Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1914-02-19
MAIIa'I'S WORK
AIDS missouri
HANNIBAL LAWYER cONVINCES
COUNTRY WITH MONETARY
REFORM CAMPAIGN.
One of Nations Largest Reserve In
stltutions In st. Louis--Stase's
CCai7i.rcial Clubs and Farm
ers' Unions Cooperate.

st. Louis.-With the Reserve Bank
of st. Louis in existence, as it no
| doubt will be, Missouri will have
one of the truly great financial
| institutions of the world-an institu-
! ton in which the state may take spe-
| cial p. de. This will be one instance,
| at least, showing the advantage to
Missouri of having a metropolis, and
proving that, as Missouri does good
for St. Louis, st. Louis brings bene-
fits to Missouri, too.
The initiative for reform in the
banking system of the United States
was taken at the st. Louis convention
of the American Bankers association
! some six years ago. The association
| created a currency commission, with
| FeStus j. Wade, president of the Mer-
! camille Trust Company of st. Louis,
and the late Charles II. Hut &, presi-
dent of the Third National Eank, as
| members.
Convinced that results could not be
achieved without cooperation from
| business men and farmers, the bank
! ers determined to interest the BUSH
ness Of the entire country in the
subject Of i'nl;ing reform, and this
| idea led TO- the pro forma iucorpora-
| ton Of the National Citizens League
! for the Promo ion of a Sound Eank-
! ing System 1t was this association
which really created the widespread
| sentiment for new monetary
system.
George D. Markham of st. Louis, as
representative Of the Business Mems
league, was one Of the organizers of
the Nation ! c. lens League.
George A. 'r' IN of Hannibal was
the potential "a-tor in the educational
campaign Il me Mississippi valley.
Chosen by the commercial interests of
st. Louis TO lead the campci"neln
large part Ct The south and west, Mr..
MGhan gave a I''"'2nt illustration OF
the virtue Cf DC " which conp2ls
the full &c lnUCe Of the people.
Taking change of the movement, Mr..
Mahan ou.t ID the support of the ST.
Louis Business Mems league, the Han
nibal Com .cal club and the COM
marciaI clubs of approximately $50
Missouri cities and towns. Next he
( Interested in the subject the CONNER
cial and agricultural interests of some
500 additional towns. Though it was
a prarl cal impossibility to effect Or
ganiZali0n in cve"y hamlet of the
state, II is a striking fact that he
identified 1000 cilics, towns and vii
lagos with the movement and built
up Il powerful force for banking re-
form in all of the IA counties.
Mr.. Mahan was The first person to
bring all the commercial clubs of Mis-
souri, into cooperation, the first to
bring the banks and business houses
into cooperation. Under his manage.
ment Missouri went into the fold with
, the largest and most imposing bank
ing reform organization in America.
Mr.. MGhan was appointed commit
teeman for the Mississippi valley for
the United States Chamber of Com
merce, and he was called into confer
ences on banking reform with con.
gressional committees and with com
HlelCldl anu pdhhllS VI SttlllAitloh9 III
= st. Louis, Chicago, New York and
other cities. 1t was his personality
and genius which gave distinction to
the movement.
Mr.. Mahan delivered speeches
| throughout Missouri, he circulated in
structive literature everywhere, ant
his interviews on banking reform were
published in all parts Of the United
States.
George w. Simmons, vice-presiden
of the Simmons Hardware compan!
of St. Louis, acted as treasurer of the
l' National Citizens League of Missouri
fIe raised the money to run the cam
d pagn, and managed the association
finances. Like Mr.. Mahan, he not onl!
served the cause without compensa
ton, but at personal sacrifice and a
some expense.
The officers directing the movemen
gave an admirable demonstration o
l. public spirit.
The policy applied by Mr.. Mahan II
Missouri was adopted in other states
When he first went to the CONNER
cial agricultural and banking inter
z ests of Missouri he declared that h
and his associates were not pledged t
any definite plan of banking reform
" hut would indorse and advocate tn
tt best plan advanced, regardless as t
;s who the author might be. He de