"Che Conservative.
tlrivGii from the field of Americau ex
changes. "Where two kinds of money
are put into concurrent circulation and
one is superior to the other by virtue of
the greater value of the bullion of which
it is minted the superior will always betaken
taken out of the channels of commerce
either by misers or foreigners because of
its under-valuatiou and retired from cir
culation. This is the operation of the
so-called Gresham law. It is inexorable
and always operative under such mon
etary conditions. It is founded xipon
human selfishness. This same selfish
ness prompts every person drawing
money exit of his pocket to pay for a
purchase , to always rid himself of that
piece of money , whether of paper or
metal , which seems the least valuable or
least attractive.
The government of the United States ,
combined with all the governments of
the earth , legislating in one parliament ,
could not rehabilitate silver as a current
money of exchange for international
use. There is no law-making power
this side of heaven which can make two
things equal in value which the human
race does not equally desire and demand.
It must constantly bo borne in mind
that all values depend upon demand.
It must be remembered also that there
is no demand for things not desired.
As desire and consequent demand for
any exchangeable thing diminish the
value of that thing declines , and when
demand ceases , dies out , for that ex
changeable thing , it is utterly without
value worthless.
THK HOME'S 1IEQUEST TO THK
STATE.
Millionaires and multi-millionaires are
as mortal as paupers. But frequently
in the United States the bequests , from
those departed dollar-herders , to chari
table institutions , and to schools , col
leges and public libraries , aggregate
millions of dollars in a single month.
These examples of post-mortem gen
erosity , on the part of the rich , elicit
favorable comment , secure eulogies for
the repose of their souls , gratify the
pride of their surviving relatives and
stimulate the wealth-accumulating ef
forts of others. But the humblest homo
in the republic can always make a more
valuable bequest to the state than any
which can be counted in more dollars.
Every American home , where a care
ful and discreet father and a conscien
tious and educated mother are rearing
men and women for the political and
social activities of the coming genera
tion can bequeath , will bequeath to
the republic , intellectual , moral and po
litical strength which is more valuable ,
exalted , precious and essential than fine
gold , among a people who propose to
properly govern themselves.
All the money that has ever been coined
since mints began certifying , by govern
ment authority , the fineness and weight
of the various denominations of metallic
money could not save from destruction
a corrupt and wicked government if
transferred to it by will or otherwise.
Leaving upon dying nothing but money
to one's country indicates that a life has
gone out which was not of the best and
highest type. Dullards , dunces , misers
and scoundrels leave dollars , in the mil
lions , together with only an unpleasant
reminder that such as they have lived ,
and a sense of satisfaction that they have
gone , and that they have ceased to
blemish a beautiful world.
But the relatively poor man , who ,
dying , leaves sous and daughters of ed
ucation , highchar-
THEPOOUMAN.
acter , temperance
and industry to do well their part in
ennobling human life and in teaching
the duties of citizenship , while exalting
by example the value of self-reliance
and self-denial , bequeaths inestimable
benefits upon the state and all of its in
terests and institutions. He leaves an
immortal legacy. His bequest is im
perishable. His benefaction is bound
less as the universe itself. Paltry dollars
lars left to one's own decendants even
frequently lure them into evil and un
happy methods which end in degrada
tion , despair and death. But good
physical , intellectual and moral develop
ment transmitted with habits of tem
perance , truthfulness , industry , self-
reliance , self-control and courage , to
one's own descendants , is an ever
lasting delight for them and an
ever widening and constantly in
creasing blessing to the state. The
homes which develop and transmit good
men and women to each succeeding
generation in this country do more than
all the mere money-getters , misers and
adventurers can do , even if they bestow
all of their accumulations upon the gov
ernment itself.
Some years since a wealthy man died
in New York , and his acquaintances ,
after variously estimating the deced
ent's fortune at one , two , three , and
even five millions of dollars , re
ferred to the noted wit , Win. R.
Travis , and said : "How nmch do you
think Mr. left ? " And the quick
answer came : "He left every
cent he had ! " How insignificant are
bequeathed millions when compared to
the bequests from pure and good homes
of men and women of strength , courage ,
industry , temperance , frugality and
downright honesty and truthfulness !
WHO TOOK DOWN THK AMERICAN
FLAG ?
In 18M Texas cut herself loose from
Mexico with the sword. But the
United States did not annex Texas un
til 1845 and after that expansion , war
between the United States and Mexico
was evolved from a disagreement and
dispute about a boundary line and a
relatively small strip of territory.
During the American-Mexican con
flict the battles of Monterey , Polo Alto ,
Cerro Gordo , Buena Vista and Ohapul-
topec were the most famous. But in
1848 , after the capture of the City of
Mexico and the raising of the American
flag over "the halls of the Montezumas"
peace was concluded and declared. If ,
however , the present jingo dogmas had
then prevailed , "the halls of the Monto-
zumas" aforesaid would have re
mained ours , for wo could never have
hauled down the flag therefrom , nor
surrendered anything in the way of
property , real or personal , over which
that glorious emblem had once in
triumph waved. Nothing could have been
done then but to annex Mexico and ex
pand our domains so as to have taken in
"the halls of the Montezumas" afore
said.
"Who hauled down that flag in Mexico ?
Was it lowered by order of Major-
General Winfield Scott ? Did rough-
and-ready Zachary Taylor take it down ?
And can the expansionists , annexationists -
ists and jobbing jingoists of this day and
generation do less than demand a revisal
of the history of the war with Mexico ,
and provide , in that revised version , for
the utter , absolute and everlasting con
demnation of those generals who com
manded and permitted and abetted the
hauling down of the American flag from
"the halls of the Montezumas" afore
named ?
What rational ( if there be such ) advo
cate of the annexation of the Philippines
can commend the historical fact , or en
dorse the patriotism which evolved it ,
that after whipping Mexico the govern
ment of the United States did not annex
Mexico in 1848 ?
What miscreants took down the flag
then ? Who trailed honor and "Old
Glory" in the mire and muck of non-
expansion then ?
AN OL.1) OllCHAltl ) .
Aii orchard of seventy-five trees ,
which have been bearing for more than
sixty years , on the farm of Henry
Davidson , near Whitesville , Ind. , has
for the last five years yielded a better
quality of fruit and more of it than it
did a score of years ago.
THE CONSERVATIVE is certain that the
Whitesville orchard was top grafted and
not minus tap roots. Full-rooted seed
lings , top-worked , make long-lived or
chards in Indiana and will prolong the
lives of orchards in Nebraska as well.
Next week's
THE TOKKENS
LAW. CONSERVATIVE
will contain
another article of the series on the above
subject , which is unavoidably deferred
from this issue , owing to press of other
matter. It deals with some of the de
fects of the present system under which
ownership of land is secured , as well as
with the hardships which our laws lay
upon owners of real estate. The Tor-
reus system is a matter which every
person who is interested in any piece of
land should look into.