The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-04-23

men OF his views obstinately smut iheT
eyes 10.
no the alarming protest against present
conditions which the farmers Of Mr..
| Brvan's twenty-five States sent up last
| November, Mr.. Brosius mas no answer ~
make but this. lie says:
| II is not TO be expected that comfhui',
| ties comparatively weak IN the n'N' ',.,'''
| resources which must pIeN,u" 'e
| facilities can maintain banking system
| I,,t,aII. 10 stronger. more developed.
| wealthy and populOus sections any more
| ,h,, We can expcct the fceblcness or
cbudbood or the docrcptitudc OF age 10
admit OF the regimen suitable 10 the Nlso'
~ p,afure manhood. Banks cannot DE
maintained where there Is no banking 10
I do. credit money Is unavailable "heIo
| credit does not exist. but these VIII gro"
M I'm every community just as fast as ma
terlal DEVELOPMENT. capital, wealth, ana
| business require them.
And that is the stone these people are
10 receive when they beg for bread
They are TO be told you are poor ana
because YOU are poor you shall remain
moor. Before YOU shall have any op-
portunitv TO improve your condition you
must show that you desire the opportun-
i,y by showing also that you had none.
You are not TO grow. according TO nature
but Won must come out upon the stage
fuu grown as Minerva sprang from Jupi-
ter's head" This is as cruel mockery
Of these people as any ever were made the
victim Of.
II is entirely true that banks cannot be
maintained where there is no banking TO
do and that banks will grow up when
there are banking resources and need for
banks. But can the foot Of Chinese
woman grow, cramped as it is from in
fancy in an unyoilding shoe that is kept
there to prevent it from growing? How
can banks grow up in these agricultural
communities when Mr.. Brosius and his
friends keep a statute upon the books of
the United States that forbids the in
habitants to make any use Of their re-
sources?
The real and personal property Of Nir-
ginia is assessed at nearly four hundred
millions Of dollars ard is, In fact, worth
much more Is il to be said that
State possessing such resources as these
is destitute of the capital necessary for
establishing the banks that her people
need? Turn her people loose. repeal your
conhscating laws. Mr.. Brosius. and you
will see that as much of her property
will be converted into banking capital as
her people need. There is no lack of cap
ital here. The trouble is with your
laws. which prevent our people from
using their capital in banking TO advan-
tage and, Furthermore. you will never
again hear one word from Virginia about
free silver.
All Mr.. Brosius objections to legisla-
ton that will allow us in Virginia to
make use Of our resources for banking
is contained in the following rhetorical
passage He says:
In an age Of steam and electricity
when intelligence flies on electric wing
and commodities are transported with
speed and safety only possible TO the
marvellous instrumentalities of our day.
commerce and currency are twin sis
ters living and journeying i'm loving com
partnership. Whittier one goes the other
must also. Where ships sail, steamers
ply, or cars run, over all the waters and
rOadways of the land, on which the eX-
changes OF the country fly TO and fro
like mighty shuttles weaving the Won
drOus web interstate commerce, there
should the nations currency be current.
The bank note that pauses for inspection
and discount at the bank OF a river. or
abOut-faces for fear Of insult at a state
d. r. "a Inning
vagabond, which would be disgrace
and reproach TO this grand, imperial Re-
public.
Well this is so fine that one almost
feel inclined TO endure such ills as he has.
rather than interfere with its rythm
But we feel obliged. nevertheless, to point
out TO Mr.. Brosius. that when he comes
down TO an everyday matter Of fact way
of looking at the subject, he will find
that there is really no necessity for his
national bank note shuttle scamperng
all about over the country weaving that
wondrous web. in point of fact the ma
tonal bank note has nothing to do with
the web. The shuttle that does all that
weaving is the utterly overlooked mer-
chants and banks check. The circu-
lating bank note has so little to do with
it that if the web were asked TO point out
the notes part in it, it would be utterly
unable to do so.
IL is a total misconception of the func-
tion of bank to suppose that it is to fur
nish circulating notes for everybody \
bank is established to afford convenienccs
TO the people who dwell around it and
its notes are for their use and for their
use only. just as much as any service it
is TO render It is no part of the bust
ness of the people in the backwoods Of
| Dickinson county. Va. TO furnish cir
| culating notes for the people of West
chester county. y. 4. Dickinson coun-
| tvs bank issues notes for the convenience
Of Dickinson county people. and if the
people of Westchester county. y. y.
want circulating notes. let them issue
! them for themselves.
All interstate business is done by OK
| change. and the only people who need
| bank notes are the farmers. Notes is
| sued upon The credit OF the resources Of
a locality may be just as good in fact.
| as any in the world. and, as outsiders
know nothing Of the valhe Of these re-
sources. they will not have the notes. so
that they will stay amongst the people
for whose benefit they are issued and
! give them all the currency they need. the