The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-12-02
a BUGABoo.
only intellectual Imhec''es Ever ~
sort ia the "Fift, -te"t b"'"'
a. nm Argument.

have invented many ingenious PHRASES
Ia deceive their unwary victims INC
laboring and producing classes Inc
creditor combination is the money
octomis. 1t holds demands against
mankind for the entire stock OF golu
money in tn world 40 times over. ne
amount of interest it gathers IN SIX
months equals the total gold money III
existence. 10 make money scarce ana
dear is 10 increase its wealth ana power
and to correspondingly weaken the
ability of the people TO resist any oe-
mands il makes.
This rich. powerful and crafty com
bination understands every prejudice
of the human heart and every weakness
of the human intellect BY skillfully
manipulating these they not only Sc
cure acouiescence in their schemes of
robbery and spoliation, but cause their
victims to zealously do their work
Among the various catch phrases
coined in the parlors of the worlds
great pawn shops to deceive their I'M
wary victims are numerous ingenious
and sophistical appeals to the moral
sense, the pride. and the passions of
man. The craft. cunning and ingenuity
of the phrases used are evidenced by
their acceptance as truth by millions of
unsuspecting victims.
One Of the statements that has done,
and is doing duty for the gold COM
bination, is the cry of "50-cent dol
l., h.... IN
suspected OF average intelligence, who
wear clean shirts and whose ordinary
pretensions pass muster, echoing the
s0-cent dollar argument. II such per-
sons realized that such arguments ex-
posed their weakness of intellect and
caused them to forfeit the respect of
their more intelligent associates they
would protect themselves against being
classed as intellectual imbeciles by de-
clining to ever repeat them.
The argument current among many
thoughtless victims of gold monopoly
Is that the reopening of the minis to
the free coinage of silver would enable
miners and other owners of silver TO
have 80 cents worth of their material
stamped a dollar by the government
md empowered by law to discharge n
dollar OF debt; that this dollar would
only be worth 80 cents actual value, and
that, therefore. gold dollars worth
twice as much would no longer circu-
late side by side with them, concurrent
ly and interchangeably, making pnr-
chascs and payments; that the with
drawal of the gold money from circu-
latior would cause terrific contrac-
ton Of the money volume. making
money so scarce that il would cripple
business and ruin debtors: and that the
business Of the country would then he
transacted with dollars worth only 30
cents"
1t must be remembered that money Is
desired, not for the purpose of swap
ping dollars Of different material. but
as q medium OF exchange to facilitate
the work of producing and exchanging
commodities The value of money
whether made of gold. silver or paper
Is the amount of other things in general
il can be exchanged for. When money
made of material such as gold and sill
yer that can be rcminted into the coli
of another country free Of charge il
whatever quantity obtainablc, sucl
money material viii move from on'
country to another seeking the mar
lSet wherein il can be exchanged fot
! the most goods. and commodities will
seek such countries as they can be ex
changed for the largest amount Of sucl
money material. Thus il will be seer
I that the whereabouts of gold must nj
ways be determined by the prices o
commodities.
So long as commodities are priced II
and exchanged for money whcncve
money becomes scarce prices must fall
So any attempt TO take any larg'
amount of gold out Of circulation
would cause such a fall in prices as (,
Mt once call the gold back again 10y Civ
ing IL greater power to exchange TO
commodities here than elsewhere.
Thus il will be seen how absurd is TIL
claim that our gold could leave on IN,
account so long as prices in this coun
try do not go above the internationa
Polu prize ltNtl. again. tEdt our NOi
ume of money would be contracted I,
point that business would be crampe'
and debtors ruined. and at the SAM
time we would have in circulation dol
lars worth only so cents, or one-half a
much as before; that they could onl,
be exchanged for one-half the amour
Of other things, reaches the climax o
transcendant absurdity.
To say that money. the one thing o
universal and constant demand havin,
Full debt-paying power can be mad
scarce and cheap ut the same time. s,
scarce that It will stagnaie business
md ruin debtors while II can be oil
tanned for onc-half the labor or sacri
flee IL could before and everything 70
sale will command double the amour
Of IL In exchange. is to confound nj
logic and common sense Whencve
you hear n laborcr, producer. or tax
payer. or any other person not mil
lionnire bondholder make such nm al
gument, please examine the size OF hi
ears.-Silvcr Knight Waterman.
--4----------~
Give Us Financial Liberty.
Take awny the blighting curse Of Col
| = Il. a.