The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1895-01-19
HypnOtism in Politics.

III u Juito VI nv shtCAi8CuICt
Nearly everybody has heard of hyp-
notism, but few know the extent to
which it is used in everyday life.
The two French physicians, Binet
and Ferre, in charge of the hospital for
the insane at La SaIpetriere, have
written an exhaustive work, called, IN
the translation published by Appleten's
in the International Scientific Series,
"Animal Magnetism
In showing the very wide sweep of
the influences to which certain classes
of minds surrender the will and are led
by others without combating or testing
by their own reason what is said to
them, these doctors speak Of the many
cases wherein masses are swayed by a
few in politics.
A peculiar fact about hypnOtism is
that the subject will believe a false
statement, contrary to reason.
The hint dropped by the two writers
above was q seed that has produced a
plenteous crop. Many of the smosth
men of all callings, sent cut into the
rural. districts to work up business of
all kinds, legitimate and otherwise,
show bp their actions that they are
working on the line of hypnotism.
A vast lot of .'bright lights of
journalism have seer into and taken up
the same methods.
The most conspicuous example of it
that | have noticed Is the Republic, IN
its daily re-iteration of the statement
that the restoration Of the free coinage
of silver at the ratio of | to l6 would
mean silver mOnometallisM.
In my opinion, il the writer of that
statement believes it, he is intellectually
unfit to be an editor. II he does not
believe it, yet continues to make 1t, he
IS morally unfit to be an editor. In
any case he ought to support it by
reasons. l noticed that he failed to
hypnotic the INTELLIeENCER, which
asked, some weeks ago, how the
Republic knows that the restoration Of
the free coinage Of silver, ut the
ratio Of 10 to- |, would mean silver
monometallisM, and still pauses fer the
reply which is not forthcoming.
The Republic of January 10, has an
editorial congratulating the country
that Mr.. Cleveland has avsrted the
calamity Of silver monemstallism; q
statement which Is nauseating enough
to take the place Of a ship load of
emetic drugs.
When one makes q positive state
Ment that is not automatic he Is
expected to prove it. No one Is called
on to disprove it. But the Republic
can not prove its statement as you
called on it " do, nor has IL over tried
to. Furthermore, it knows that our
own experience proved its statement
untrue.
As long as we coined silver dollars,
sven in tho shambling and awkward
way that We did, We gained gold.
When Harrison struck the blow Of the
assassin's dagger, by stopping thor
coinage, we At once began to lose gold
to Europe. Before that, when l was
in London, nearly every banker
talked with wanted to knew what We
meant by corraling the worlds gold.
The reason that we lose gold now il
that the volume of metal money greatly
influences prices; and when It is small,
prices are low, and our bill against
Europe for what we sell her Is smaller,
although (as the last report of Carlisle
shows) we have sold the same quantity
of stuff IS before; but when the volume
OF metal money is large, prices are
higher and our bill against Europe is
greater. The balances is paid in gold
because it Is less weight TO move. In
the first case, prices being low, the
balance Is against us. In the second
case, (that of abundant metal money!
prices are high, and the balance is paid
to us in gold. 1 explained at great
length, and with great q r. to be clear,
why and how demonstration lowers
the price of oar products, aud the same
is published in the Arena for December,
1894.
1t ought to be clear to everybody
that II the round s-bopt. stumbling,
awkward why Of getting an increase 81
the volume Of metal money that the
Sherman law gave would. nevertheless,
make us gain gold, the natural and
constitutional plan would, for a stronger
reason, make us gain more and gain II
faster
But, Mr.. Editor, you are not q
banker; especially are you not an issue
banker, and therefore you have never
experienced the sweet pleasure Of
lending the people their own credit
and making them pay interest on 1t.
To enjoy this it Is necessary to keep
pick-snd-shovel msney out Of the way,
by ~hypnotism and every other means
found effective. GKO. WILSON.