Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-04-09

clal1sm TO own and operate the moIe
important Of the public utilities.
A st. Louis chemist claims he can
make gold out of clay Another chem
list claims he can make gold out of sill
yer. Suppose that such a thing could
be done, and gold would be sold on the
streets for seventeen cents bushel.
Would the men who have drawn up
their contracts payable in gold want
to repudiate them? Would they want
gold demonetized? And If they did,
wouldn't they be regulators? If it
is dishonest to want to evade the pay
ment of a debt in dear dollars, is it not
just as dishonest to want to refuse to
take payment in the dollar Of the
contract" as expressly stipulated by
the creditor himself, and put Gin the
bond" in black and white?
Such an occurrence would be bless
ing to humanity. 1t would be an OBJ
ject lesson that would open the eyes
of the people where generations of mis-
cry, mountains of anguish and rivers
of tears have failed. Gold would have
as much real intrinsic value when its
commercial value was only seventeen
cents per bushel as it has now. A ring
would look just as nice; it would d,
just as well to fill teeth, and more could
use it; and-well, yes, it could be
used just as well for money then as
now, but it's volume would have to be
limited by law and common sense in
stead of as now, by chance.
We sometimes compare the govern
ment of England unfavorably with our
own, but as matter of fact the Eng
lish government is better in some re-
spects, and not much worse in any than
that which now obtains in the United
States. Great Britain has a civil SER
vice system which should make us
blush when compared with our ito
the victor belong the spoils," and the
! devil-take-the-hindm plan OF rota-
ton in office. Great Britain has pos
tai savings banks and government tel
egraphs that protect her people from
robbery by criminal corporations. Her
postal system provides for carrying
parcels at reasonable prices and the
express companies are compelled to
meet those prices.
And the queen has not as much
power as the president of the United
States, or the speaker of the house of
representatives. Parliament may be
prorogued or adjourned, but the people
may re-elect the same or another. The
house of lords is hereditary, but even
in that respect it has the advantage OF
our senate If a man is a born fool
or rascal he is lord nevertheless, but
| all lords are not born that way and
they hold for life, where in the United
happen to break into it the combined
powers of darkness spare no effort to
get him out. The English house of
lords represents an autocracy OF
blood; the United States senate repre-
sents an autocracy of corporate wealth.
The English house of lords is perhaps
the worst feature in the British gov
eminent, save its financial system, and
in both of these respects our own gov
eminent, as now administered, is not
much better. -
1t Is surprising how wonderfully hon.
est and economical some of our wise
solons become at times. One of the
reasons given for the passage of the
bill to permit the national bankers to
have the use of $23,0O0,0OO more on the
bonds now deposited with the comp
troller was that it would increase the
revenues of the government 230 thous-
and dollars. This would come from
the one per cent tax on the circula-
ton. 1t was urged that this would be
saved to the people, There was moth
ing said about the banks loaning this
money out at per cent which would
bring them $1,S4O,OO0 per annum,' and
it would be collected off the people
That is to say the banks would make
clear profit of s1,61O.OOO.. Or in other
words the people would spend $1,S4O,-
900 in order to save $4,000. Isn't that
brilliant craftsmanship? Yet it is the
kind we have been having for the past
thirty years.
Now if this amount of money was
loaned the people at one per cent and
thereby enable them to save the 81 &c.
900, there would be some sense in it.
But that would be anarchy" Social
ISM" or something else terrible, and
every notorious note shaver and usur-
er in the broad land would have fit
Commenting on this subject the Mis-
souri, World says:
"Now, if the government would es-
tablish postal savings banks and loan
the same amount direct to the people
at a rate of, say per cent per annum
the revenue to Uncle Sam would be
about 700 thousand dollars. After de-
Quoting sufficient to pay all the ev-
penses the remainder could be turned
| -. 49, potiopa1 trea cirrv oud fovoe