Mexico Missouri message., 1905-03-09
CHAPTER VIII.

TIE ,lEUDI NARY SPIRIT AND SIMPLICITY.
Y YE have in passing touched upon
"A 20 certain widespread prcju-
wv dice which attributes In mon
oy a magic powrr Having
come - near enchanted ground, We
VIII not retire in awe. but plant q
firm foot here, persuaded of many
truths that should be spoken They
are not new. hut how they are forgot
ten.
! sec M possible way of doing with
out MONEY. The only thing that thco-
rists or legislators who accuse it of all
our Ills have hitherto achieved has
been 40 change its name Or form. But
they hdHr novcr been able to dispense
with % .HLUgl representative of the
commercial value 81 things. one
might US we'll wish 20 d. away with
written language as - do away with
moucy. Nevertheless this question of
a circulating medium is very trouble
some. It forms ON" Of the chief ole
mcuta Of complication in our life. The
economic difficulties amid which We
still founder social CDnvcntiOnalitics
and che entire organization of modern
life have carried gold 10 rank 50
eminent that it rs not astonishing 10
find The Imagination of man attribut-
ing 10 it sort Of royalty. And it is
on this side that VIC shall attack the
problem.
Tho term money has for appcndage
that Of merchandise If there were no
merchandise there would he no money,
but as long as there IS merchandise
there will he money, little matter I'M
der what form. The source Of all the
abuses which center around money lies
in lacl, of discrimination. People
! have confused under the term and idea
Ct merchandise things which have no
relation with one another. They have
attempted 20 give vcnal value to
/ things which neither could have it nor
ought to. The idea Of purchase and
/ sale has invaded ground where it may
/ Justly lie considered an enemy and d
usurpcr. 1t is reasonable that wheat,
/ potatoes. vino, fabrics. should be
/ bought ana sold, and it is perfectly
| natural that mans labor procure
/ him rights to life and that there be put
/ into his hands something whose value
represents them, but here already the
| analogy ceases 10 he complete. \ mans
/ labor is not merchandise in the same
! sense as sack of flour or n ton of coal.
Into this labor enter elements which
cannot be valued IN money. In short,
there are things which can in nOwise
he bought-slccp. for instance, knOwl-
edge Of tie future, talent lie who Of
fers them for sale must be considered
a fool OF an impostor and yet there
are gentlemen who coin money by such
traffic. They sell what does not be-
long to Them, and their dupes pay ficti-
tious values in veritable coin So, too,
there are dealers in pleasure, dealers
in love. dealers i'm miracles. dealers in
patriotism and the title Of merchant,
so honorable when It represents n man
selling that which is in truth a com
modify Of trade, becomes the worst of
stigmas when there is question Of the
heart, Of religion, Of country,
Almost all men are agreed that To
barter with ones sentiments, his hon,
or, his cloth. his pen, or his note, is in.
famous. Unfortunately this idea, which
suffers no contradiction as a theory
and which thus stated seems rather u
commonplace than high moral truth
has infinite trouble to make its way IN
practice. Traffic has invaded the world
The money changers are established
even in the sanctuary, and by sanctu
AIRY I do not mean religious things
alone, but whatever mankind holds su
cred ANA inyiolablc. 1t is not gold that
eomplicatcs, cOrrupts and debases life
It is our ncrcenury spirit
The mercenary spirit resolves every
thing into a single question, How
much is that going TO bring me? ant
sums up everything In a single axiom
With money you can procure anything
Following these two principles of con
duct society may descend TO n dc
gree Of infamy impossible 10 describe
or TO imagine.
SOW mucn IS II gong - Drmg me
This question, 50 legitimate while /
concerns those precautions which eacl
oaght TO take 10 assure his subsist
encv by lis labor becomes pernlclou