The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1896-08-07

an iceberg In perdItion. Then the
merchants filed all the cars and all
the hotels and bars with runners and
drummers. Every man that you met
had three carpet-sacks filed with SAM
pies. And in the meantime we had
the bankrupt law, SO that every man
who couldn't pay his debts could take
the benefit of this law. Then it all
went to the clerks, ETC., of the courts.
I never heard Of anybody getting more
than per cent on any claim In my
life.
THE CRASH.
All at once-in 1873-there came q
crash, the brother that had stayed
at home and worked on the farm saw
In the paper that his brother, who
was president Ut life insurance COM
pany, was vagrant and vagabond.
He read, too, that the railroad had
failed, and that its bonds were as
worthless as the first autumn leaves
that grew on this earth. Then he be-
gan to think that he was doing we'll
himself; and the fact is that the men
who cultivate the soil are to-day the
richest. on the average, of any class of
men under our flag. Then we got
hard times. Everybody who had q
mortgage as an adornment to his pro-
perty has suffered. Now they say the
way to get back-the way to have
prosperous times again-is to again 60
in debt. Suppose I bought farm for
5000, and gave my note for it; and
then I bought horses and wagons and
gave my note; and then I bought q
piano for Mary and gave my note, and
sent James to school and gave my
note, and they all run year. What
a magnificent time could have for
that year! Then when they came
around and wanted me to pay the
note, I would say, II will give you lit
tie notes for the interest, and let
them run another year." What a
splendid time I could have for anoth-
er year! Finally when they come and
say they have got to have the money,
what would you thinkif I were to say
to them, 81 never had a better time
i'd my life than when / was giving
those notes. All that is necessary for
universal happiness and peace is to let
me keep right on giving my notes" I"
I say to them the reason Of hard
times is because they have lost conf
dence in me. They say the reason
they have lost confidence 10 that I
have not got thsmS6 S6in1ssy.
'sFIAT" MONEY.
Now, it is precisely the same way
with an individual that it is with the
Government. I say that he can't
make something out of nothing. The
United States Government can't make
money. 1t can. make what is called
money. 1t has not the power to make
it; it has not the power to make you
take it. In other words it has the
power to make every creditor take it,,
and nobody else. If you go to buy a
bushel of wheat. and you have got
'sfiat" money, the man can say, II
will take one dollar in gold for that
wheat, but I want IS il you pay me in
fiat money" How are you going to
prevent him? The money you have
got is good simply because it promises
to pay. Now it is proposed to have
money that we will promise not to
pay. If nonsense can go beyond that,
I cannot conceive the route or path
that it will take. Then If Congress
says you must take it, Congress must
fix the price Of everything. 1t must
fix the price of wheat; it must fix the
price Of making speech in lawsuit;
it must fix the price of every article,
or else it cannot make it's money good.
GOVERNMENT TAXES.
But some gentlemen say that Con-
gress has the power to make money,
and I want to ask them one question;
I want you to think about it. II this
Government has the power to make
money, why should it collect taxes
from us? Why don't they make it
and let US alone? II this Government
can make a dollar or thousand dol
lar bill just that quick (slapping his
hands together,) why should they
make us labor day and night, and
make us pay taxes to support them?
II the government can make money,
let them make it and let US alone.
But instead Of that this great Gov
ernment comes up here into this
country with the bayonet and com.
pels you to pay taxes. 1t is like the
ocean trotting around to borrow a lit
tie salt water, or like the sun trying