West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1898-07-21
Dangerous Dollars.

Money makes tho war go. Men are
plentiful but money is scarce Men
come forward TO carry on the war but
money is held back. Men volunteer
but money ,rust be borrowed.
Why =? What makes the Almighty y
dollar" so precious and man thing of
no account? Is money the creator OF
man. or is man the creator OF money ?
What is money, after all?
Money has in itself no value. Philos-
ophers say no one substance considered
apart from all others. has any value
whatever. Midas's gold food, gold
water, gold wine. gold sceptre-his
gold .tandard--had absolutely worse
than no value to him. II was intriusi-
cally interchangeable. IL offered moth.
ing to sustain his life Well. perhaps,
II IL not far from truth TO define money
as ;egzl token of value. Not value
'n itself but valuable sts an inslruine n I
of exchange
II one man trade horse worth
twenty dollars for two calves worth
ten dollars each the exchange OF ami
mais is direct. II IL barter. But II
the man sells lis horse Tor twenty dol
lara and gives the twenty dollars for
the two calves the exchange Is Indirect.
/ I. s. sale and the money is the Means
If exchange. Again, 10 the man gives
i,is horse for note for twenty dollars
held by third party against the
owner of the calves this note might
very conveniently be the basis OF ex-
change. 1t is credit merely and per-
forms every Legitimate function OF
money.
II f,here is any other legitimate fanc-
tion OF money other than exchanges of
property. payment of debts. aud doua-
tious have not heard OF them.
Essentially money should be just.
fair means of exchange. As n means
Of enriching one person az the expense
OF auother-usury. or what is known
now a-days as intercst--was ontlawed
by Moses and the prophets under the
tbeocracy or government by God. Be
sides the interest nuisance is tax mp
on enterprise and industry. increases
the price OF commodities made or
handled by the interest payer, and re
duces the wages of the laborer. Inter
est Is barrier to free and unrestricted
exchange. an indirect. voluntary
though hurtful tax. All bond schemes
and schemes for the heecing Of the pro-
ducer, are iniquitous as wicked now 90
IN the days when decried by Judea's
prophets Of old.
But an and ali That awful danger
GUS dollar with greenbacs Now the
government is at war and must have
revenue. How easy IL would have
been for the United States 70 have paid
out its notes for supplies and TO its sol
dirrs, md then have taken back ~
Own notes from the persons who have
10 pay war taxes This IL go very
easily done.
Every proper function Of money Is
performed by these hateful greenbocks
Of Lincoin's and the Democrats But
bonds must be issued so that one class
Of people shall be tributary TO another.
shall toll in tho bondage Of money
manipulation. and tho great Dcciara-
tion Of independents that all men are
created equal be made = lie aud laugh
ing stock Tor the Old World Monarchics
Instead Of the only scientific and stable
currency whose volume can be con
trolled and on which there Is no inter
est We must be .su jocted 70 the bon
dags Of class legislation The green.
back IL the governmeDrs credit. useful
as a means Of currency. The bond IL
the cornerino Of that credit 70 enrich
classes already TOO rich. IL IL the COR
nerstono Of interest robbery. Itdraws
= gold interest and upouit the national
bank is built 20 issue paper money as a
means Of increasing private wealth on
the one hand and pauperism on the
other The direct plunderiag Of the
poorer CLASSES by the money-lendinz
pirates shonld never be the care Of a
just goverumenf. II isno lerltimate
fnnotion Of money 70 glve double inter.