Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-01-27
THINK. THIS OVER.
UNCLE SAM CONTROLS POSTAGE
STAMPS, WHY NOT MONEY?
stainpS are not RodeemAblo in Anything
and the Money SpecuIA Ors Cannot
Corner, Initiate or Contract Them. I'm
Gle Sam Controls the Issus.

Gle Sam Controls the Issus.
Did You know that the government
has refused to redeem it's OWL postage
stamps in gold or any other kind of
Aye, worse than that; it
won't even exchange other postage
stamps for them. The facts are that it
looks as though the post-ofIice depart
ment is getting must damnably stuck
up and independent. A few days ago
one of our many admiring friends sent
us dollars worth of nice, new, clean,
Observation-Disclosures post
age stamps in payment of his subscrip-
ton. Being in the postoffice shortly
afterward we called at the window and
asked the stamp clerk to give MS the
cash on them. With look of disdain
and with an Importance that comes
only from long service in public ca
pacity he informed us that he was
selling postage stamps and not buying
them. We then requested him to ex-
change and give us one-centers for our
twos, He simply pointed to printed
notice that Uncle Sam does not even
exchange stamps. We, expected that
as soon as the word got out, stamps
would depreciate and be worth posi-
bly, less than the paper upon which
they are printed. So we hurried to a
drug store and found, to our surprise
and pleasure, that postage stamps were
still worth their face value. That
has been several days ago and we are
told this morning that they are still
selling all over the city at the same
old price. 1t seems kind O. strange
how this is. Why, they are not legal
tender for anything; they are not fit
for money even if they were because
of the nasty sticlum-tight on their
backs; the government won't have
them after it sells them once; and still
they are worth two cents apiece, and
it now looks just like the price is go
ing to stay up right where it is. There
Is only one use that anybody can make
of the things, and that is to pay post
age; and still they don't depreciate.
There seems to be some sort of a law
back of them which keeps up the price.
Well, as you cannot pay postage with
anything else but stamps, we wonder
why somebody hasn't got corner on
them? Why don't some of these smart
bankers get together and buy all the
postage stamps at two cents apiece
and then raise the price? Possibly
they have not thought of it. But they
have thought of everything else; won
der why they have not thought of this?
They corner on the governments mon
ey and make Uncle Sam dance around
and beg like little puppy dog and
make HIM issnd bonds and do lots of
other humiliating things, but somehow
they have never thought to tackle the
postage stamps After lsoking it mp
little it seems that Uncle Sam got it
into his old head that he could run the
postoffice without the aid of the bank
ers. He seems to have forgotten to
make any provisions for his banker
boys in the matter, and so he keeps his
postage stamp mill going all the time,
md if they buy all the stamps he has,
he simply prints some more and some
more, and some more, and keeps right
IN smiling; and the more they buy,
5he more he smiles. If they should
to buy up big lot of them
md ship them to "Yurrup" he would
Seep right on smiling and smiling and
printing more stamps. The supply of
stamps seems almost inexhaustable. 1t
ooks like Uncle Sam might get tired
If it after awhile and delegate the is
suing of his stamps over to the banks
Is he has done in the matter Of money.
Then he could take much needed rest
md his banker boys could have real
picnic. They could have a regular
high old time, and there would be a
hot time in the old town." you bet
1our life. The boys would put the
price of stamps down till they got pos
session of what are on hand; then they
could "bull" the market and make a
lice pile. They could limit the supply;
hey could ship them off TO Europe and
/ great many other things they could
10. They could give Uncle Sam lots OF
pointers in business, Stamps could be
ised just like the money is If Uncle
sam was not such blasted old moss
pack as to stand right in the way of
progress. Funny, isn't it? Suppose
,ou put in about five minutes thinking
his over. -..Tfr
Income Tax In O.her Countries.
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