The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1899-08-31
THE MONEY LENDERS FOLLY.
His Greed In the scramhia for Geia
Haas I'm Mary Cases over
topped hts~lf.

The money lender sayS to himself
that II he can make money scarce there
will he a scramble for IL, and interest
rates will be hiyh. This was one Of
The impclling causes OF the gold stand
ard. hut we sec exactly the opposite
feAult taking place. The rate of inter
rst has fallen along with the prices
Of commodities. There hak been no e.
eepiion to the rule; and Shylock Is nov
glad to get four and five per cent. for
only a fractional part Of his money.
when In former times he could readily
lend IL all at eight, ten and twelve. In
the frenzy Of his greed he killed the
goose that laid the golden egg, and
now he secs his yellow boards stacked
IN and idle In his vaults because the
contraction ~ the currency has 40 i'm
poyeriAhed industry that men can no
longer afford 10 pay interest on money
10 do business with. There Ia no profit
In a declining market, and consequent
ly nen stand idle and shylock grinds
his teeth with rage because he cannot
lend his money. Still he will not learn
sense and do the only thing that will
restore prosperity aud create demand
for his money.
But another and the principal reason
for the establishment of the gold stand
ard was the certain knowledge that =
contracted currency would create pow
erty In the prices OF property. and
shylock hoped TO carry this principle
60 the extent Of possessing himself Of
all the property OF HIS neighborS. Here
again his greed has, in a measure, de-
ieated his purpose, for In many In
stances property has deprecated &c
such an extent that shylook cannot af-
ford TO pay the taxes and keep up the
necessary improvements, and conse-
qucntly we see fields rank with weeds,
ramshackle and implanted barns and
houses, and fences that no longer pos
sess any trTrorE for wandering stock.
Abundant money not only increases
prices Of property and produce, but ii
stimulates enterprise, creates an active
demand for cash, brings the whole
stock Of money into use and raises the
rates OF interest. IL Is strange that
money lenders cannot aud will not see
this natural order Of things. especially
when the facts are spread out under
their very noses,
Take our Missouri lead mining Klon-
dixie ns an instance. The demand for
lead brought millions OF dollars into the
...sNaav4 II fH. Naez
mediately prices bean TO jump, q mar
Yelous energy was infused into the
people Of that section, dormant towns
and villages became rampant with Wig
Orous life and restless enterprise, and
the banks, over whose counters the cob
webs had grown, suddenly found them
selves unable TO meet the demand for
money and more money, and with this
demand came an increase In the dis
count rate to the old wartime basis.
The banks are now compelled 20 re-
main open both day and night and
portion OF each Sunday In order 10
meet the requirements OF their eager
customers. Hut this Is not ALL Not
only are loans at high rates Of inter.
est easily made. but they are secure,
because the borrowers are making
money and can readily meet their oh.
legations. How strange II Ia thRi
money lenders and those who profess
10 be adopts In the science OF finance
cannot or will not see this plain law
" common sense. IL we could only
get rid OF the curse OF the single gold
standard. we would soon see conditions
like those in the lead mining districts
Of this state prevailing all over the
country Mississippl Valley Democrat.