The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-06-03
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH.
Continued from Ninth Pagel

Continued from Ninth Page)
Ten years afterward he read before
you a supplementary paper entitled,
''The Money Problem Again." which
was perhaps more easily understood by
the popular mind, but the first series
was of greater Importance historically,
l had proposed to myself to insert
here an abstract of certain pages from
the Money Problem" i'm which 1 was
Interested, but it occurs to- me that
while am not competent to generalize
profitaibly upon the subject, the mem
ibers of the society are all familiar with
Or. Bronson's financial views as set
forth SO fully in the valuable papers he
has from time to time presented here.
, "a financial authority, and a close stu
dent of political economy, whose init
mate relations with DIR. Bronson quail
fled him to form a valuable opinion,
said of him:
%'He took a deep interest in the cur
rency question during the whole period
between the passage of the legalLtender
act and the resumption Of specie pay
ments. To him it was a practical ques-
ton of the deepest import, affecting in
the most serious manner. the prosperity,
welfare and happiness of the people of
this country
He clearly foresaw the dreadful evils
and disasters that must inevitably re-
suit from that legislation.
There was never any doubt in his
mind, from the day that measure
passed congress. until the final catas-
trophe as to what the result of that
legislation would be. He condemned it
as an economic blunder of the greatest
magnitude, but It was more than that
ITO him; and as a patriot he felt and de-
plored the injury 1t was to be to our
finances through the evils growing out
of the war; and as man he sympa-
Hhi2ed with those who lost their proper
ty by the insidious working of an ire
deemable legal tender paper money;
and because most Of them would never
fcomprehend how their misfortunes
came upon them.
+Mr. George A. Butler
Favored as he was by fortune and the
circumstances of his birth-surrounde
by the happy results Of wise and sue
cessfIl mechanical combinations,
pushed to the utmost limits of artistic
~INCAOPlAlCub Wy ehOhllheb4lL va Nltbh anu
skill, we can see by what an easy grade
he became wealthy without exertion.
Forming his views Of finance In such
a school, where every scrap of metal
was made to yield up it's equivalent of
The gold basis that was in it, he could
have come naturally to no other convic-
tion than the one he so often expressed
In respect to the financial conduct of
our late war; that the war could have
been as speedily and as successfully
brought to conclusion on a specie
basis as 1t was on basis of paper mon
ey-in either case the accumulation of
an immense debt was the inevitable re-
suit. The opinions of wise men diff
fered widely, however, on this question,
and do still differ, but it is probable
that the majority of our people favored
the use of a green-baclS currency.
Dr. Bronson attached himself to the
Herbert Spencer school Of political econ
omists. They agree in their statements
as to the shocwingly deplorable condi-
tion In which are all existing things
church and state and social organiza-
Hons. They leave us in no doubt as to
what really ought to be the actual con-
dition of the entire population Of the
world. But they give us no idea of
whae is a possible and practical work
ing plan, by means of which all peoples
can be placed on the same elevated
plane, in such relations as to secure to
them universal happiness.
just at this point we may perhaps be
able to trace the beginning of a quality |
of his mind, which, while 1t was not ac-
companied by any of those absurd va |
carries that are commonly supposed by |
the weak to indicate the adoption of in |
tidel principles, and by which physi- |
clans are thought to be too easily infiu- |
enced, there was in the constitution of |
his mind a notable absence of the ele- |
hnent of faith as understood by the |
christian world-that faith which is |
the substance of things hoped for, the |
evidence of things not seem"
Supplying its place perhaps, if that |
were possible, we find an absorbing rev.
erence for the law and the testimony
His first requirement was for the
6acts-the proofs-and from these he
deduced the law. There was in his be-
ing no sentiment or shadow of rreli-
gion. His soul was devout and his
whole life without reproach. He was
honest, natural and supplemented in
all his ways. True in everything which |
"a good conscience might approve, he alb
horred and detested deceitful men, and
shams of every sort Familiar by pro-
ttracted and repeated systematic study
with history, theology and party poll
tics he had no affintties with the two
them as resting upon
changeable and Insecure foundations,
and as not essential to the highest well
fare of mankind.
DR.. Bronson was always deeply and
interested in securing for
all the people, free Of cost, the best
common school education by the best
teachers that could be procured. Such
an education as would best harmonise
with the tastes, habits and mental
needs of the majority Of our people;
and for them he was always strenu-
GUS advocate of better education, and
of a much more practical kind than was
commonly afforded anywhere. But he
was also a decided opponent Of the inn
a ginative schemes of those dreamers,
,no1oa foo 1zraJD odt1ca tod. |