The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-02

fore the law, they favor an amendment
to the Constitution specifically author:
izing an income tax; can the opponents
OF such an amendment place their OPP
position upon moral grounds! Can
the Christian who loves his brother con.
ceal from the assessor property right
fully subject to taxation or favor tax
systems favorable to himself and I'M
just to others?
1T was said of the Scribes and 1'nar-
isees They bind heavy burdens and
grievous to be borne and lay them on
mems shoulders"
Honest differences of opinion as to
the merits of any proposed financial
policy are to be expected. but there
ought to be no difference of opinion as
to the ideal policy. toward the securing
of which every effort should be directed.
The questions. What money Is sound!
and what dollar makes the nearest ap-
proach to honesty? may afford ground
for dispute. but there should be no dis
sent from the proposition than the best
dollar. no matter what system secures
it. is the dollar which is most stable in
its purchasing power. Absolute stability,
would give us an absolutely honest dollar
but such dollar has never yet been
devised.
In money as in other matters, we
strive for perfection knowing that it
cannot be fully attained Every fiuctu-
alton in the purchasing power of the
dollar injuries some one. If dollar
rises in purchasing power it benefits
those who own money and those who
hold contracts payable in dollars, but
it injures those who owe money and
those who produce wealth
A dollar which falls in purchasing
power produces the opposite effect. To
increase the number of dollars called
for in a contract would not be tolerated
for a moment; to increase the purchasing
power of the dollar. however, has eX-
actly the same effect. The purchas-
ing power of dollar may be changed
by legislation. For instance. other
things being equal. Legislation which
lessons the volume of standard money
increases the value of eacn dollar This
idea was forcibly set forth by Mr.. Nc
Kinley in speech made in Toledo, O..
in 1891. Speaking of Mr.. Cleveland S
hostility to silver. he said: ''He was
determined to contract the circulating
medium and demonitize one of the
coins of commerce. limit the volume
of money among the people. make
money scarce. and, therefore dear. he
would have Increased the value Of mon
ey and diminished the value of every
thing elSe-money the master. every
thing else the servant.
If legislation intended to make mon
ey scarce and therefore dear makes
money the master and everything else
the servant. can Christians ignore the
moral question involved!
In the parable of the Sewer. Christ
taught that 1.-THE cares of this world
and the deceitfulness of riches choke
the TRUTH and history confirms His
teachings. Reforms come from those.
who suffer. not from those who are
benefited by existing conditions, and
yet in 1896 those who were perverting
the ends of government and reducing
flvOritism to a science threatened the
nation with bankruptcy if deprived Of
control.
If the prophet. Amos. were to revisit
the earth and witness the increase n
tenancy upon the one hand and the
pulling up of immense fortunes upon the
other. he might exclain, az he did Of
old, Hear this. ye that swallow mp
the needy. even to make the poor Of the
land to fail. making the ephah
small. and the sllekel great. and falsify
ing the balances by deceit. =
Shall not the land tremble for this,
and everyone mourn that dwelleth there
in -
What is the altitude of the Christian
toward the trust? Can he be monopo-
list? Can he run a corner in loaves and
fishes without breaking the Golden Rule?
Will Standard oil and the Water of Life
mix?
If trust magnate can purchase reli-
gious responsibility by liberal contribu-
tons to church expenditures, what pro-
portion of his ill-gotten gains should he
surrender in order to atone for the viola
ton of laws, human and divine?
No church would extend the hand of
fellowship to a physical giant who &C.
cupied a mountain pass and enforced
tribute from all who fell into his hands.
A monopoly does not differ greatly from
the giant in method and may be infinite
ly more potent for evil. Monopoly is
bondage: it unbridles greed and furnish
es to avarice destructive weapon. HUI
man nature has not changed much since
the days Of Pharoah; the industrial mon
arch is as tyrannical as the political mon