The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-03-23
The Currency Question.


haul down It's nag ana com" uh"ch
one management without struggle. IT
was not battle, but booty they
wanted.
They cherished orderly surrender
and deplored organized resistance
above all things. They had regular
organizations among themselves. each
notilla its prescribed territory or sea
limits which were not - be en-
croached upon by other pirates, only
a limited number of vessels were per-
mitted to engage in the business ana
dividends were declared and booty
distributed at the termination OF each
cruise. Kings, courtiers and crown
counselors often c~onnivcd at these
bloody ventures. Highly pious people
frequently furnished the means TO
equip piratical craft and shared in
the division OF spoils. But while they
furnished the money to equip they
always left the ugly work TO probes
sional cu%tthroats. Like many trust
magnates of to-day they kept their
conscience at home as unimpaired
capital for use in benevolent and edu-
cational enterprises.
But let us examine briefly h out
line Of the great central money trusts
which is just now in process of final
development in congress. 1t is at this
time Juggling at its tether, anxious to
spring upon its victims. 1t would be
doing violence to philology to call 1t
an ctopus, as it has more than eight
tentacles or legs. Myriapod would
be a better classification. The myria-
pod is described in zoology as a many
iointed. nocturnal. carnivorous. and
very active animal. with powerful bit
ing jaws and n pair of feet for each
segment of the body. The similitude
seems perfect. | feel sure hat both
philologist and zoologist will readily
agree that myriapod is the correct
grouping for this huge parent trust,
upon which its myriad of tentacles.
extending into every department of
trade. must depend for nourishment
and vitality. Myriapod seems right
and myriapod it shall be.
The four controlling powers Of gov
eminent under our constitution are:
/. The power TO declare to war.
2. The power TO lay and collect
taxes.
3. The power to regulate commerce
among the states and with foreign
nations.
4. The power to coin Cssuc) money
and regulate the value thereof and OF
foreign coins.
Can we not see that the power
/, which controls the money output OF
a nation has in its hands the SON
trolling attribute of sovereignty, and
holds the whole body Of the people
: and all lines of business ut it's mercy
=, There is no more pitiable spectacle
!. in this world than n highly organized
: state of society rising in torment FOL
want of an independent system OF
finance. Once you allow the banks
10 assume and exercise this sovereign
. function of determining the money
supply. you have assisted them u
{ drive from the field their only pos
T, sible competitor-thc government
= and YOU have placed in their hand:
the very citadel of sovereign power
I" For we all know there can be no wal
: without the purse; no adequate col
I. lection of taxes without n nimblc cir
culation OF money: no commerce
worthy the name without an adeqNati
! circulating medium TO facilitate 1t
1t is the purpose of the Legislation
Is O pending in congress to exalt tn
money trust TO a position of suprem'
power, TO displace constitutional au
thority and enthrone self-appointe'
money kings holding their position
for life and give them n carte blanch
to do as they please. All these grant
u of power are express and exclusive
s. They are all found in section $. articl
le /. of the constitution. Congress ha
a as much right to farm out the wa
"a making power to gunsmiths and pow
r der manufacturers as it has TO farr
n out to banks its power over the cui
rency.
" In the case Of ordinary commcrcia
Ii trusts combinations stranglc an
lie crush competition. But the none
ar trust cannot reach its end in this wa,
as The government. with all its plenar
Of power over the whole question. stand
SQudTtlN itlOSS iAN pAthN"s
W ge. rid OF this supreme and omnip'
he tent rival in the money industry
as the great question which the associ'
lie. ted banks now have in hand. In fac
,e- with this class of men. II has been u
r. uppermost question in this nation f'
m more than 100 years-since Thorn;
cs jefferson crossed swords with Ale
ca ander Hamilton upon this very que
le- ton in the cabinet councils of Pres
ist dent Washington. The contest has q
re ways been the banks against u
~. mint. the corporations against u
It's people. from that day TO this. III
bank won the first round and leap'
into the field nearly IL months ahei
ea of the mint. But it lost caste und
nt- Presidents jefferson. Madison nj
I'D Jackson, and there has been a pr
is tractcd struggle ever since. II th'
nd can. as now proposed. strike down !
classes of money recognized in =