Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-07-11
free access to land is primal and para

mount to that of money.
What IS money? Oh, a medium of
exchange, everybody says. But that
is too abstruce. Another says that it
is a measure of values, but that is a
great mistake; money expresses or
states values, same as yard stick
measures the number of yards of cloth
but it no more measures the value of
the commodity 1t represents, than does
the yard stick measure the value of
the cloth. Value is determined N "a
given case, by the amount of human
energy required to produce given
commodity with that required to pro-
duce another article OF like desrabi-
lily. Hence. if "1n in human energy
will produce an ounce of silver, and
also II" in human energy will pro-
duce bushel OF wheat, and both the
gree OF natural utility, then, on an un-
prejudiced market both silver and
wheat will have the same money value.
The great mistake in our money sys-
tenn is the choice of materials Of which
it is made. 1t proves nothing in the
matter OF expedlency to say that gold
and silver have long been used as a
money material, to use gold or silver
as a money material creates use and
demand that acts as waste; for it is an
unnecessary use--it favOrs the few
who own the output of these metals,by
enabling them to get for it more than
its normal value, while producers of
other things must sell their product
without the aid Of legislation in their
favOs-that is unfair. We have dem
onstrated that paper money is as good
as any, aye, better, and by far more
economical, costing but one-fOurth Of
per cent per dollar to issue it; hence
both gold and silver should be demone
tiZed and PAPER money issued in Its
stead; but someone objects because we
must deal with 0teer nations and set
tie balance and trade with money they
will take-but we don't deal with
other nations by money, whatever the
material is, but by commodities. The
lawful money of country is that
which its law-maklng power adopts,
and economy is the only proper ar
bitter as to what material shall be used
j in its makeup. Other nations will
take any lawful money of the United
States. 1t is not "honest money" that
we need so badly, but honest legisla-
tors to act in the interests Of all the
people who must use that money.
Again much or little money cuts lit
tie figure in the sum total Of human
happiness. With much money in cir
culation, prices will be relatively high
er; but a Dushel Of wheat at a dollar
will satisfy no more hunger than at SO
cents, and as every one war Is to buy
cheap, it would seem that low prices
are more to be desired than high prices.
Suppose carpenter to get $500 per
day wages under normal conditions.
Let us suppose that the same amount
of human energy turned from the car
penter shop to the blacksmith shop
will command 81 90 per diem wage,
and that each one does days work
for the other IL is readily seen that
no money is needed to settle the ac-
count. This proves that in the last
analysis it is labor that pays, and not
money. Nor, would either OF these
mechanics be prejudiced, if, because
of less money being in circulation,
their labor was represented by one dol
lar instead of two. Money enough to
to do the business of the country on a
cash Dasis' is mere tWaddle. But to
change the volume after one had per-
formed, while the other had not, one
of them would be prejudiced, or faV
Ored, as the amount OF the circulation
was increased, or diminished; hence, it
is the eVenneSs of the volume at all
times tina. is important, not the kind
of money. No prejudice would have
come to the people because of the de-.
monetiza6ion of silver, if paper money
had replaced it.
The p session Of money, blrring
gifts, theft or finding 1t, is a mere GER
tilicate of having reformed labor. So,
to have money, Obtained in the normal
way, l. e., by labor, shows that labor
is the primal source of wealth and the
all-importaut thing in production, so
far as man is concerned. Labor, then,
is a factor in the production of wealth,
and the term FACTOR" implies that
there is some other thing, or element
to be considered in the matter of
wealth producing. What is it; or what
are they? plOws, axes, hammers, pens,
bOOksy No, we can labor without any
of these. What then, land? There IS
plenty Of land. Well, what isiL? On,
yes, landlord; we must go and see the
landlord, and get his permission to use
the land. Well, better take your hat
off; you can't do any business with a
landlord with your hat on. But the
landlord is not anxious to have the
and worked If it is in England, Ire
land or Scotland, they probably want
the land for a deer park, or fox chase,
or game preserve. He talks very crusty
, about renting it, and the more needy
the applicant looks the mare crusty he
talks, If he talks at all. But why must
he be consulted about the use OF
of the landY Why, he says he has the
: legal and equitable title to it. How
J did he get il? He, or his father OF
grand father killed the former occu,
pant, or forcefully drove him off it OF
J bought it of some one who did. Be
fore this was done, however, a Law
was enacted by barbaric custom of ma.
lions or. tribe, that to conquer ant