The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1907-05-16


he would have taken all in existence,
given his own note, and all the stocks
and bonds of his contemplated .hur-
ricane railroad as collateral.
the convention of American Bankers
at st. Louis, but there was some very
lively maneuvering, as a military man
would say, for position on the COM
mittee, and the report is signed by
thirteen parties in interest, and three
non-interest. A proposition that will
not bear discussion will not wear. In
submitting this bill to the house the
report on it covered twenty seven
pages of the pamphlet, accompanied
by eight financial weather maps of
zig-zags, while the little bill only oc-
cupied a page and a half, but con-
tanned enough iniquity to fill a vol
ume. Most all the great measures
that fill the volumes of our revised
statutes carry the names of their dis
tinguished authors. Ne had the fa
nous Mckinley bill, the Wilson bill,
the Dingley bill; following customs,
some of the dilletante of high fee
nance of the step-light-lady school,
have entitled this bill the elastic
currency BILL" / do think that as
we poor country bankers are to be
the main reliance ''for showing the
queer, that in honor of we 'Rubes"
of the 'rubber-neck," it should be
called the rubber money bill"
Government monopolizes the coin
age under the constitutions it has
so far monopolized the issuing of
paper money and its redemption.
Then, if there be need for more, let
the government print and issue it
to all the banks and. bankers of our
country alike, on the same terms and
time So, too, with deposits. whether
they be the property of nation, State,
or municipality. Our State banks are
as safe, and can make safe as we'll
as others.
Two years ago took occasion to
advocate the calling in of all our pa
per money, and replacing it with one
kind, one design, a plain, common
sense, common honesty promise to
pay in gold at the option of the
holder, by our government at it's
treasures. To simplify it, to thus
bring the counterfeits to book-in
deed, to take stock, as it were. This
money would soon be known the
world over as is the note of the
Bank of England-indeed, the ship
pers of gold, those who make it
scarce by keeping it in transit, might
come to shipping this money instead.
In truth, it might result in establish
ing an international confidence, that
would let balances remain, on either
side.
Now, our paper bills change with
the whim or fancy of the Treasury
man. Yesterday, as it were, you met
''tenner" called the Eagle BILL to-
day, there is the Buffalo bill; per-
chance tomorrow the Treasury man
be Irish and give us a billy goat bill
AS it is, they all stay out SO long and
get so filthy even their daddy can
come home for redemption, and we
are afraid to send them in lest they
might be disowned and stamped
counterfeit. Further, these paper
dollars, promises to pay, when mutt
| lated or dirty ought to be exchanged
quick by the government and sent to
| whatever point the owner may desire,
| free of charge. Being notes, prom
ises to pay, by which the government
gets the use of so much money or
credit, without interest, the least 1t
can do is to pay the freight when
| they are sent in for renewal
Begging pardon, Mr.. President, for
this depression, and thanking you for
not being called to order, | will pro-
ceed to the business in hand. Not
| to brag, not to stand off criticisms
for any of my utterances, but in the
spirit that makes me proud, / want
| to say that the Mississippi banker is
man of mark, wherever he goes
The people generally know it, for he
generally gets there. When we come
to our annual rounding up, we don't
/ bring our banks, we don't have to-
| / heard of mine boast that he was
never in a town where he could not
get his check cashed, or get a drink,
and / thought he had more satisfac-
| tion in the latter. He certainly look
ed it.
Since / have been going around to
these conventions, we were first to
| discover Hattiesburg, the only, the
proud sister of Gulfport; ever since