Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-13
FATE OF a FINANCIER.
Ended His Days High In the AIT In
an Iron Cage.

long before the great German emigra-
ton of 1913 to America began the lesson
~ financial disaster. through a debased
roinage. had been taught In every KING
dom and principally Of Germany. For
more than one hundred years preceding
hat date the common people or the
common Fathcrland of the German
Americans had been taxed to pauperism
H. redeem a currency debased by kings
and princes TO provide revenues 10 De
spcnt in luxury, debauchery ana the
sport Of princes called war.
II was al this time that Joseph Suess
Oppenheimer-a name at when every
honest German Hip curls ana every
sturdy German jaw Is SCI III "hsoi-
rose 10 prominence. ana nnahy, upon
the sallows. secured undying infamy
Oppenheimer was the natural son OF
Raron George Of HeydersdOrf. Through
various vicissitudes this adVenturer. who
was a man of noble and commanuihs
presence and restless activity, mace MS
way into an office OF the Palatlne court
OF Mannheim. Here he introduced the
STAMP tax on paper. which touched the
nocket of every one who wrote, ms the
stalnp on shoes crippled every one but
those who went barefoot. He sold the
concession Of Che impost sor pZ'VO
0orns. and invested the proceeds In a
speculation I'm the coinage OF Hesse-
DarmstadL
pEBAsING THE COINAGE
Suess not only understood the practical
mart of coinage. but also the cheapest
markets where TO purchase the metals TO
be coined. He undersold his contract
for Hesse- Darmstadt with a profit TO HIM
self of 5000 forms. This started him IN
the business OF contracting TO furnish
coinage for the minor courts Of Germany
Even the Archbishop of Cologne had re-
course 10 Suess' assistance 10 squeeze a
little more for himself out of his pala-
innate Before Charles Alexander sue
ccedtd TO the Dukedom Of Wurtembeis
oppenheimCr had ingratiated himself INTO
his favor 10y n loan Of 1000 forins. When
the old Duke. Ebefhardt Louis, died. what
more natural than that the new Duke,
Charles Alexander, should intrust the
financial affairs OF his government 10
Joseph Sues Oppcnheimer? And Joseph
undertook the scrviye with suspicious
aiacrity.
The government OF Wurtemberg first
tried minung lis own coin. but could not
get out OF its financial straits, for the
issue aggregated only l0.O)u gulden, a gull
Sen being "A silver coin of about forty-one
cents In value the same as the forin. OPP
penheimer now took the coinage contract
almself, and proceeded 20 put the PETER
Teller Wolcott idea into force with ven
setnce. In the course OF very few years
ne had put into circulation 100000 gull
den Of inferior value which ut first were
eagerly accepted at par by the people and
by the nelghboring duchieS lie even
made present of i50.eD gulden TO the
Duke by way OF seigniorage. and another
present OF $4,000 gulden 10 himself
BAD MONEY IN A FLOOD.
nf.p
princeton IN the empire. The result
was that all Southern Germany was
flooded with bad money. The evil spread
u such an extent that the Emperor
found himself forced 10 made stringent
rules against the acceptance OF the light
weight coin And after a long struggle
even Duke Charles Alexander, in Jan
uary. 1871. awOke TO the fact that there
was considerable depreciation of the
circulating medium in Wurtem1erg. The
loss which the government and the people
suffered through this depreciation show
cd Itself IN a sudden shrinkage in the
Treasury funds OF between cO0.0oQ and
5000 gulden. 80 did this apparently
brilliant undertaking end in great
calamity to the country" says the
historian.
After this collapse came other evils.
81 the way of selling OF monopoies and
the leyying OF Indirect taxes Of every
conceivable kind. Justice was FOR sale
on every hand and no Income escaped
the touch OF the blackmailer. in a few
months. and even before the death of
the Duke, which occurred Ia the same
year, the hatred Of the people for OPP
Ienheimer. whose iinarciering was OPP
pressing them, had led Charles Alexander
10 Institute an Investigation OF his meth
eds Immediately after the death OF the
Duke. In 1881 the widowed Duchess
confined Oppenheimer, In his own resi-
dsnce and pushed the investigation that