The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-06-02

without government of some sort be-
hind it. There can be gold, silver, corn,
wheat, meats and other articles of use,
and therefore of value; and men may
swap one of these things for another;
but no man can force fellow men to
take any of these in payment Of debt
unless the creditor is willing to do So
1t is the stamp of recognized gov
eminent that makes a lump of gold
money" Without this it stands on
level with a bushel of wheat-a mere
commodity-which no one ever pre-
tended was money
THE mint issues money That is
it, and behind the mint is the law that
fixes the weight of the coin. and gives
it legal tender qualities. A merchant
once failed in Calcutta India, who had
100000 in gold but it was not recog
nized as money by the laws of that
country, and as he could not exchange
it into silver his notes went to protest.
If individuals supply the material OF
metallic money, why should they not
supply the representatives OF that
money"
Suppose miner digs 81 600 worth of
gold out of the bowels of the earth.
and takes it to the mint to be coined,
would the Globe be willing to see him
receive 81 900 of coins made from the
gold, and also let him have the right,
in addition. to issue his personal prom
ises to pay LOCO more. and have them
established as money by the act OF the
| government? Such a proposition would
be simply preposterous.
! How much more prepOsterous, there
! FORE is it to permit another man, who
+, dug no gold and brought none to the
mint for coinage. to issue his notes. his
F, promises to pay one thousand dollars
| and have them turned into money"
| There is some reason based on custom.
| many thousands of years old-based on
! immemorial usage,-to treat the yellow
| metal as money. but when did the an
cient world ever turn one mans debt
| into money wherewith to pay another
| mans debt?
The constitution of the United States
| confers on the national government the
| right which primarily belonged to the
| whole people, to create money, to coin
! it, to define its weight and purity, etc. );
! hrt uyh ui1 pi.rl,f
| to private persons or private corpora
] tions: Put your finger on the article
and section of the Constitution which
! confers such right
And if congress can delegate to Ger
| tain corporations it's right to create OF
coin money, why could it not give to
! other corporations the right to carry
the mails. the right to organize armies
and navies. the right to treat with for
| eign nations. the right to pass laws and
execute them? The right to create
money is as important to the people, as
events have shown. as any Of these.
why should man who has ac-
cumulated credit not make profitable
use of it, just as he does of the wealth
/ he accumulates?"
Nobody objects to his using his credit
or wealth. as private citizen. IN an!
way he pleases, but when he comes tt
assuming governmental functions tina
is another matter Suppose he under
takes to initiate the Pinkertons. ant
establish standing army, and shoe
down the citizens of the country, thel
he is invading the rights Of citizens
and oyerthrowing the government. AM
should be shot down himself as public
enemy. despite his wealth.
when the Leader buys draft i
buys credit. and what difference is Their
in principle, whether that credit is con
tanned in banks draft or a bank
nOte?'
All the difference in the world. No
body pretends that the draft is money
but the banks note circulates unde
the authority of law, as money: an,
the government guarantees it by hold
ing bonds as security for it. And ever,
takes the place of and excludes a gov
eminent note, which the people coul,
have the use of free of charge. Will
the bank collects interest on it's note
in other words interest on its own deb;
which should pay interest. not collect il
And then the banks combine and con
/ spire to take possession of the govern
ment by corrupting elections. buyin
up newspapers and debauching judge
r and public men. Our whole politics to
day turn on the question-shall greeI
> backs be withdrawn from circulation
, and interest bearing bonds beA, issued ii
their place. on which national bank
t shall issue notes and collect interest o,
what they owe.
And this is why congress today is idl
amid the miseries Of the people.
They will not relieve the public dis
tress by an increase of greenbacks. be
. cause the banks, which gave the vic
, tory in the last campaign demand 'ha
the banks shall issue the circulation O
, the nation and collect interest upo,
every dollar with which the people d
/; | business
: The Republican party gladly accepted
the millions of money given them b.
the banks last fall to secure success
/ but they know that if they pay tn
, l>n Il