The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-08-06
THE FISH is LANDED.

VI SOUe time the pOpullSL LIHcOlu,
Neb., Independent has been taking
falls out OF the attitude OF socialism
on money. It's conduct in the matter
very much resembled that of veteran
fish that would not take hold too hard
of the alluring bait, knowing that
there was a hook inside. 1t nibbled
and pulled away. Finally, ..owever, it
bit, and bit well, with the result that
we now have the fish landed.
In its issue of last June rs, and I'M
der the head Independent School of
Political Economy" the paper pub
fishes over the signature of Charles
@. De France what purports to be an
answer and REPUTATION of the socialist
labor party pamphlet, Money" We
may leave Mr.. O. De France aside,
and deal with Mr.. independent de Ne
brasque, seeing that the latter makes
the answer it's own.
First, considerable space is spent in
the article with tiresome iterations of
the statement that legal tender" has
nothing whatever to do with ex-
change" Seeing that the said
pamphlet Money" spends considera-
Bile space, not in STATING, but in
PROVING that very thing-that the
illegal tender" feature of money is one
thing, its medium of exchange an
other-all these statements are super
ffuous. The landed fish that fiOps
landward and not waterward but ut
terly wastes its energies; the further
it goes in that direction the worse
for it.
Second, another chunk of space is
taken up with the assertion that "the
power of the tender exists nowhere
in the United States outside of the
public Offices and the courts" and with
supplemental assertions that sit illegal
tender) has to do with paying taxes
and cancelling judgments rendered in
the courts" Proof is hereby fur
nished of a fact, which to mention
even in terms the most courteous one
can think of sounds offensive, but
which nevertheless must be mentioned.
That fact is that the free coinagist''
is ignorant of facts, and, consequently,
cannot choose but fall into error.
When tenant, mortgage, drawer
of note that becomes due, a pur-
chaser on credit-in short, any one
who assumes a money obligation that
natures at future date-lays down
before, tenders to his creditor the
amount due, the creditor is bound to
accept the payment in cancellation OF
the debt. IF THE MONEY TEN
DERED IS PRONOUNCED LEGAL
TENDER" by the government. If, in
such case, the creditor, for whatever
reason, refuses to accept, suspects the
money, or what not, HE CANNOT
SUE, AND IF HE DOES HE LOSES
AND HAS TO PAY THE COSTS. The
reason is that tender, legal tender
was made to him. All these transac
tons happen out of court, they do mo-
concern public Offices" they have
nothing to do with taxes" there il
no "cancelling of judgments" abou
them. Of course, legal tender" fig
ures in these latter and governmental
transactions also, but for every one,
that it figures there, it figures fully ;
hundred times in those others men
toned above, where the transaction
is purely private-and there is M
voluntary adaptation" about 1t.
Third, but even in these respects
obvious as they are, the complete
landing of the fish is not as palpabl
as in those passages where it is ode
MED in toto" that labor is the sol