West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1897-09-30
WORDS OF WISDOM
From 81. John. he Free Silver Evan.
gclist AbORt the Matter Of Money.

rom ~. JOnu. U ne fTfe Nli0cf EfaU-
gclist AbORt the Matter OF Money.
The Buckeye Democrats have been
holding Il big free silver campmeet
i 6 at Springfield, Ohio, that
hts been attended by thous-
ands of people not only from I'll
over the state, but from all pnls3
Of the United States. Some en-
inent and eloquent speakers were
present hast week and addressed the
crowd.
TX Governor John II. st. John,
of Kansas, lase National Prohibi-
tiOn party candidate foI the presl
dency, createda sensation in his
speech which was in part as follow:
cone great stumbling block in
the way Of human progress TO day
ia the ignorance and prejudice Of
the people. This is tho result Of
partisan slavery. Whut the world
needs TO day is more voters who do
their own thinking, and Tower vot-
ers who let their party think for
them. We need more patriotism
and less partisan bitterness.
"Let us understand at the out
start that gold, silver and paper are
not money. They are simply the
commodities upon which the money
of the government is stamped.
This $50 gold piece is full legal
tender for all debts, public aud pri
vate. Now hammer the stamp off
il, and what have we left? Simply
a piece of bullion. You could not,
under the law, compel a citizen to
receive q ton of 1T for 10. cent
debt. 1t is no more a legal tender
than horses, cattle, beef and pork.
There is no intrinsic value in money.
1t is merely a creature of law and
its value therefore is legal, and not
intrinsic. We hear a great many
say that they want money that will
stand the test of the melting pot.
The truth is that our Government
never issued any such money. Put
a $40 gold piece IN the melting pot
and bring it to a sufficiently high
degree of heat, and the metal melts
and the money is gone. Has it
stood the test of the melting pot?
"Whenever the devil wants to
mislead or deceive the people he
conjures up somo catch word or
sentence. One of these which is
frequently used is fiat money.
The truth is, all money is fat.
The word fiat simply means law.
Therefore fiat money means lawful
money. Surely there is nothing
very trightful about lawful money.
1--WE hear II great deal of talk
now about 43 cent dollars, but the
fact is we never had any such dol
lars. But If the contention Of our
gold bug friends that we have "a 4
cent dollar is correct, then there
must be 80 cent government back
of the dollar. For. remem Der that
the dollar is just as good as the
government makes 1T. If we have
II - cent dollar, then we have IS
cent government, and the govern
ment is in the hands Of u 43 cent
political party. | find on one side
of this silver dollar the head Of the
goddess of liberty. Is it possible
that the goddess of liberty has be-
come so deteriorated and debauchcd
under our present financial system
as to be worth but 43 cents on the
dollar? On the other side of this
dollar | find the inscription, In
God We Trust | ask you, good
people, have we at last so degener-
ated as to reduce the value of our
trust in God to 43 cents on the
dollar What the people demand.
and intend to have not later than
IN 1900, is full, unlimited legal
tender silver dollar, worth 100
cents, in the payment of debts,
with a 100 cent government back
Of it, and that government in the
hands of 100. cent political party.
"Our gold-stsndard friends have
opened their campaign. Their first
gun was fred near Hazelton, Pa,
a few days ago."