The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-02-14

| the new SILK she had so long desired.
Mrs. Jones expresses great surprise,
for she had been previously informed
that a $1,000 interest bearing note
would be the return for the wheat.
Mr.. Jones complacently taking the
note from his pocket informs her that
the gold pieces are simply the Advance
interest on his note; he then expiates
upon the beauties and advantages of
such system, declaring that here
after his notes must be drawn with
interest payable in advance. Then
with an air of naughty indifference,
he informs her that besides the gold
interest and $1,000 note, 900 bushels
wheat were being returned to him,
and that the very men who hauled
away the 1000 bushels in the morn
ing were returning with 900 to be
| replaced in his granary.
This announcement was too start
ling for truth-loving Mrs. Jones.
She threw up her hands in horror;
for twenty-eight years she had been
the wife of Darius Jones, and for the
| first time in all these years she had
occasion to doubt his veracity. But
the unwelcome thought was checked
as shudder of fear ran. through her
frame. "Poor Darius" thought she,
must be insane" Great sobs of
grief began to choke her utterance,
when casually glancing out of the
window, she saw a train of loaded
wagons coming up the lane. She
stood for a moment dazed, great
beads of perspiration appeared on
her forhead. She looked at Darius,
at the approaching train, then nerv-
ously scanning the $1,000 note, she
pushed it with the gold from her,
and burst into flood of agOniZing
tears. 1t was long before Darius
could reconcile his wife to this mys-
FERROUS proceedings, but there was
vein of ambition in her nature which
dominated at times. and when she
saw the benefits that must accrue
from such transaction, she not only
became rconciled but regarded with
pride the acumen that had so in
creased their material prosperity.
From that time the Joneses moved
in the most aristocratic circles, and
were accounted among the "best'
people of the community.
TO many of my readers, no doubt,
this little story appears like a most
exaggerated fiction, and this truth is
not only strange but startling. He
who doubts it's authenticity has only
to read the laws which govern our
national banking institutions, and
in proof of the repacity of the system
let me add that there is today bill
pending in congress, whereby it is
proposed to make the bank circula-
tion, not 90 but 100 per cent, the full
face value of the bond: in other
words Mr.. Jones proposes the return
of full 1000 bushels of wheat in ad-
dition to his $1,000 bond and ad-
vanced gold interest. But the clear
headed, vigilant Weaver is on guard,
and to him the people may safely en-
trust this mOmentOus question.
Further the national banks, as de-
pOSitories for the U. S. Treasury. to-
day hold $50, 100000 of the peoples
money upon which they are not pay
ing one cent interest, but are and
hove been for the last 20 years loan
ing it at from S to 10 per cent, or US
ing it for etfecting corners on the
necessaries of life. At one time the
the First National Bank of New
YOrk-JOhn Sherman's bank-had
the free use of 5000, 600 of the peo-
pies money, at time when it's own
capital stock was less than a quarter
of million. 1t was thus that honest
John Sherman least anchor to wind
ward" when he was the peoples SER
want.
The founders of our government
had a Salutary dread of the bankers
| influence making itself felt in shap-
lHS VIC HdUlOudl ltSlSldUlOU. lHcy
anticipated the evils that we have
seen to result from allowing
the banking interest to become dom
inant in the halls of Congress. We
find, therefore. the Third Congress
of the United States Senate passing
the following resolution on the 23d of
December, 1893:
Any person holding any office on ana
stock in any institution IN the nature of
q bank for issuing or discounting bills
or notes payable to bearer or order.
cannot be q member Of the House achilst he
holds such office on stock
The resolution was signed by the
President, George Washington.
At that time there were only three
banks in the whole country. Yet
even then Congress thought that the
bank influence was such a standing
danger to the maintenance of legisla-
tive purity that it deemed If naceS