The Washington weekly post., 1899-06-06
IN TIE FEUDAl DAYS.
Money-changers the MonOpolists of the
Middle Ages.

II. VI. Beadle in MAY DOnah0e's.
During the middle ages the people of
England got the greater part of their sill
vtr from their lead mines; the people on
the continent got nearly the whole of
theirs from the silver mines of Germany.
Gold was obtained from Scotland, Ire
land. and Germany. and later on much
Of it came from Africa. The East drained
both gold and silver from Europe then
as it has done in this century. The ratio
between gold and silver then was less
than it has been since. Perhaps eleven
to one would represent the average ratio
between gold and silver. There was a
great struggle between the several na-
tions for the precious metals for coin
age, proving there was not a sufficient
supply to meet the demand This de-
mand was emphasized by the difficulties
of exchange. There were so many differ
ent coinages in every country, and these
were changed so often that the money
changer became q necessity. The diff
Guilty and cost of exchange was a him
drance to the free circulation of money
and tended 10 shorten the supply. In the
end the money-changers were able TO
mOnOpOliZe money, they possessing or
controlling all the money in circulation
and thus they mOnopUlized trade and had
power TO control prices. In the begin
ming of the sixteenth century the great
trading companies of Germany had mo-
nopolized both the money and trade of
that country. The Fuggers, of Augsburg,
were probably more powerful in the six
teenth century than the Rothschilds have
been in the nineteenth
,-lg Tg.l ..Fs h..
nearly all the working people were seris
and there were few free artisans or labor
ers. The serfs had an interest in the sell,
and for that interest performed certain
labor, or made payments in kind. The
serf was bound to the soil and transfer
able with H. His children were born TO
his condition. and neither he nor tley
could depart from it without the consent
of their lord, unless he became u citizen
of some city or an ecclesiastic. If the seTf
ran away and was found. he could be
brought back and punished. but he could
not be deprived of his rights in he soil.
If he refused TO perform lis Obligations
to his lord. he could b. punished, Dut his
rights in the soil were not affected.
II ne could reach city and remain for a
year and a day without discovery, h
became a citizen and could not he taken
back by his lord. bus ls. Of course, lost
his rights in the soil. i he was ordained
by the church he was no longer subject
to his lord. Serfs often mad contracts
with bailiffs of lords to keep cattle, as in
dairies, or TO perform labo- Of various
kinds. The more thrifty seTls saved
money. and BY purchase commu-sd their
labor obligations into money payments.
thus obtaining their freedu!a and keeping
all their rights in the soil The temper
OF the times favored the relief of the
serf. and his manumiSz-OE vas regarded
as being in accordance with public policy.
religion having sOfrenri tie feelings OF
the lords 10 The condition Of their scTfs.
After tie black death The higher wages
which the serfs ob'gineI enabled them 10
commute their iabc- payments into
money payments much more raHdIy, s.ld
il NAV be truJhfUlly Haii that the Hack
death sci free the serfs Of Europe.