People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1895 — THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR. [ARTICLE]

THE ALMIGHTY DOLLAR.

Stepfather of Labor and Wet Nurse of Infant Industries. The dollar is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ” It is not just now very much in evidence, neither is hope furnishing a very substantial bill of fare. The dollar is the measuring rod of things material, and when it goes into hiding, things not only go unmeasured, but don’t go at all. The dollar is made by the government and controlled by the bankers. It is the stepfather of labor, born of mother earth, wedded by legislation, and refuses to recognize the natural children of the mother. Those born of the second marriage are rieh beyond the dreams of avarice, while the children who created the estate, are homeless, ragged and outcasts. An honest dollar is the 'noblest work of honest men—and about the scarcest. God never made any dollars. If he had they would have been based on his promise, and would be good as long as the people who used them were faithful, patriotic, industrious and peaceable. God's promises are not made good by being written on gold or silver, but by honesty, and the riches of all creation behind them. So it is in material things with a nation. When all the people of a great nation pledge themselves to redeem their promises in food, labor and clothes, the power of redemption is almost unlimited. While the compact lasts the property. labor and produce of the whole nation is behind its promise, and if the compact be broken, the debt would be repudiated anyway. As long as peace, harmony and industry thrives pledges of gold and silver are as sounding brass, irritating every drop of patriotic blood in the hearts of all the loyal people of the nation.

The Kights of Property. There is a deal said about property rights. It is time that it came to be understood that property has no Bights. As well talk of the rights of the stone, the tree, the river, as the rights of property. The only rights are human rights—the rights of man. The fundamental law of our government recognizes this and the declaration out of which all else of our government evolved says men are “endowed with certain inalienable rights’ and enumerates among them the ‘•Right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." These are the rights of men. No property rights are thought of. The question and the only question that can arise is, what are man's rights to property? His right to property must be that right that is in perfect harmony with every other man’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Any claim to property that interferes with the life, the liberty of any other man is a false claim. It ia time the courts and the legislatures come down in their legislation and discussions to the preamble to the constitution and interpret all the rest of that document and decide upon all laws in harmohy with that. liet all this cry about the rights of property cease and let the rights of men now be heard, as it was heard in those political thrones throughout the world, out of which this republic was born. That claim, made by whomever it may, that interferes with the rights of men to life and liberty, is a claim subversive to the very basic principle of a free government The right to life includes the right to labor to produce the food, clothing and shelter that maintains life. This includes whatever is necessary for him to labor. Life and labor are the two sides of one fact, deny the last, and the first is de-

nied. Up with human rights. H. H. Bhown. If we should attempt to express the feelings of the old soldier who fought -for the Union when he thinks of the •ffort now being made to destroy the greenbacks, this paper would be excluded from the mails. No mild -language can express the indignation that makes the blood of patriotism boil when such a measure is proposed Don’t forget that the new currency scheme under discussion- gives the bankers more power to contract than to expand the currency—and that it is more profitable to the bankers to contract Champ Clark on Jerry Simpson. From a recent speech in the House of Representatives: Mr. SpeakerWhen I came into this house I had the newspaper idea about Jerry Simpson Finally he got.up here and made a speech oil the silver question. I listened to the speech, and I want to saj- . now, because somebody has got it to state it to' the American people, as Simpson and I are going out together (laughter), that during the whole of that long, able, profound, debate on the silver question there was not a ■ ma® in this house on either side who delivered a speech that was pitched on a higher plane of political economy and human philosophy and stuck to it to the end better than Mr. Simpson. They said that “An open confession is good for the soul.’’ And I want to make that statement now. From that day to this, instead of having the newspaper idea of Jerry Simpson that he is a cantankerous demagogue, I have regarded him as a philosopher, as a statesman, as one of the friends of hun<i freedom.