The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1900-01-11
The Monetary Problem.
THEIR ETHICAL INFLUENcR.
q Timely wsra conceVntax the sssn-
stary Hatis Presented In Congress
--Tae People Ignored.

ttmett o@FA tpurHfAtAG thH 89h~
ssRry nails rresentea In Csngrsss
-The reepie Ignored.
The ethical influence Of a monetary
Iystem upon the people is not con.
iidsred at all by either one OF the
bills now before congress, and yet 1t
Is the moral force Of legislation that
makes for higher social and com
mereial standards. The senate, Hke
The house, bill aims az the gold stand
ard as the ultimate of the purpose
In hand, and although they differ
widely ak 10 what measures shall be
taken TO give the several forms of
oiher money their proper relation 20
the one measure of valae, nowhere IN
either bill are provisions made to
strengthen the moral tone and buHi-
ness integrity Of the people. On tho
contrary, both bills seem 10 assume
that there Is no law higher than the
law Of the survival Of those who are
the kcenest In inventlng and putting
In operation such machinery In the
channels OF trade and commerce ~
lhnll grind for themselves only. The
doctrine of the interdepeadencc of all
the people, ard that the community 10
strong In morals, patriotism and hon.
esty Of purpose In ratio 10 the absence
Of Legislative favoritkln, is rcpndiated
by both bills. The objective point Of
each is the creation of conditions
which shall subject the great body Of
the people TO conditions of existence
which must necessarily weaken their
aspirations TO higher levels Of moral
and intellectual worth. ClakS legiSia-
ton or favoritism In the administra-
ton OF law never operates otherwise
upon the unfavored class or the fA-
vored ores either, for that matter.
ANY system of applied economics
which does not provide for an eqult-
able distribution OF the accrulng
wealth Of the country between all
concerned in the work of creating
the wealth is radically wrong in
principle and decidedly hurtful to
those who are denied the value Of
their efforts. In their operation the
bills referred TO, either one of them,
would place the Industrial elass at a
disadvantage from which there would
be no relief. The price Of commodl-
ties and wages would grow closer un-
I'll wuges we're no more than equal
TO the cost OF living, leaving no mar
gin between the wage carner's income
and expenditure for the savings bank
or investment In a home. On the
other hand, the wealth Of the en-.
ploycr would steadily increase, thus
widening first the social status of em-
ploycr and employe and second their
political rights, until the employe and
his children and children's children
were mere hewera of wood and draw
ers Of water. The ethical effects Of
such dependence upon the means of
family support would certainly be
dcgenerating, nor would there be n
halt until the line which separates
capital from labor wss as deep and
impossible as the chasm which sep-
aratcd Dives from Lazarus. Tho su-
premacy OF gold gives 10 the at
tributes of greed and avariec, with
full power TO exercise its authority
over those who must strive for IL to
buy their daily bread.
These bills would disrupt the nat
ural relation between money and
labor by mAgnifying the power OF the
former and weakening the power Of
the latter. BY the fat OF the gov
ernment an insufficient quantity OF q
money measure OF value would be
given 20 the various avenues OF en-
ployment by either one of these bills,
and since what is called capital"
would control the measure without
competition, the elimination Of the
voice of labor from tine field of wage
earning in determining what would
be just and fair compensation would
follow as a certain consequence. No
student of the social evolution Of the
race has failed 10 note that whenever
or wherever the money powers have
secured the control OF that factor In
the commercial and social life Of the
community the ethical standard Of
the Industrial class--thc common peo-
pie-hns been lowered, The 'panpcr
labor" cs Europe is the legitimate
product OF restricting the volume of
circulating money measure Of value
TO where Il could be controlled by
combinations Of money lenders.
Either one of the currency bills now
before congress would place the whole
Of the machinery Of the nations mon
ctary system in the hands OF n few.
and, ethicaily speaking. the conse-
qpence would be emphaticalIy detri-
mental 10 the moral tone es all the
peopIe--the favored classes would
lower their own standard by excuses
which great wealth encourages and
the masses would degenerate because
opportunity 10 strive for more satisfy
ing environment would be denied.
Roth bills emit ethical poison, and
either one would operate against the
attainment of higher levels OF excel
lence of character by the peopie--ail
che people.--KansaA City Tines.