The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-12-24
MONETARY CRIMES

InOSe pOpullStS WHO nave nC'oi
sead the works Of Alexander Del Mar,
nut who began their study OF the H.
1ancial question by reading the
Seven Financial Conspiracies," will
no doubt be astonished to know that
the "crime of 49, was by no means
an invention of the astute men OF that
day. but was rather an adaptation OF
trick that is older than Christianity
itself. Mr.. Del Mars Investigations
along this line give added force 10 the
aphorisms: History repeats itself
and There is nothing new under the
sun"
Barbara Viliers; or History OF
Monetary Crimes" Is book OF lol PIP.
and index, giving, In MT. Del Mar IN
imitable style, a succinct history OF
the four greatest monetary crimes ol
which any considerable record may
he found-the crimes OF 1866, ll4z,
1870 and 1873. THE insidious crime
of secretly or surreptitiously altering
the monetary laws OF state says
MIR. Del Mar, than which no more
dastardly or fatal blow can be deait
ut it's liberties--is not new one.
There is a suggestion in the decree Oh
b. G. 800, concerning the ancient ilon
money OF Sparta, that .Gylipus was hoe
unfamiliar with this grave onehse. ~
4 later age, Pliny, VINO justly cams :.
a crime against manklnd, eVlueheiy
refers to that alteration OF the Roman
mint code by which what rellaiheu
~ the nummulary system OIL Tue Le
ni,blic was subyerted, about B. G. 2oo,
n favor OF the authorized private
coinage of the gentes. Such aiteratloh
seems to have been secret, Tor no ca
plicit allusion to it appears In the
fragments that have been preserVeu
concerning the legislation OF that per-
iod. But the coinages and the decau-
ence of the state tell the story WIN
sufficient distinctness to JUSTIFY inc
anathema of the Roman encycloped-
ist." oo
THE CRIME OF 1866
"From the remotest time" says the
author ito the seventeenth century
of our era, the right TO coin money
and to regulate it's value (by giving II
denominations) and by limiting or IN
creasing the quantity OF 1t III clrcuia.
tion was the exclusive prerogatiye OF
the state In 1904, in the celebrated
case of the Mixed Moneys (see SCI
ence of Money chap. Viz THIS pre-
rogatiye was affirmed under such eA-
traordinary circumstances and Win
such an overwhelming array OF JUDI
cial and forensic authority as TO oc-
casion alarm to the moneyed classes
OF England, who at once sought the
means to overthrow IL.
"These, he continues, "they found
in the demands of the East India
company, the corruption OF parlia,
ment, the'profiigacy of Charles H., anu
the influence of Barbara Villlers. Inc
result was the surreptitious mint leg
islation of 1861; and thus preroS-
alive. which next TO the right Oh
peace or war, is the most po"erlui
instrument by which a state can III
fluence the happiness of its subjects,
was surrendered or sold for song 10
a class of usurers, in whose hahas IL
has remained ever since.
an framing the American mint laws
OF 1902" Mr.. Del Mar adds, MT.
Hamilton. young man (then 50 years
of age), and wholly unaware OF the
character or bearings of this English
legislation, innocently copied 1t and
caused il to be incorporated in the
laws of the United States, where it
still remains, an obstacle to the eauit-
able distribution OF wealth, and men
ace To public prosperity
But this Is not all. Down to the
year 1890" says Mr.. Del Mar, the
crown OF England had the right, with
out consulting parliament To undo
much of the mischief occasioned by
the act OF 1866 and its logical Sc
uuence. the act of 1916: that IL to say,
the crown had the right and the pow