifv the Constitution
of the United States. These are truths
no one will dare to deny.
TO the end that Congress might at
all times be i'll possession of the means
to carry INFO practice these great and
Indispensable blessings. the constitu-
ton did not designate what material
Congress should coin the money out
OF. becauseu these patriots learned by
sad experience that there was not. and
would not be. at nll times. suffirien,
gold or silver bullion obtainable &c
supply the demand of rapidly in.
creaSing population, hence. they lcf,
that part of the business in the hands
of Congress exclusively.
From the formation Of the eonstitu
tuition TO this hour there have been tw,
political parties. They have changed
their names several times. but tn,
same principles have been advocate,
by them upon all occasions. One q
these parties. under the lead OF Alex
nnder Hamilton. tried to shape tn.
Government on the same principles
and substantially after the same form
rs the Government Of England. Ihl
party asserted tina, the plain peopl,
were incapable of self government
that to establish. a stable Government
it was absolutely necessary to give tn,
rich and we'll born governmental pre-
~ogatives to interest them in sustain
ing the Government. hence the Gov
eminent should charter banks an,
loan them its credit 81 substantial
no interest and let the banks furnish
money to the people.
Opposed to these was another part
under the leadership of Thomas JET
ferson. at that time called Repuh!i
cans. They insisted that the plat
people were capable of self-govern
men.: that all power should renal
in the hands of the people: that tn
Government should no: farm out an
Of its prerogatives to any corporation