Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-02-21
THE COMING STRUGGLE.
SHALL PLUToo7AoV OR THE Poop
RULE?

Ill.,. 49,.
ana ''u0"'nS "'.' I''"''E W. az, '0' "
quote from "Iht Bond and the Dollar by
John Clark Ia lpath, H.. - the first part Of
which ,ppcor, in IN, lonuor, number Of the
-N','"' a. '''''""''
Mr. INdpath Is one oi Nmri'aa distinguish
ed scholars and teachers. Tie Ina, been vice
nresidcnt # ID. PAM, rniv,r.it, and i the
"u''''' " ''"'''' ''"' ''"''''''' '''' '''' ANU
biographical works;
War Drrys ON t,v, thipos- IT,. anil nrnpcr-
ty; but he prcys with partial appetite. Feast
ing on life, he ticks his laws and saws, "Murc.
by your lcavcr Dcyourre property, he
saws, between grim and eut. 'rlhi, i, So good
that it ought to be paid for" Into the va
cuum of the wasted life rush the moaning
winds Of grief ari d's,l-n o.: into the va.u-
Of debt The wasted hfc +, transformed at
length into reminiscent gior; the wasted
property becomes a hiicoI, nightmare. The
heroes fallen rist from their bloody ccrcments
into everlasting fame; the property destroyed
rises from the tanc-sNcp, 0cld As spectral
vampire, sucking the still warm blood Of the
heroic dead and Of their po,thumous babe, to
the tenth generation.
The name Of the vampire is BonK
On the Ist II March, 1850, the national
debt of the United States cntailed by the
civil war reached the appalling maximum Of
nearly three thousand millions Of dollars
The American people were inexperienced IN
such business. They had never known the in
cuhus before. Europe had known it, but not
America. FLOR long time the public debt OF
the nation had been small To be disre-
garded. Now all Of sudden, with the terri
bic eNigcnces Of the war; the debt expanded
and settled over the landscape like cloud
The promises to pay got themselves into a
bond.
1t Is the order of modern society that he
who has may lend to him who has not, and
Ceivc his own with usury. This principle was
adopted by the American republic in the day
Of trial.
But they who were skilful in watching their
own interests, even in the throes of our ma
uonal breakup and impending catastrophe.
adrolty contrived that the national currency
should have an clcebf0H in it in favor OF those
who should lend their means to the govern
mcnL
series OF two hundred and fifty Millions by
act of July II, 1901: then i've hundred and
fifteen millions Of fve-tWenties, by act OF Feb
ruary IS, 1862. becoming more than twelve
hundred millions by subsequent issues. then
ten-fortics in several scres-7.5 per cents, o.
per cents. 5-per cents 4.5-pcr cents. 4-pcr
cents; plain bonds at the first, and COIN bonds
inally-shur loans and long loans and longer
loans, mt 0EtU1n hloOifH, AH>eT. until a
measure of calm cusucd, and the nation found
opportunity io take account oi its losses and
consider the question Of payment.
1t had been an act Of infinite mercy ON the
part Of the government Of the United States in
that day to take directly whatever was neCcs-
sary-as 1t did take whatever men were nee
essary--for the suppression OF the Rebellion
hat course would have ended it, Had that
almost unprecedented policy been temporarily
and successfully pursued, the cost of the war
would hardly have been one-ffth Of what ii
has become; the bond would never have e\-
listed; the wealth Of the people would not have
been concentrated in the hands OF a few; the
present narrowing and dangerous conditions of
American life would not have Supervened, and
the victorious defense Of the union would long
Renaissance.
Strange it is, however, that our yaunted and
Wanting civilization, even to the present day, |
prefers property to man. 1t eNalts the one
and tramples on the other In this particular
we have been even as the rest. Judging by |
the facts there is no government on earth to
which It's mules are not dearcr than its men
Strange, too, that whoever appeals on behalf
of the man as AGAINST the mule and uru,.S th,.
protection OF the one at the expense Of the |
other is held to be an enemy OF society |
Property in this particular having no con- |