The Louisiana populist., 1897-12-31
HARD FOR FAMILIES.
NO OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE
YOUNG FOLKS.
Why Is It Getting Harder and Harder
for Young Couple With Nothing
But Brains and Energy to Make
Their Way In Life?


Their Way In Life?
We appeal to every family in which
there are sons and daughters to inquire
the reason why there are 10. as good
opportunities for the young people to
marry and live in comfortable homes
as there were when the old people were
young, says the Silver knight Watch
man. There must be some reason for
this. Is it because the young people
nave become worthless, or is it be-
cause times are harder than they used
to be? II the former, the race is degen-
Grating, which would be, indeed, de-
plorable; if the latter, we must inquire
what has made times hard, and what
is the remedy? II times are really
naro, and there is no remedy, and they
must continue to grow harder and
harder. the dark ages are again ap-
preaching. If there be remedy by
which the prosperous times of other
days can be restored, is it not the first
duty OF every good man and woman
to study the cause of hard times and
help to apply the remedy? If every
one would make it his special business
10 inquire what is the difficulty in his
own case, and find out what is lacking
to give him command of the neces-
saries and comforts of life the work
would be begun. If it should turn out
that nearly everybody should come to
the same conclusion, there would be
general understanding as to what is the
matter.
Suppose they should come to the con-
clusion that they found it difficult to
obtain profitable employment and to
save enough money to provide a good
living and make headway in the world.
1t would show that money is scarce and
hard to obtain. If they ascertained
that they could not get as much
money for their labor and services as
they formerly did, it would prove that
there are too many laborers and too
much property, or not enough money.
II the former. the remedy would be a
severe one. 1t would be necessary to
reduce the number of lahorers and d.
minish production. Such an operation
would be like cutting off boys legs
when they became too long for his
pantaloons, instead Of lengthening the
garment.
On the other hand, II there is not
money enough, what is the remedy for
that? 1t is with the people or with
their government? The government Of
every Independent nation has the SOW
ereigfl power to create money. All sov-
ernments are So Jealous OF that power
that if private individuals attempt to
interfere with it by creating money, the
government holds them guilty of crime,
and on conviction, sends them to the
penitentiary. The government makes
laws for the collection of debts. and
also makes laws declaring in what
money debts shall be paid. We are
therefore compelled, when there ia not
money enough to look to the govern.
ment, and the government alone for
relief. Some people contend that the
government has no right or power to
make or create money except olit of
the commodity gold. The gold of the
world is held by the governments and
banks OF Europe and New York. and
they say we must look to Europe for
relief, and that II Europe will not let
our government have gold with which
to make money the government is not
to blame, because 1t cannot make
money out Of anything else. II that
be so, and if the goldites are right
there is no remedy, and ruin IS iney-
liable.
But is 1t true? Is gold the only
money which the government has DOW
er to create and furnish the people? II
that be so, when did it become true that
the sovereign power of the government
to create money by law was confined to
the commodity gold? 1t was decided
by all the judges of England three hun
dred years ago, in the reign of Queen
Elizabeth, that whatever the royal pre-
rogative declared to be money was real
money, and would perform all the func-
tions Of money, no matter upon what
material the sovereign stamp of the
government was placed, signifying the
sovereign will that it should be money.
That decision has never been overruled
set aside or modified in the slightest
degree and is to this day the law Of
England.
The supreme court of the United
States, in the legal tender cases, fol-
lowed that leading case in England,
which is known as the "mixed money
case," and decided that the government
of the United States can issue full legal
tender money, printed on paper, with