The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-08-06
BOOK 2.-Chapter Kill


versal practice, would be incredible, is
that this royal prerogative OF such SUI
preme Importance to every govern
ment, and to every people, as sure
resource in every emergency, has, In
all civilized countries, been abandoned
and given over as a spoil to be mine
Of untold wealth to governmental fav-
crites-as a reward for owning gold!
The power to issue the receipts
called coin is an integral and enorm-
ously important governmental power.
To obtain possession Of such coin is an
imperative need imposed by statutes
upon every human being who either
OWNS anything or OWES anything.
The owner OF gold is in no more dire
straits to possess them than is the
owner OF corn, or wheat, or cotton, or
cattle, or hogs.
The governments of the earth all
need for their suppOrt-not gold, but
the services and commodities which
possession of those receipts Tor the
power to issue them) commands. NO
possible reason for giving them away
to anyone can be assigned. But II
government has more revenues than
it's needs require, and can for that
reason give them away, still it is
most monstrous and manifest iniquity
lot to distribute them equally among
all the people or else to reduce the
general burden of taxation, instead OF
making a free gift of these sorely
needed receipts to the owners of gold
alone.
Why are gold owners, alone, singled
out and made the recipients of such an
enormous gift? Since the establish
ment of the mint in this country more
than two thousand three hundred and
forty three millions Of dollars 49,
543 ,000,0 00) of these receipts have been
stamped as free gift to the owners
Of gold and silver. Is the owning OF
gold or silver an act so meritorious as
to entitle it to receive favors of such
enormous value, which are denied
owners of all other things? Is the
production of gold or silver moro
meritorious than the production of the
food and clothing, and shelter and
fuel, and the transportation of all
these? Why should not these receipts,
freely given away under the free
coinage" system to the owners OF gold,
also be given away freely to the rail
roads, the producers of coal, the vast
manufacturing establishments, as well
as to the producers of cotton, corn,
wheat, pork and beef?
Surely the great packing houses, the
railroad and manufacturing interests
of this country, as we'll as the agri-
| 1t,,r.o fnfa 0c}c ACc,n inn n
Lave these receipts bestowed upon
them as a reward for the meritorious
owning and operating of those insti-
buttons, as are the owners of gold.
1t may be said that their products
are not suitable vehicles to carry those
receipts stamped upon them. This may
be true. If it be true that no sub
stance except gold is eft" to be that
vehicle, then let government sieze the
gold mines and all the gold in the
country and on it's own behalf stamp
those receipts upon it's own gold, and
il gifts must be made, let them be
made impartially to all interests.
But gold is not the only suitable We
hicle upon which to mount those re-
ceipts. 1t is not even the most suit
able Receipts perfectly able to per.
form every function of "coin," botf
in the public offices and in the courts
; may be mounted upon sil1-ribbed pa
per, which for this purpose is vastly
superior to gold-and outside the pub
lie offices and courts coin has NJ
functions different from any othel
commodity.
Do you say they would not be wal
liable" as those mounted upon gold
That must depend entirely upon tn,
degree of intensity of the force of de
mand for them. If all power to per
/ form the Office of a receipt sin, th,
public offices and in the courts,
, against tax levies and judgments wer
! by statute taken away from those re
ceipts mounted upon gold and silve
and conferred exclusively upon thos
riding upon paper, the "wayfarin,
man though fool may see that tn
force Of demand thus DETECTED from
those receipts riding upon gold an,
silver. and concentrated upon thos
mounted upon silk-ribbed paper. woul
/. necessarily subject the latter to
. quantity of the force Of demand S
great that great quantity of value
must result, while the former no long
err played upon by that force woul