Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1896-02-07

NEEDED CHANGES.
\ 70 GIVE AMERICA COMMERCIAL AND
FINANCIAL SUPREMACY.
az Retire Our Greenbacks and Stop Gov
eminent Banking; Cs) Put a nuietus ON
the silver Craze-M. Leroy Bcaulieu's
Powerful Argument ON These Two CUES
lions. ~ @' "ttI%3s
y !, Paul Leroy -Eeaulicu has an article in
\ the December Forum entitled "Oondi-
tions For American Commercial and Fl
nancial Supremacy" This great writer
and authority on economic subjects says
that but two things aie necessary to in
sure American commercial and financial
srpremacy-(1) the withdrawal Of the
government from the banking business
and az q firm declaration in favor Of a
gold standard and against bimetallism-
that is, against further special favors TO-
silver. His discussion on both OF these
points is clear and convincing. Taking
3 up point one, he finds that while other
great countries have issued or caused to
be issued considerable amounts Of paper
) money. during critical periods ours is
the fret to refuse to take up and cancel
Its notes as soon as possible This was q
great and vital error which we did not
repair entirely when we resumed specie
pavments in 1879. "A government,
lie says, sis i'll fitted and ill equipped
to maintain paper money in circulation.
even If the paper is redeemable in spe-
Gle. The redemption done is in itself
great trouble and continual embarrass-
,nent'' He thinks that the function
aries of a government ''who must act by
fixed and always identical rules, can
not make flexible and safe currency
out Of government paper. The greatest
Inconvenience and danger from it is in
regard to the specie reserve which every
government must keep on hand either
In public or private banks. 5t'. .',.
If the government were out Of the
banking business and private banks
were left to deal with the expectation
of gold problem they would, when
harmful expectation begins. raise tho
rate Of discount until such expectation is
checked. This is what European banks
do in similar emergencies. When the
gold movement is controlled in this
way, it produces "only light and
momentary embarrassment, not to be
compared with the shock and the dis
credit resulting from an outgo of gold
1he end of which cannot be calculated.
Continuing on this point NJ. Leroy
Beaulieu says:
banks, either public or private, main
tain the specie reserve Obliged to pay
their notes in specie on demand, it is
their permanent interest that the specie
reserve shall not be exhausted. More
over, they have very effectual means for
protecting it. Gold must always be fur
nished for export. otherwise business
with other countries will be restricted
aud at times rendered impossible, and
the credit of the country will be i'm
paired. But when gold exports become
too extensive, and particularly when
they seem caused by speculative move
naent, and threaten the metallic reserve
Of the country, the banks have an excel
lent means Of obviating and removing
the civilian advance in the rate of dis
count. = =
:, IAN advance in the money rate in
order to arrest the outgo Of specie, par
ticularly gold. is sure to succeed if the
government does not disturb the natural
course Of operations by artificial meas
ures. such an advance checks the i'm
ports of merchandise, and, on the other
hand. stimulates exports. It draws cap
ital from abroad to seek the better re-
turns which are the consequence Of this
advance. 1t induces q certain number
of the holders of public and other Sc
curities to part with them and influences
foreign capitalists to purchase them.
s3"Thus whenever the banks, public or
private, are charged with the protection
Of tho metallic reserve Of the country,
they accomplish it with certainty by
this sovereign method Of raising the
money rate. = y = On the contrary,
when the state issues the flduciary cur
rency, as in the United States, it has no
real means Of protecting the metallic re-
serve. It cannot raise the discount rate,
for it does not discount commercial pa
Per. It il under obligation to pay gold
20 all who demand it, without any pow
er to regulate OF reduce the demand. It
IL absolutely disarmed. Its sole resource
10 to secure specie by loans abroad. But
. these loans have no effect ON the gen.
ral current Of business. their proceeds
ere soon exhausted and they must be ~
hewed.A This incapacity to protect its 10
serve is the chief reason Why . state u
not fitted to issue hduoiary money.
The second part Of n. Leroy Beau
lieu's article is headed ''Bimetallism. "
He discusses our silver question in a
mastery way. Because Of a general
movement toward gold and away from
silver and the great deQ1ine in the price
Cf silver, he concludes that "the diff