The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-14
THE Lamp of Experience" or Excerpts
from Englfsh History.
TO the Editor Of the Press:

|
TO the Editor of the Press:
We presume if we quote from English
history matter that appears to have some
relation to our own times, there are those
who will remind us of Thomas jefferson.
and the Declaration of Independence, !"
as much as to say: "We are entirely
| independent of Great Britain and all the
rest of mankind.
Some license however, for considering
the past may be found in the words of
Patrick Henry, when he said: IT have
but one lamp by which my feet are guild
ed, and that is the lamp of experience. !"
81 know of no way of judging of the fu-
ture, but by the past
Our Republic is still too young to have
had any considerable experience of it's
own, and we wonder whether in the rash
ness of our youth, we as a people are likely
to walk in the ways of wisdom; building
our financial policy upon a sure founda-
ton, and steadfastly maintaining our de-
votion to it, or whether we may unwisely
undertake to build upon foundation of
funcruating values, and try experiments
that have been shown to be ruinous by
the clamp of Experience.
Three hundred years is long time in
the history of a modern nation. and yet
three centuries ago Francis Bacon and
William Shakespeare were in the prim Q
Of life, and little later John Milton
had to do with the affairs of state, and
Sir Isaac Newton with the coinage.
| There are in every financial crisis
able men who were anxiously striving to
lay q sure foundation for financial and
commercial prosperity.
We are taught by English history that
In those far off times
"The Farmers year was one of un-
varying routine. To plough, to fence,
to sow, to reap, to thresh, to tend
cattle, sheep and hogs; these were
the common service. He had cells in his
stew, and bees in his garden. He grew
hops and made his own malt. Many of
his rough implements were of his own
| construction. He raised his own hemp.
and twisted his own cart rope His flax
was cleaned and spun at home Some of
his wool he sold to the webster, and
some kept the spindles moving on his
Kitchen floor. He sawed his own timber.
| Made his own mudwan around his cattle
yard. He was his own farrier. He killed
his sheep or his calf without the aid of
the butcher: He made his own candles,
and burnt his own wood into charcoal
He cultivated herbs for physic, which his
wife dried or distilled His cheese was
manufactured in his own press"
His success depended upon I'M
wearied thrift. Besides such as these
there were smaller farmers who lived
upon rented land, and others poorer
still, "who eked out scanty sub
sistence upon the barren heath. -
The small farmers and poorer classes
"were hostile to Enclosures of the COM
mons" whereon their cattle and sheep
subsisted. Aside from these there were
those who were engaged in manufacture
ing, trading, commerce and all the usual
avocations. Moreover, there were the
poor laborers, concerning whom Latimer
complained that Notwithstanding "God
doth send .us plentifully the fruits of the
earth, poor men who live by their labors
cannot with the sweat OF their faces have
a living, all kinds of yictuals is SO dear. !"
| With purpose of remedying the hard
times the Council made proclamation
concerning the price of things, fthe
effect of which was the lack of the things
that they sought to make cheap, for who
would keep COW if he could not sell the
milk for as much as he and the purchas-
er could agree upon.
The Council commands the Justices to
search all barns for corn to compel sup
p1v RI ha broy, rrhf m N, rIxo& ard o.,oo;, I
commissioners were appointed in each
county to enforce the same command
There was cause for this strange condi-
ton, cause that made all kinds of
victuals dear, and except the corn in the
barn of every man who was not pressed
to sell by direst necessity" Again let
us quote from History:
1.-The value of money was SO debased
at this especial period that an excessive
rise in the prices of all commodities was
inevitable, and the great body of consul
mers not receiving proportional advance
of wages, all the ordinary relations of
supply and demand were disturbed. H.
This abominable process for the relief
OF the Kings necessities had been going
on for long period; but Henry VIII.
carried it to disgraceful excess. He in
troduced copper into his gold and silver
coin, not as necessary alloy, but as
fraudulent diminution of it's intrinsic
value. He began in 1913 with two ounces
OF alloy to ten ounces of silver. In 1915
he made his SO called silver pieces half
Of pure metal, and half of alloy; and in
1916 had eight ounces of alloy to four
ounces of silver But in the first year of
Edward VI the alloy was increased to
the proportion of nine ounces of base
metal to three ounces of silver. The
government could not remedy the arti-
fetal high prices of home produce until
they became honest. Sir Thomas Cham
berlayne, our ambassador, writes from
Brussels to the Council in 1861. He says
that the true value of English goods
could never be ascertained until such
time as the money were called down to
the very value in sterling silver which is
in each piece thereof. The sufferings Of
the people from the consequent rise of
prices were attributed to Enclosures to
higher rents; few saw the inevitable
effect of the debasement of the coin. The
evil course 0f the government of Harry