The Winslow mail., 1900-02-01
STUDYING FINANCE.
Some Questions Put That VIII HeIp
to Settle the Great Question
of the Day.

Some will say: What is the differ
ence whether section Is of the mint
bill (so-called) was a forgery or not?
1t was SO long ago that the statute of
limitation would shield the criminal,
and having become accustomed to
things as they are, why not let them
alone? In other words, if thief forges
your name to note and steals a lot of
money, and you do not catch him until
he is protected by the limitation of the
law, you would let him keep the money
and go on stealing from other people.
That might indicate a kind heart on
your part, but it would be terrible in
dictment of your common sense.
Now, here comes a writer in the Yer
dict, whom we more than half suspect
of being the editor of that virile and
valiant paper, who processes that he
does not understand finance. He says
he does not know whether he is gold
bug, silverbug or a straddlebug. He
has never realized the essential impor-
tance of the financial question, and con-
sequently has never studied it. His
sympathies, however, have been in
clined toward the gold standard, be-
cause the followers of the yellow ban
ner made so much noise about 'sound
money" honest money" etc, that he
took it for granted they had a good
thing, and did not observe that they
were playing the old rogue's trick of
shouting ''stop thief to draw attention
away from their own villainy. If the
Verdict's writer, and thousands of 9TH
er honest men like him, can have the
scales removed from their eyes so they
will see clearly not only that demone-
tization was within itself stupendous
crime, but that it was accomplished by
forgery, then they will begin to think
and ask questions. If the gold standard
is good thing, why was it necessary to
commit a crime to obtain it? Why did
not its advocates appeal to the peoples
reason? How did it happen that GER
tain men engaged in the perpetration
of this crime became suddenly very rich
after its accomplishment? Why was it
| necessary to send copy of the bill that
| was pending in the American congress,
ostensibly for the codifcation of our
mint laws, across the ocean for ap
proval by the directors of the Bank OF
| England? Then, when the interrogation
has reached this point, he will suddenly
remember that from the date of the per-
petration of this congressional forgery,
prices of all commodities have steadily
and persistently declined, so that the
manufacturer who made an article that
cost him one dollar had to sell it for 90
cents, and the man he sold it to had to
let it go for 9S, and so on down the line
until it plunged head first into the
sloughs and quagmires of bankruptcy.
| He will also observe that these condi-
tions have led to the organization Of
trusts and the discharge of workmen
to save expense and avoid bankruptcy
on the part of business men; that these
| discharged workmen have combined
with others who were either out of
work or receiving pittances that did
| not satisfy the hunger OF themselves
and their families, and that they then
engaged in strikes and riots, necessi-
tating the organization of large stand
| ing army to preserve order" He will
also observe that while these processes
have been in operation those who had
plenty of money at the beginning have
grown enormously and dangerously
rich, while the merely well to do and
middle and working classes have been
reduced to poverty and dependence.
When the inquirer arrives at this point
he will understand the ''money ques-
tion," and appreciate why it was neces-
sary for certain members of congress
| Gncluding the senate) to commit, or
procure the commission of forgery, in
order to get the demonetization law on
the national statutes.
If we can only get honest men to
think, they will soon settle the money
question, and settle it right But some
times men are so busy, Or so willing to
''let things go as they are" that you
have to knock them down to get them
to think Mississippi Valley Democrat.