The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1903-12-24
THE PARAMOUNT QUESTION.


learned of the single tax. / was a
greenbacker since Seymour ran on a
greenback platform, and am yet
greenbacller. | have studied the mon
ey question to the point of profundity,
but | know that all reforms in gov
eminent like all discoveries in the
sciences and inventions of labor-sav-
ing machinery accrues to the landlord
and does not benefit the producer OF
wealth. All structures to be durable,
whether material or social, must be
foundationed on the earth. | care
not what social structure you build,
ii built in the air, 1t may be blown
down by the first adverse wind. All
social structures must begin on The
land to be durable and of benefit to
the masses. The land question must
be the first plank in any platform to
succeed All platforms have been cas-
ties in the air and all governments
failure because not fOundationed on
the earth for ALL
Money is not so essention as life,
liberty and the equal pursuit of happi-
ness, which cannot be without free
access to land.
Money is not real necessity. Com
merce would go on, but not so well,
even without money. Money is more
OF a function than substance. AS
Herbert Spencer shows, in order to
understand sociology, one must under
stand biology. Society is body polite
in more than a metaphorical sense.
Society has every organ and function
that an animal organism has, and
have searched in vain to find an Or
gan or function in an animal organ
ism corresponding to money Money
is a convenient counter of wealth and
facilitates the barter of wealth, but it
is not wealth nor is it absolutely
necessary to the production Of wealth.
Money is an excresence growing on
the body polite like the mistletoe on
the oak which the Druids worshiped
as we do the greenback. 1t is like
worms in children till they pass the
age of adolescence. We are in our
transition stage of evolution, through
our worm age or money age, but will
slough it off soon. But land will al
ways be a prime necessity.
Money has been enormously called
the blood of nation Money circu-
lates and so does blood-but there the
smile ends. Blood is wealth-it is
carried by our arteries, our rivers,
lakes, and railroads, and deposited to
build up broken down tissue and de-
velop muscle and strength. Money is
not Jov,acitad a ~ xuna1tb ic
Money simply represents wealth and
Is not wealth. A piece of gold or sill
yer Is not wealth while it Is used as
money If the wealth in gold piece
was utilized for a ring or a watch
case it would cease to be money. The
two values, the real and representa-
tive, do not co-exist in piece of gold.
One or the other is in allegiance or an
INFLATED. While a piece of gold is
money it has no value. Then how
foolishly wasteful it is to make money
of so valuable a commodity as gold
or silver. A twenty dollar gold coin
cost twenty dollars in labor fifty
years ago. and the interest on the la
Dor at per cent amounts to fifty dol
lars, which added to its original cost
makes seventy dollars twenty dollar
gold coin has cost the people wnen a
piece of paper would have performed
the function of exchanging wealth as
well.
Men speak of money as measure or
standard of value as though there
could standard or measure OF
val. alues vary, like any other
emotion. Value depends on desire,
aud desires vary with people which
makes commerce. There can be no
more standard or measure of value
than there can Of love, hate. beauty or
any other emotion.
A man was tossing an onion In his
hand playfully In Dawson and a by
stander asked him what he would take
for IL. He answered that he would
not sell it-he brought II from his
mothers garden. II will give you five
dollars In gold for II, said the would
be- purchaser. "No. will not sell
IT, said the owner, The bystander
casually remarked that he would not
give SO much for It. but he had sick
friend who longed for an onion. take
II and give IA to your sick friend
said the owner, and would take no
- "a.