Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1895-05-03
Nathan Hiatt on the Financial Question.

In the early stages of civilization, when the
people were divided into small Kingdoms or
lived in colonies, it was necessary to use gold
and silver for money. 1t was necessary III those
days to have money that possessed some intrln-
sic value; but in this day and age of the world
it is not necessary. Paper money is more COLI
venient and handy, and all nations should have
the privilege to coin their own money on paper,
and want all the people in the United States
to understand that republican government
has the right and power to do it. 1t is great
and blessed privilege that our forefathers hand
ed down to us, and the United States supreme
court has established forever the right of the
people to issue their own money. Now, want
all the people in the United States to Under
stand that the power to coin money belongs ex-
clusively to congress, and no man or set OF men
state or corporation has the right to coin money
or issue paper to circulate as money. 1t is un-
CONSTITUTIONAL and if we are are to have safe
and sound circulating medium of exchange, it
must be prohibited and not allowed in any part
of the United States.
To-day, thousands of our people are out of
employment and tramping i'll search of work,
and thousands more are starving and perishing
for the necessaries of life-al for the lack Of
money to transact business and congress has the
right, the power and the privilege, granted by
the people and the constitution of the United
States, to issue a sufficient amount OF legal
tender paper money to transact business and
relieve the people. A congress that will not do
it, but will continue to load the people down
with bonds, is not loyal to this government,
and should be retired from office, and it is the
duty of the people of the United States to oust
them as speedily as possible.
l would to God that all the people in the
United States could understand right now, and
for all time, as long as this government exists,
that it is not necessary and not right to have
our paper money secured by bonds.
This money question has been tried and test
ed in the United States The first sixty millions
of genuine Abraham Lincoln greenback gov
ernment money was not secured by bonds, and
it was good money. Not dollar of it ever de-
preciated in value, but was always at par with
gold. This l will explain in the language OF
James c. Blaine in 1861, as he held up one OF
the original greenbacks: "What is this? 1t
is dollar, and it is a good dollar-goodfor the
farmer, the mechanic, the sailor, the soldier
everybody. What makes it good dollar? Be-
cause every dollars worth of property in the
United States is behind it, and the life and
blood of every true and loyal citizen is behind
it, and that makes it good.'
Why is not that same greenback as good to-
day, with all the United States behind it, as 1t
was then? Because it will not give the. Shy
locks the power to rob us.
There is moral law, which is the law OF
God-an onward and upward road of progress
sion-that leads to light, to wisdom; to knowl-
edge and understanding. This same law, when
pervaded, leads downward to darkness, to SELF
ishness, to ignorance, to destruction and ruin.
This moral law should be observed and obeyed
by the politicians the ofice-holders, the leaders
and Lawmakers of a nation, because it is the
eternal and Interchangeable law of truth that
governs the universe, and must decide and de-
terrnine the fate and destiny of nations.
The leaders of both old parties have observed
no laws but selfshness and greed. Their head
quarters is in London, England, and through
the ocean cable the great money kings OF Eu