The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-06-11
Our Monthly Talk.
From The Medical World.

From The Medical World.
Money is a medium of exchange.
Money is portable system of
accounts.
Money is convenient system of
bookkeeping.
Money should not be commod-
ity, as gold or silver.
Money is a legal creation.
To print money on gold or silver
is like keeping accounts on plates
of gold or silver.
Account books are made of paper.
Money should be printed on
paper.
Notes, mortgages, bonds, etc, ARE
printed on paper, but their value
is not in the paper they are printed
on, but in what they represent.
Money gets it value, not from
what ii, is printed On, but from
what it represents.
Suppose mountain of gold were
suddenly discovered; what would
be the attitude of the banks and
the "money power" toward gold {?
Would they then consider the rela-
ton between products and gold an
important matter? When we had
discoveries of silver in our country,
the money power promptly demon
cited it. If a mountain of gold
were discovered they would want to
demonetize it, and monetize plati-
mum or diamonds. They want
scarce and dear money, so produc-
ers of real wealth, farmers, mechan-
les, etc., will be slaves to idle money
kings.
The gold standard keeps between
three and four million men in idle
ness, and many more on partial
employment, scant wages, and on
the verge of want; a Government
fiat paper money, well managed,
would maintain q steady value,
neither approaching nor depreci-
ating gold appreciates), and by
facilitating exchanges at well main
tanned prices, good wages and
plenty of work for everybody, all
these idle hands would be called
into action, and happiness and
plenty would take the place of
misery and want.
The railroad kings annul the
protective features of the tariff at
pleasure. For example, when the
railroads charge more for freight on
domestic goods from Philadelphia
to Chicago than the entire freights
on foreign goods from England to
Chicago, via Philadelphia, over the
same road and perhaps in the same
train from Philadelphia to Chicago,
what chance has the Philadelphia
made goods in the Chicago market?
The foreign goods can be sold
cheaper than the domestic goods to
the extent of the difference in
freight in favor of the foreign goods,
and to that extent the protection
disappears. What we want is uni
form freight rates for similar ser.
vice; and the rate should be, not
the value of the service, but the
cost of the service plus reasonable
profit.
All this gloomy winter the coal
miners in Pennsylvania have been
suffering for food, and the farmers
in Kansas, Nebraska and other
parts of the West have been burn
ing their corn in order to keep
warm. But this winter has been
no exception, for the same thing
occurs every winter. And what
are the railroads doing? Charging
call the traffic will bear" instead OF
the cost of the service with rea-
sonable profit added. If we had
Government railroads no profit
need be added. A public utility
like transportation should be con
Quoted at cost by the Government
for the service of the public and
not for private profit. Then the
corn would find its way to the
starving coal miners and the coal
would find its way to the freezing
farmers. Shall we continue in the
old way of starving one class and
freezing another, or adopt better
plan that will bring food to the
huOUru and LOT than, oivo in ratuc,,