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About Plattsmouth weekly journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1881-1901 | View Entire Issue (April 9, 1896)
AS BAD AS TREASON. PAYING OUT GOLD TO RETIRE THE GREENBACKS. "When (Sold at a Premium of 280 the Common People Were l'roiprrou The Katllea Chain as a Weapon An Illustration. It there is a paper in the country that can be fairly said to be "gold blind," It is the Times-Herald. It is so men tally dazzled by the glitter of Its idol, gold, that the rules of logic, the prin ciples of justice, the doctrines of "aound finance," and even the difference between truth and falsehood, are all deemed wholly inconsequential in its discussion of the silver question. For example, in its issue of the 12th, it begins an editorial with the follow ing statement: "Assistant Treasurer Conrad J. Jor dan, of the subtreasury at New York, should be disciplined by his official superior. In accordance with law and practice, a broker named Zimmerman successfully presented greenbacks at the subtreasury at New York for gold with which to buy some of the new bond issue. That is one of the lawful functions of the greenback. Under the existing law the greenback may be pre sented at the subtreasury for redemp tion in gold, and when gold is asked as redemption money the subtreasurer Is bound to pay it out so long as Uncle Sam has any gold in his possession." Then it proceeds to describe how Zimmerman repeated the transaction, drawing out gold three times, and de livering it to his client, who used it in purchasing bonds, until finally Jordan refused to let him have any more gold. For this refusal the Times-Herald, in a feeble attempt at facetiousness, chides Mr. Jordan for usurping the preroga tives of the S7 per cent of the popula tion of the United States above the age of ten years, saying: "Such a monetary system is theirs by choice, and he had no business to check a picturesque il lustration of its logic. Its symmetry and Its necessities." Facetiousness Is all well enough in Its way, but when it is based upon downright, premeditated falsehood, one needs an abnormally developed sense of humor to fully appreciate it. The statement that the treasurer is legally boimd to pay out gold as re demption money on demand does not contain even the smallest grain of truth. There is no law upon the statute books of the country which makes gold the exclusive money of redemption. The treasury department does not pretend that there is. If there were, Mr. Jordan could have been manda mused and compelled to pay it, no mat ter how many times Zimmerman pre sented greenbacks for redemption. The treasury department In paying out gold exclusively does so, it Is claimed, in pursuance of the statutory declaration tiiat it is the established policy of the United States to main tain the parity of gold and silver. This Is merely declaratory of the purpose of the United States, and It is as different from a mandate to pay gold on demand a3 any one thing can be from another. When the secretary Is confronted by that declaration, the question which In stantly arises Is, "How shall the parity be maintained?" Of course, he must act according to his sound discretion in deciding. Instead of doing so, he surrenders his "discretion" absolutely to the creditor, and allows the latter to say which coin he will take. Under such circumstances, if gold be comes in the slightest degree preferable to silver, the creditor will naturally de mand gold, and each additional demand -upon that metal makes the difference greater. The whole aim of the gold standard ist has been to break down silver and boost up gold. In this delectable work the treasury department has been a strong ally. Not Secretary Carlisle alone, but his predecessors. Foster. Windom and others, have constantly spoken and acted upon the assumption that silver is Inferior, debased and de graded money. The creditor has been told, in effect, that gold is the only "good" money, and that if he wants gold, he can have it. In short, the treasury has carried out the policy of maintaining the parity be tween gold and silver by keeping the silver Idle In its vaults. It 13 claimed, of course, that if gold had been refused, the silver would have depreciated. How? Why, they say, those wanting gold would have to go to the banks and pay a premium in order to get it. But conceding that this might be, it would not constitute a deprecia tion of silver. It would be merely a banker's commission for making the exchange. If the silver maintained its purchasing power, it would not be "de preciated" the difference would repre sent a premium on gold. The goldite has constantly sought to enforce the idea that a premium on gold meant ruin to our finances. And yet we have re cently seen gold at a premium of VA per cent in New York, and only a few days ago it was at a premium of nearly 1V at the Bank of England right in the charmed circle itself. It does not appear that this premium had any very marked effect on the business of either country. Middle-aged citizens can remember when gold stood at 285 measured in greenbacks. A greenback dollar was only worth about SG cents in gold or silver, but the world still moved, the business of the country went rlght'on, and the people, as a body, were far more prosperous than they are now. After falsely declaring that the law binds the treasury to pay gold on de mand, the Times-Herald ironically In sists that the treasurer shall execute U in the most extreme sense, in order that the people, who, it is said, enacted the law, shall receive a lesson. The people never having enacted such a law, and there being no law of the kind in existence, why the people should be loaded down with interest bearing debt, as a punishment so to speak, is a mystery that probably nothing but gold standard philosophy can solve. The truth is the law has received an Interpretation utterly at variance with its plain meaning. It was intended to maintain the gold dollar and the silver dollar upon a plane of absolute equality a3 "standard money," the only differ ence being where "otherwise stipulated In the contract." But there was no such stipulation in regard to the re demption of the greenbacks, and in such cases the two dollars are of ex actly equal merit. But the treasury department has so construed it as to absolutely -create the gold standard, and the Times-Herald endorses that construction. Having done so, it now says, "put on the screws, Mr. Secretary, and let the people see the perfect working of the endless chain; pay out gold to whomsoever de mands it, issue bonds and load the na tion down with such a burden of debt that in an agony of despair the people will be ready to concede anything that the money power may demand." The reader will, of course, under stand that the editorial upon which we have been commenting is intended to show that the greenbacks should be retired, and the banks allowed to con trol the currency as their interests might dictate. H. F. Bartine. FREE-COINAGE STRENGTH. Never Before Wa So Much Progress Keltic Made as Now. The Chicago Tribune is great on mathematics. It can add two spools of thread together, and upon the data thus obtained it can tell its readers the ex act distance to the nearest fixed star. It is now proving by figures that the silver movement is losing ground. It states that in 1S90 141 members of the House of Representatives voted for free coinage, while only 97 did so in 1S96. From this it argues (?) that "the de lirium" Is being driven southward and westward, and in a few years will be dead except in the silver producing states. So it is going to be dead in a few years. Is it? We have a rather dim and misty idea that during the last year it has been declared, not once, but ten thousand times, that it was already dead. It is encouraging to learn from eminent authority that it is not ex actly dead, although, of course, it is painful to be informed that it is going to be "dead" in a few years that is "nearly dead." Even then it is going to cavort around in the silver mining states. Well, this certainly relieves the gloom of the situation some, for as long as there is life there is hope. If, however, the Tribune had ex plained to its readers the process by which the free coinage sentiment in the House has been weakened, it would have been a somewhat interesting, if not valuable, contribution to the liter ature of the subject. The occult influences by which the repeal of the purchase clause of the Sherman law was induced, in a con gress which contained a clear majority against repeal, if brought Into bold re lief and lighted up by the torch of gcniu3 which flames so brightly in the editorial department of the Tribune, would make a most brilliant and some what startling picture. The manner in which republican free silver men have been duped by ambig uous phrases in the party platforms, and the democratic party broken in two by the malign power of Cleveland, Car lisle and "Cabbages" would make an other picture equally striking, although I possibly a little repulsive to people whose moral sensibilities have not been entirely blunted by the power of pelf. But there is one little thing that the Tribune forgot to mention. In 1893-4-5 the silver issue seemed practically dead in the Senate. Very recently a' free coinage bill passed that body by seven majority, with eight more standing on the ".rag ged edge." The fact is that the silver men are now in the position of Paul Jones when asked by the commander of the Serapis if he had surrendered. His immortal reply was that he had "just begun to fight." The silver men have Just begun to fight. Up to this time they have been hopelessly divided, begging and plead ing with their respective parties for concessions, deceived, hoodwinked and betrayed on every hand. Now they see that in order to accom plish something they must lay aside all minor Issues, call a truce upon all petty bickerings, and stand together in behalf 1 of a cause which involves the hopes of i humanity for all time. The battle has just begun. National Bimetallism God's Truth Dawning Comrade Dick Williams, Centralia, 111., writes: "I am sixty-six years old, helped to make the republican party, helped to fight its battles at the ballot bcO and on the tented field. It required great bravery then; it requires greater bravery now to meet the scorn of old companions and say good-bye,old party, ; good-bye. I have passed the Rubicon i and stood It, and feel better now. I am proud that I dared to do right, dared to be truej and will continue to fight for the oppressed against the oppressor. I am a poor man, have always worked hard for a living, yet I ask no emolu ments for my work; there is pleasure enough In daring to do right. Oh! how I wish all gray-heads would go and do likewise." Go thou and do likewise. Last year 4,500,000 gallons of beer were drunk In the United States. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. LESSON II. APRIL. 12 PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER. Golden Text: "Come. For All Thins Are Now Ready," Luke xlr, 17 Cod's Welcomes and Man's Refusals Christ's Teachings. '. '.''' I Sunday includes Lulto. h'ffcZxi 1 xlv 15"24- The various incidents or tne ciiap ter gives us a genera i Impression of tha char acter of Christ's work at this period; his readiness to po any where, even to a Phar isee's house, if ho can do good there; his faithful and pointed teaching, his use of il temp lustrations and para bles, his presentation of difficult duties. Place in the life of Christ: Just before the mtddle of the Perean ministry. At the close of the third year or his public ministry. A. P. 29, or early in the fourth. Time: Probably in December. A. T. 29. or January, A. D. 30. Place: In a Pharisee's house In Perea. on the way to Jerusalem by the fords of the Jordan, near Jericho. The full text of the lesson is as follows: IS. And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him. messed is he that shall eat bread in the king dom of God. lfi. Then said he unto him. A certain man made a great supper and bade many: 17. And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden. Come; for all things are row ready. IS. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first raid unto him. I have boucM a piece of ground and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19. And another said. I have bought five yoke of oxen and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20. And another said. I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. 21. So that servant cr.me. and shewed his lord these thines. Then the master of the house, being sncrv, said to his servant. C?o out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22. And the servant said. Lord. It Is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23. And th lord said tinfo the servant. Co out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in. that my house may be filled. 21. For I say unto you, That none or those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. The ernlanation to some of the passages above follow: IS. "One of them that sat at meat with him." reclining on couches around the table, as wis th custom. "Heard these things." about the blessings of those who Invited the poor and neglected to their feasts. "Said unto J mm. moved by tne deiielitrul reast tney were at. sugeesting the nobler feast, and by the blessing Jesus had just uttered. Perhaps he felt assured that himself and the other Jews were sure of th blessing of him "that shall eat bread." partake of a feast. "In the king dom of God." either in the future after death or the Messianic kingdom. 16. "Then said he unto him." to show him that while his thought was right, yet that he and others were unconsciously refusing to Join In the feast: if by any means some might be persuaded to accept the Invitation. "A certain man." Corresponding to the king in the parable of the wedding feast (Matt. xxll. 2). "Made a great supper." corresponding to the wediing feast of Matthew xxil. where the best of everything is provided In abundance. 17. 'And sent his servant." It Is still cus tomary in the East, rot only to give an invi tation some time beforehand, but to serd round servants at the proper time to Inform the invited guests that all things are ready. "At supper time." At the appointed hour for the feast. This undoubtedly represents the "fullness or time" (Gal. I v. 4. when the Messiah came. Riddle. "Say to them that were bidden." Who had been previously in vited to the reast. and had had abundant op portunity to be ready. "Come, for all things are now ready." Historically, the fitting time had come for the arpcarance of the Messiah. IS. "They all with one consent." Thev agreed In spirit and motive, while they dif fered In the form of excuse. "Began to make excuse." The Greek word is the exact equiv alent of our "to beg off." Cambridge Bible. Vot to give the real reasons for their con duct, but to render the most plausible ex cuses they could find. "I hare bought a piece of ground" (a farm), "and must ne1 go" (out "and see it." not to look it over, but see to its cultivation. He lived, as do all in that country. In a village, and had to go out. into the country to reach his farm. He was a man of property, of capital. 19. "I have bought five yoke of oxen." etc. His oxen could have waited, but he made his plans so as to have an excuse. 20. "I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come." He Is so positive because he thinks he has a good excuse. "He relies doubtless on the principle of the exemption from war. granted to newly married bride grooms in Deuteronomy xxlv, 5." for a year. Cambridge Bible. 21. "The master . . . being angry." Not passion, but the Indignation which nec essarily arises in every holy being against sin. against those courses of conduct which are bringing ruin upon men. "Go quickly." There was reed for haste, for the feast was waiting. "Streets." the broader streets and squares. "Bring hither the poor, and tho maimed." "The picture Is one impossible for us to realize In our land. In the Fast, rich in beggars, opulent in misery, without poor houses, or hospitals, or other organized means of caring for and lessening misery, and with laws and social organism multiplying it. such a throng as is here described may be often seen In the city streets or squares." Abbott. 22. "And yet there Is room." No one will ever be shut out of the kingdom or heaven Tor want or room. The atonement is large enough for all: the love or God is inexhaustible: the invitation is limitless, ir any one stays away, it will be simply and alone because he will not come. 23. "Go out into the highways and hedges." These are without the city walls, and rerer to the calling or Gentiles. The highways are "the broad, well-trodden ways of the world." where are the active and notorious sinners. "And compel them to come in." Not by force, by persecution, which is contrary to the whole spirit of the gospel, but by arguments, by persuasion, by the force of love and en treaty. "That my house may be filled." Heaven will not stand empty because some refuse to enter. 24. "None" of those who refused the Invi tations "shall taste of my supper." RAM'S HORNS. No man ever got enough religion In fals head to cause the devil an hour's uneasiness. The man who has the most claim upon us, is often the one we have the least claim upon. The friends of the devil are the first to get mad when the gospel is being preached right. To cherish an unforgiving spirit, Is to refuse to go all the way to the cross with Christ. MEXICAN CEMETEKY. Where Crnvpn Are Rented at the Rate of J?t Per Month. A correspondent describes the queer cemetery of the Mexican city of Guan ajuato. There is hardly room in Guan ajuato for the living, so it behooves her people to exercise risritl economy iu the disposition of her dead. The burial place is on the top of a steep hill which overlooks the city, and con sists of an area inclosed by what ap pears from the ouiside to be a high wall, but which discovers itself from within to be a roseptacle for bodies, which are placed in tiers, much as the confines of their native valleys com pel them to live. Each apartment in the wall is largo enough to admit one colli n. and is rented for j?l per month. The poor people are buried in the ground without the formality of a cof fin, though one is usually rented, in which the body is conveyed to the grave. As there are not graves enough to go around, whenever a new one is needed a previous tenant must le dis turbed, and this likewise happens when :i tenant's rent is not promptly paid in advance. The body is then removed from its place iu the mauso leum, or exhumod. as the case may be, and the bones are thrown into the basement below. Boston Traveller. this modkiix iii:koim:. A. Literal Portraiture From the De scription of u Popular Xovt-I. As many readers of fiction have had cause to complain, authors and artists often work at cross purposes, and the novelist's eloquent conception of the heroine's personal attributes is but faintly shadowed forth in the artist's lines. To show how a heroine of ro mantic fiction actually looks, our es teemed contemporary, the Pathfinder, handed to a realistic artist a chapter from a popular novel with instruction? to make a literal portrait of the hero ine. Here are the eloquent words of the author from which the faithful por trait was drawn: "Belinda was the fairest of earth's daughters. Her shapely head was molded in the form of a perfect oval, poised gracefully on a swan-like neck. Her delicate shell like ears looked fragile as tho thinnest porcelain. Over her alabaster forehead rested an au reole of golden locks that fell in a shower all a down her temples. Her brows were perfect arches and under neath them, like windows to her soul, shone eyes the brightest love e'er looked upon, a pair of stars gleaming forth resplendent. Her nose was her only commonplace feature slightly re trousse, but redeemed a hundred times by the roses of her cheeks. Her chin was a dimpled peach; her lips, like twin cherries, opened to reveal a row of teeth that had the semblance of a string of milk-white pearls. What wonder, then, that with these varied charms of face, she should have had the easy, confident gait of one that knew the irresistible power of her own beauty?" If artists generally were more lit eral, perhaps authors would be less free in their use of fanciful metaphors. Electricity nnd Hypnot Imn. That the mind can so influence the body as to produce organic changes is well illustrated by a case detailed by Tuko, where a woman saw a heavy wci.iht falling and crushing a child's liand. Sb' fainted, and when restored to consciou ness was found to liave an injury on her own hand similarly lo cated to that sustained by the child. Not only was there a wound, but it went through the various stages of suppuration and healed by granulation. Other well attested proofs of this pow er of tho mind over the lody are af forded in the fact that a blister can be raised by mental suggestion, and that stigmata undoubtedly occasionallj' ap pears on the hands and feet, and In the side of certain religious ecstatics who vividly see the crucifixion. Ir. J. W. Robertson says that more patients arc cured by the firm and tactful in fluence and suggest I veness of the phy sician than by the drugs which they prescribe, in the majority of cases, to stimulate the imagination of the pa tient, lie has found that electricity, more than anything else, appeals to the imagination of the patient, and very often the effects obtained by an electric application are purely psycho logical. It has frequently luippened to him that, through a failure to properly connect his circuits, or some other slight mischance, the supply of cur rent was cut off; and yet his patient would exhibit all the symptoms here tofore experienced when really re ceiving large quantities. Dr. Robert son has frequently, at a word of sug gestion, caused the suggestion of burn ing at the electrode to be felt, the limb to contract or relax, and many other phenomena to assert themselves which were usually associated with the ap plication of electric current. Another surgical procedure which has suprjres tion of the so-called painless extraction of teeth by using an electric shock at tho moment of pulling, and thus di verting the patient's attention. A Novel l'lot Anticipated. Turning back to old London books and plays to verify the titles of "True Blue" and "The Tost Captain," I have unearthed tho fact that the plot of "East Lynne" has existed on the English stage for nearly sixty years. The strong incident of the 'Tost Cap tain" is that of a wife leaving her hus band, who lights a duel with the man who ruined her, and, from the effects of the duel, loses his sight. In the third act the wife returns to her home, and Is engaged as governess to look after her own children and husband, and dies penitent and forgiven. Here we have "East Lynne" as ytt1 as "Miss Multon," and the dates back to 1836. London TeWgraph. The Origin tf "Peach." I Few people are aware that the term "peach," as appieu m " than ordinary attractiveness, and con sidered atrocious slang- by the ultra cultured class, can trace its ancestry back to a poem of perhaps America's most famous poet He was writing about Philadelphia, and the line in question would seem to indicate that in his judgment Philadelphia's girls were all "peaches." At any rate, such a meaning can be extracted without the slightest assistance of the imagination. Henry W. Longfellow is the poet in question, and the line occurs in his cel ebrated poem Evangeline.' In the opening lines of the fifth stanza of I art Second the poet says: In that deli-htful land which is washed by the Delaware's waters. nf Guarding in sylvan shades the name oi 1'enn, the apostle, . , . Stands on the banks of its beautiful stream the city he founded: , . There all tho air is balm, and the peach is the emblem of beauty. T,i Philadelphia Ifecord. English a She la Spoke. The darkey is fond of long words. The meaning doesn't matter, so the words are long, as this absolutely true story will testify: On the M 's plantation in Missis sippi lives an old "before the war" darky, too old to do any work harder than throwing feed to the poultry. She has known no other home and is a char acter. Visitors to the plantation al ways go to her cabin, and to their ques tion, "How are you this morning. Aunt Chris?" never failing to receive the fol lowing reply, "Well, honey. I'm kinder oncomplicated. I)e superfluity ob de mornin' done taken do vivocity outen de air and left me de consequence ob comprehension.'' From the "Editor's Drawer" in Harper's Magazine for April. The Whole Teaching of Life. The whole teaching of his life, in deed, is to leave us free and to make us reasonable, and the supreme lesson of his life is voluntary brotherhood, fra ternity. If you will do something for another, if you will help him or serve him, you will at once l-egin to love him. I know there are some casuists who distinguish here, and say that you may love such an one, and that, in fact j'ou must love every one, and if you are good you will love every one; but that you are not expected to like every one. This, however, seems to be a distinction without a difference. If you do not like a person you do not love him, and if you do not love him you loathe him. The curious thing in doing kindness is that it makes you love people evec in this sublimated sense of liking. When you love an other you have made him your brother; and by the same means you can be a brother to all men. W. I). Howells, in the April Century. Soap Plant. There are several trees and plants in the world whose berries, juice or bark are as good to wash with as real soap. In the West India islands and in South America growsa tree whose fruit makes an excellent lather and is used to wash clothes. The bark of the tree which grows in Peru and of another which grows in Malay islands yields a fine soap. The common soap-wort, which is indigenous to England, and is found nearly everywhere in Europe, is so full of saponine that simply rubbing the leaves together in water produces a soapy lather. ALA ALABASTINE TriE Doctob "One laver of paterlsbad enough. you have three here. Baby iniy recover but cannot thrive."' rilLL Souvenir llllllll!!iililllinilllllllilliniil!lllllllll!llllll!lll!l!l!!l!liilllllllllllllllil "V -"- 7V" M . m Jf. v- 1 X AS?fML A very smooth article' Don't compare " Battle Ax" i 1 with low grade tobaccos compare 1 " Battle Ax" with the best on H the market, and you will find you g get for 5 cents almost as much 1 H "Battle Ax ff as you do of other H H high grade brands for 10 cents 1 nuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiii:ii3 RfilftDDir: Anxiously watch declining health of the" daughters. So many are cut of by consumption in early years that there is real cause for anxie y. In tho early stages, when no bejonti he reach of medicine, Hood 8 bursa parilla wMl restore the quality and quantity of the blood and thus give good health. Read the following letter: "It Is but Just to write about my daughter Cora, aged 19. She was com pletely run down, declining, bad that tired ireling, and friends said she would not live over three months. She had a bod and nothing seemed to do her any good. I happened to read about Hood's Sarsapa rilla and had her give it a trial. From tho very first dose she began to get better. After taking a few bottles she was com pletely cured and her health has been the best ever since." Mn3. Addib Peck, 12 Railroad Place, Amsterdam, N. Y. "I will say that my mother h?9 not stated my case in as strong words as I would have done. Hood's Sarsaparilla has truly cured me and I am now well." Cora Peck, Amsterdam, N. Y. Be eure to get Hood's, because Sarsaparilla l3the One True Blood Purifier. All drupprists. $L Prepared only by C. I. Hood & Co., Lowell, Mass. r,.,. an purely vegetable, re MOOd S PlIlS liable and beneficial. 25c. Remember! You are wasting money when you buy cheap binding instead of the best Remember there is no "just as good " when the merchant urges something else for Bias Velveteen Skirt Binding. Look for S. li. & M.," on the Label and take no other. If your dealer will not supply you we will. Send for samples showing labels and materials, to the S. H. tc M. Co., P. O. Eox 699. New Yrle City. 1AE HAVE uo agents. W 'hnt ell direct to the coo. gamer at wholesale prices. 6hip anywhere for examin ation before pale. Every thing warranted. 100 style of (trrlUH, M ntyles of llinru, 4 1 styles KWIf 8 dlrs. Write for eata.lt. (rue. ELklUBT CiRRIiCK HAR NESS SFG. CO., LUUlBT, W. B. rEATT, Set y. 15D. bastmm eT; IT WON'T RUB OFF. Wall Paper in rneanltnrj-. KAI.HOMIXR IS TEni'OUAUV, ltOT,lti;iBH of' am ncalkn. Is a pure, permace-nt and artistic wall-co;itit;p. rea1y for the brush by mixing in cold water. For Sale by Paint llenlers Everj-where. CD EC A Tint Card sbowins 13 desirable tints, also Alabastice l?nok snr free to any one mentioning this paper. A ALA11ASTIK CO.. Orand ItapltlM. 3Iich. f e? I S3