The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1912-01-12
Another Talk on Money

Two editors Of the valley were afraid
to print my first communication. and
as l promised another short talk on
money, what it is and how the manipu-
lation affects US, wish to say little
more along that line. I will promise
to give you nothing that I cannot prove
by the highest and best authority that
we have, and backed also by our pres
ent financial system and common sense.
Tiffany, one OF our leading scholars, de-
fines money like this, There is no
such thing as gold or silver money.
Money is simply the stamp OF the gov
eminent placed upon some material
that is capable Of taking and retaining
the impression. That material may be
parchment, metal, or paper, the value
being in the stamp and not the mater
ial on which it is placed" Now then,
is this fact in relation to our present
system of money! Let US see how it
will tally out. In our gold dollar we
have one hundred cents worth OF gold
and in our silver we have something
like fifty cents worth Of metal, in nickel
about twenty cents worth, and in our
copper eleven or twelve cents worth,
yet they all pass for just what is stamp
ed on them. But you will say that is
because they are redeemable in gold.
say positively that is not so and re-
fer you to the definition given above2
Then why is it SOP Simply because
we let the moneyed men of the coun-
try arrange it for US and it was to his
interest to have it so. He could corner
a small amount easier than he could a
large amount. Did you ever hear Of
getting corner on wheat when there
was an abundant crop2 Just so with
money. They have got to keep it
scarce or they cannot handle it so
effectively, so they bind US for our
standard money to our gold production,
which would have been good idea in
the dark ages, but not for this enlight-
ened day and age of the world. But
then it is to their interest to have it so.
But how does it affect us7 Just this
way-the value Of our property is linn
tied by the volume of our money and
we cannot prosper without money to
do our business any more than we can
without transportation. Our money
being our first consideration everything
else is of secondary importance. Now
then, herein lays the secret of the sit
uation. We are doing ninety per
cent of our business on a credit
system, hence our present indebted
ness-and because we have not allow
ed them to regulate things for US. You
see by this limitation OF the money we
are forced to borrow so there was
market made for their money and we
had to have it. We borrowed and as
result we as a people owe upward Of
forty billion dollars, and they have the
power to let us pay these debts or to
crush US by simply taking the money
out of circulation. Now they want
another law in their favor. which is
known as the Aldrich bill, which will
complete their power over US and there
is now national league formed for the
purpose OF seeing that this bill passes.
Shall we lay down and say nothing for
fear they will pinch US if we dor If
we are afraid now what shall we
be when they get US in the place
where they want US? We are worse
slaves today than England's subjects in
Canada. If this is so was not the
Revolution in vain, and also our Civil
war; Shall we throw away the effects
OF that also by sitting down and doing
nothing. I say no. But let US be
shaping legislation for ourselves for
awhile. In another article little later
will propose remedy if the editor
will print it for me. know that if the
people will get busy that we can have
a change that will be blessing to US,
and if they won't they will have to take
whatever comes.
Yours truly,