Betsy Gaskins BETSY GASKINS ( Dimi- crat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican) * * # Or, Uncle Tom's Cabin Up to ' By.... W. I. HOOD With Illustrations from Original Draw- ings by C. B. FALLS And an Appendix Edited by K. L. ARMSTRONG CHICAGO: THE W ABASH PUBLISHING HOUSE No. 324 Dearborn Street COPYRIGHT, 1897, BY W. I. HOODc All rights reserved. NOTICE. The illustrations in this work are engraved from original draw- ings from life, and their reproduction, except by special permission from the publishers, is prohibited. BETSY GASKINS. JOBE GASKINS. PREFACE. I HIS book is written for a purpose. It is founded upon actual occur- rences. Betsy and Jobe Gaskins are characters well known to you, if you will but reflect upon events coming under your own observation within the past few years. The author claims no inspiration or gift of genius. This is only a simple statement of facts deserving the consideration of every intelligent human being. While you read these pages, if you will permit your intelligence to assert itself over your prejudices, and if finally you will do that which the nobler instincts of man prompt you to do toward bringing about a better condition of things under the government of which you are a part, the author will be fully repaid for his labor. He asks you only to keep in mind at all times that Jobe Gaskins is your brother ; that Betsy Gaskins is your sister. W. I. HOOD. New Philadelphia, Ohio, April 24, 1897. 171 1-133 OD, by giving to man wants and making his recourse to work necessary to supply them, has made the right to work the property of every man ; and this property is the first, the most sacred, the most imprescriptible of all." Turgot. 4 r ~T^HE right to work is the right to worship. The clink of the anvil and the hum of the harvest field, the music of the poet and the meditations of the inventor are chords in the anthem of creation," Henry D. Lloyd. CONTENTS. CHAPTER PAGE I. Jobe Sets and Studies 15 II. An Argument on the Money Question 22 III. Jobe Sleeps in the Spare Bed. The Dream .... 27 IV. "The Comers" .- . . . 38 V. Jobe Must Raise $2, 100 43 VI. Betty, the Drivin' Animal , 49 VII. They Drive Old Tom 53 VIII. Another Letter from Richer 61 IX. A Few Reasons by Betsy 65 X. Is there a Woman in the Barn 69 XI. "In Town " 73 XII. The Decision 78 XIII. Jobe Cheers Up 84 XIV. A New Mortgage 89 XV. Jobe, Out of Trouble, is Unruly Again 93 XVI. Jobe is Scared 97 XVII. Jobe Sleeps in the Barn? 104 XVIII. The Spittoons ill XIX. A Big-headed Man ' 118 XX. Bonds Sell Well 121 XXI. The Sermon 124 XXII. Jobe Working to Raise the Officers' Salaries .... 128 XXIII. Plan to Relieve the Rich of an Expense 132 XXIV. Them Promises 138 XXV. Jobe Excited Over n Nomination . 141 XXVI. The Bloomers 145 x CONTENTS. CHAPTER HAUE XXVII. "Them Populists." 149 XXVIII. Trouble with Billot 155 XXIX. "Inforcin the Law agin Billot" . . 158 XXX. Betsy Discusses "Fiat" Money . . 166 XXXI. Jobe Blows a Fish-horn 180 XXXII. At Court Again 185 XXXIII. Judgment Rendered 189 XXXIV. The Little White Rose-bush 195 XXXV. Jobe Talks of Things that Are Gone 200 XXXVI. Bill Bowers on the Fence 202 XXXVII. Betsy Faints. A Vision 207 XXXVIII. The Parting 211 XXXIX. The Preacher and the Saloonkeeper 216 XL. Them Rooms. The Director of Charities 228 XLI. A Sore Hand 235 XLII. Hattie Moore 244 XLIII. A Family Reunion 249 XLIV. After the Woe, then Comes the Law 256 PART II. I. The Impending Revolution 277 II. The Philosophy of Money 283 III. A Bird's-eye View of American Financial History .... 307 IV. The Eight Money Conspiracies 345 V. Financial Authorities 352 VI. Interest and Usury 380 VII. Debt and Slavery 387 VIII. The Laws of Property 393 IX. Direct Legislation 401 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 1. "That every star was an eye looking down on me with pity." (Frontispiece.) 2. Character title. PAGE 3. Betsy Gaskins ........................................... 7 4. Initial T ................................................ 1 1 5. Jobe Gaskins ................. , .......................... 13 6. Initial M ................................................ 15 7. "We both hankered" ................................... 17 8. "I did git him started to readin " ........................ 19 9. "That canderdate feller " ................................ 20 10. Tailpiece ............................................... 21 11. " Me a knittin, him a settin and studyin " ................. 23 12. " 'Talkin like them blame Populists' " ...................... 26 13. " I waked not until broad daylite " ........................ 28 14. " ' Feedin feedin, of course," says he " .................... 29 15. " Do you promis? ' says I, girlish like " ..... ............ 30 16. "I sot down, lookin him square in the face " ............. 31 17. Bill Bowers ....................... ....................... 3 2 18. Ornamental tailpiece ...................................... 37 19. " 'Ide vote the Dimicrat ticket at the very next township election " ........................................ 39 20. "They waked me up at the dead hour of miclnite" ........ 41 21. "That very sheet of paper " ............................... 45 22. Congressman Richer ...................................... 46 23. "Jobe works and sweats " ................................. 47 24. Ornamental tailpiece ..................................... 48 25. "Jobe and me both sot down and cried " .................... 50 26. " Started for town bright and airly" ........................ 54 27. "Jobe and me counted up how much we had " .............. 57 28. "That nite I put another patch on his pants " ................ 62 29. " He explained to Mr. Jones" ....... , ..................... 63 x i ; / /.V 7 ' OJ- II. 1. ( 'S 7 'A'. I 7 '/( WS. 30. Ornamental tailpiece . , 64 3 1 . Ornamental tailpiece 68 32. " Peekin through a crack " 70 33. " Jist a layin it off with his hands " 71 34. " ' Mistur Court, Gaskins is here ' " 74 35. " ' I 'bject ' " 76 36. " 'I want to prove to you, Mistur Judge ' " 79 37. " ' This is the law, whether it is justice or not " 81 38. " Jobe and me sot there dazed like " 82 39. Aunt Jane 84 40. " He would call him ' Billy,' in honor of the next president " . . 85 41. " Before Jobe could git up, William hit him agin " 86 42. Ornamental tailpiece 88 43. " He would rather pay seven per cent, than six, in order to support a sound money basis " 90 44. " ' Law or no law,' says I " 91 45. "'Payin it in gold to keep your party in power is up-hill bizness ' " 92 46. " ' John Sherman is the greatest financier on airth' " 95 47. Ornamental tailpiece 96 48. " ' Now, Betsy, you see what kind of a party you belong to ' " . . 98 49. " So I weni to work and cut out the headin " 100 50. " ' It is all over, Betsy,' says he " 101 51. "That nite he slept in the barn " 103 52. " 'Jobe Gaskins, you make another move ! ' " 105 53. " ' Are you mad, Betsy? ' says he " 108 54. "Jobe was on his knees in the middle of the bed " 113 55. "A strait, influential, leadin Republican officeholder" 115 56. " Lots of fellers jist like him " 1 16 57. "Jobe he flew up " 119 58. "It wasent anything onusual for a county officer to make all he could " . . . 1 20 59. " ' Hadent we all ort to be satisfied so long as bonds sell well ? ' " 121 60. " 'Times are never hard under a gold basis,' Jobe says" 122 61. "They whispered and snickered at my straw hat and Jobe's linen coat " 125 62. " He said the rich all belong to church " 126 63. Harvesting 129 64. "I was puttin salve on Jobe's hands " 130 65. The hand that voted "the strait ticket" 131 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xiii 66. "Some good men in case of labor trouble" 133 67. " Some of the little children are pretty " 136 68. " Jobe took what hay he could spare " 138 69. "They are kept so busy legislatin " 139 70. "A huntin them overhalls " 142 71. "I had sot down and went to churnin " 143 7_>. " The Dimicratic bloomers'" 146 73. "' Hello, mistur' " 147 74. " DIMICRAT. a year doin anything else worth $1,500 or $2,000 for keepin the post-office? Does it hurt their character so much? And why is it that all them fellers what sells post-offices, and most of them what buys em, favor a gold basis and gold mortgages and sich? Are they afraid they will have to go back to their old jobs and less pay if they dont holler as the big fellers holler? CHAPTER XVI. JOBE IS SCARED. JOBE he is in a critical condition. Day before yisterday, when Jake Stiffler brought our mail out from town it consisted of the two noosepapers that we have took for years, that is, the Ohio Dimicrat and the Tuscarawas Advercate I played a trick on Jobe that nearly cost him his life, and nearly made me a weepin and mournin widder. For years and years we have took them two "stanch and substantial " noosepapers without ceasin. We have took them simply because one was a Dimicrat paper and the other a Republican. We have took them when payin for them kept me from gittin a new dress or Jobe a change of pants. We have took them though clurin all them years they have said the same things over and over agin, aginst each other and aginst the party they wasent, jist at the time, gittin any campaign money or county printin from. The Dimicrat has allers called the Republicans rascals and sich, and the Advercate never fails to show how the Dimicrats are worse still. Always, when the Advercate comes, Jobe he sets down and reads out loud all the abuse agin the Dimicrats ; then, lookin over his specks at me, says : "Now, Betsy, you see what kind of a party you belong to. You see now what kind of leaders youve got," &c., &c. Its a regular thing for Jobe to read the same things week arter week and then to criticise me and the Dimicrat party time arter time, until for years Ive been in the 97 9 BETSY GASKINS. DIMICRAT. '"Now, Betsy, you see what kind of a party you belong to. '" habit of goin in and settin down and a listenin to Jobe read the Advercate's abuse of the Dimicrats, and a waitin for my regular weekly tongue-lashin. Ive done it jist for the good it seems to do Jobe. Sometimes to answer him I jist read from the Ohio Dimicrat the same things he has read from the Advercate only where the Advercate says "the Dimicrat party," the Dimicrat says "the Republican party." Then Jobe will flare up and say : "The Ohio Dimicrat is adum dirty sheet, and full of lies." He knows that I dont swear and wont say that about his Advercate, even if I know it is the same kind of a paper as the Ohio Dimicrat is, except in the name at the top of the fust page. Of course it gits its campaign money and public printin from the office-seekin canderdate fellers of the other party. Now, when J^ake brought them papers, I happened to pick up the Advercate (a thing I seldom do), and one of JOBE IS SCARED. gg the fust things I read was a article a praisin Mr. Cleve- land for workin to git a "gold basis" and "gold mort- gages " and sich. I was so surprised to find a word of praise for a Dimicrat president in a Republican noosepaper that I looked twice at the headin to make sure it was the Adver- cate I had instid of the Dimicrat. Sure enough it was the Advercate, but I dont want you to blame Editure Mcllvaine for sich a article appearin in his paper. He couldent help it. It was in that part of his paper that he dont print. It was in the patent part what is printed in Cleveland the part, you know, which them fellers down east, the fellers what gits rich by havin on this gold basis bizness, pays to have in all papers, Dimicrat, Republican, Method- ist, Prisbyterian or an}' other kind except them howlin Populist papers. Them Populists seem to be so sot agin that "gold basis," and a " contractin of the money to make it scarce and hard to git," that they wont put any- thing a favorin the "gold basis" in their papers for love or money. They are jist that mean. So I dont want you to blame Mr. Mcllvaine or any other feller for sich articles a bein in their papers. They cant help it. They jist have to do it or lose their rich money- lendin friends. But the feelin I felt when I seed sich a article in a Republican noosepaper prompted me to do the thing that, as I said afore, nearly made me a weepin widder. I jist thought Ide have some fun with Jobe. So I went to work and cut the headin off from last week's Tuscarawas Advercate and pasted it over the headin of this week's Ohio Dimicrat. Then I cut the headin out of last week's Ohio Dimicrat and pasted it on this -week's Advercate. I then folded the papers up nice like and laid them on the table in the settin-room, where I had laid them week arter week for near onto fifteen years. TOO BETSY GAS KINS, D /MIC RAT. Arter supper, when Jobe had his chores all clone up, he says, as he come in from the barn : " Betsy, has the mail come?" A question that he has asked about that hour, on that same daj' of the week, fifty-two times a year for these many years. The mail alluded to meanin the Tuscarawas Advercate. I told Jobe, as usual, that it was in on the table. He took his specks down off the kitchen mantel, and, wipin them as he went on the corner of his coat tail, approached the table. He sot down, rared back in his split-bottom rockin cheer, put his feet on another, then picked up the Ohio Dimicrat (with its name changed), and begin to read, as he expected, Editure Mcllvaine's slaughter of Dimocracy. It started out with : "There never was a more corrupt gang in control of any State government than the Republican boodlers at Columbus." Then : "Every Republican officeholder in this county seems to exist for no other purpose than to suck the life-blood out of our hard-working tax-payers. We must turn the rascals out." And so on and so on, clear through the paper. Jobe he 1 So I went to work and cut out the headin." 102 BETSY GASKINS, DiMICRAT. read a minit or so ; then looked at the name of the paper ; then read another item ; looked at the top of his paper agin ; took off his specks ; rubbed them hard; put them on and read, or started to read, another item ; laid the paper down ; got up and went to the lookin glass ; stuck out his tongue and shook his head in a troubled manner ; then he felt his pulse, shook his head agin and fell over on the lounge that was near him. He groaned once or twice, then hollered, "Betsy, Betsy!" dyin like. I went a hurryin in. There he laid as white as a ghost, and drawin short, quick breaths. "Why, Jobe, dear," says I, pleadin like, "what on airth is the matter?" " It is all over, Betsy," says he, "all over; Ime a goin to die. The end is near. Betsy, Ive tried to be a good husband, but at times I know Ive been a little cross and contrary. Betsy, I want to hear you say you forgive me before I go." "Why, Jobe, "says I, "what in the world is the matter?" " Oh, Betsy," says he, " the end is near. I know it is. Editure Mcllvaine is changed, or my mind is shattered. My mind is so onbalanced that I can no longer read my paper and understand it, or the leopard has changed his spots. Betsy, its me. It must be me, for where my paper has been praisin, it is now abusin ; and where it has been abusin, it is now praisin. Betsy, I want to die. I want to die a believin that its me and not the Advercate that has changed. You must do the best you can, Betsy ; and if you marry agin arter Ime gone, remember my last wish is that you do not marry one of them wild Populists. Betsy, will you promis?" says he. At that I began to laf out loud, as hard as I could laf. "Oh my! oh my!" says Jobe. "Is my wife crazy or do my eyes deceive me agin?" JOSE 75 SCARED. 103 I took holt of him and jerked him off the lounge, sayin : "Here! git up and have some sense. That is all the truth you read in your paper to-nite. The office-seekers of both parties are corrupt, and if the papers were honest they would say so. Neither of them dare tell how the people have been betrayed, and so they fill up "That nite he slept in the barn." their columns with abusin the party they dont happen to belong to." Then I explained what I had done, and he jumped to his feet and swore awfully. That nite he slept in the barn, and for the second time in her married life Betsy Gaskins slept alone. Jobe is still critical and sleepin in the barn. CHAPTER XVII. JOBE SLEEPS IN THE BARN. IF Ide a knode that Ide a had to went through what Ive went through since I last writ, I would have been a old maid longin for some one to love, and some one to love me in return, instid of bein the tormented wife of Jobe Gaskins, Esquire, as I am to-day. From the time Jobe come in from the barn, the next morn in arter nearly dyin over the Advercate's change of abuse, to this hour, the two old parties has been on the outs ; and instid of gittin better, things are gittin wuss. The Lord only knows what it will lead to. I dont. That mornin, about breakfast time, he come a bouncin into the house all of a suddent, while I was a puttin some corn cakes in the skillet, and, shakin his fist in my face, says, says he : "Betsy Gaskins, youve got to take it back. Take it back or He He smash you," makin a motion towards me, and, with his hair all mussed up and full of hay-seed, lie looked dangerful. I jist drawed back the dipper what I was puttin batter in the skillet with, sayin : "Jobe Gaskins, you make another move towards me, or attempt to strike me, and lie knock you so cold youle never vote for another Republican office-seeker." I was a lookin at him all the time with the dipper drawed. He seen I meant jist what I said ; so he walked over and sot down on the edge of the wood-box. Continerin, says I : "You are a purty-lookin feller, haint you? Thats as 104 " 'JoBE GASKINS, YOU MAKK ANOTHER MOVE!'" 1 06 BE TS Y GA SKINS, DIMICRA 7\ much sense as you and your likes has got. You would strike down the pardner of your life rather than listen to the truth about the rascality of the men who run your party." I had the dipper drawed all the time, and had stepped nearer to him. "Betsy, " says he, pleadin like, "tell jist one dishonest thing a Republican officer ever done." Says I : "Now, Jobe, you are actin with sense. Where do you want me to begin, at the top among the big ones, or at the bottom among the little ones?" "Begin at the bottom, Betsy, at the bottom," says he. "Well, Jobe, " says I, "you listen, and I will keep at the cakes or they will burn." Thinkin a minit, says I : "Fust, there is the county commissioners." "Hold!" says Jobe, jumpin to his feet, "dont lets go into that commissioner bizness " I turned right square in front of him, and drawin the dipper, says I : "Now, sir, you set down, and set there till I tell you to git up." Jobe sot down. Says I agin : "Fust, there is the county commissioners and the bridges "Betsy " says Jobe, conquered like. "Jobe!" says I, and I looked a look at him that made him drop his head. Then proceedin agin, says I : "Fust, there is the county commissioners, the bridges and iron tubes." Jobe flipped his thumb and fingers, and held up his hand like they do in school. JOBE SLEEPS IN THE BARN. 107 Says I : " Whats you want?" cross like. "Betsy, if you are a goin into that bridge bizness, with them iron tubes and all, I would like to have my say as well as you," says he. "That depends," says I. "If you act with sense and dont git mad, you can have your say. If you flare up He silence you, sir." "Are you mad, Betsy?" says he, cowed like. "No, Ime not mad. Ime in airnest," says I, takin up the cakes and settin them on the table. Then I sot down in a chair in front of Jobe, still holdin the dipper. Says I : "Now, Jobe, who is agent for a iron bridge company in this county but a Republican county commissioner? "Who went over into a adjoining county and offered to sell a iron bridge for several dollars per foot less than he charged his own county for the same kind of a bridge? Who done this but a Republican county com- missioner? "Who let a contract for stone butments for one of the leadin bridges in this county, and then let them put in iron tubes instid of stone butments? Who done this but a Republican county commissioner? "Who sold the Trenton bridge out in three sections at $999.99 a section, so as to evade the law that says all public contracts for $1,000 or more shall be advertised and sold to the lowest bidder? Who done this sellin but a Republican county commissioner? "Who gits a commission on all the bridges the tax- payers are a payin for, but a Republican county com- missioner? "Who has tore down good bridges jist to git to sell a new bridge to this county, but a Republican county com- missioner? " Who is it but Republican county commissioners that io8 BETSY G A SKINS, DIMICRAT. " 'Are you mad, Betsy?' says he." dont care how high taxes are so they git their commission for sellin bridges? "Who but a Republican county commissioner refused to allow the expense necessary to collect the $65,000 back taxes, Beriar Wilk "Hold! Hold!" cried Jobe, jurnpin to his feet. "Wilkins was a Dimicrat! Wilkins was a Dimicrat! A leadiu Dimi- crat, and you know it! And more, Betsy Gaskins, when you say that nobody was mixed up in that bridge bizness but a Republican county commissioner, you lie, and I dident let him finish. I couldent. I was teched. I jist grabbed the mop-stick that was standin near, and struck at him with ail my might as he went out at the door. I follered him clear to the fence, strikin at him as he went; and jist as he was crossin the fence I broke that mop-stick JOBE SLEEPS IN- THE BAR.\'. IO 9 (that cost me thirteen cents) on them election patches. So my heart is heavier than it has been since I become the lawful wife of Jobe Gaskins. The idea of him a tellin me that I lie, this late in our lives! It is awful! It teched me to the quick! Well, Jobe Gaskins got no breakfast that day, and I was so worked up that I couldent eat much. That nite Jobe slept in the barn agin, comin in some time between dark and daylite to get what vittles was cooked. He stayed out around the barn for three days and nites, only comin in arter I had gone to bed, to git what he needed to eat. I dont know how long he would have kept it up if it hadent got cold Thursday arternoon and evenin. That evenin he froze out, and came up to the fence and hollered : " Hello!" I went to the door, and says : "Hello, sir! What you want?" "Betsy," says he, "I would like for you to let me come in and lay by the cookin stove to-nite. " Says I: "If you wasent so set in your ways and insuitin, you could a been sleepin in your usual place, by my side, all these nites. Come in," says I, " and keep your mouth shet, and all will be well." He come in, and I set him a good warm supper. He eat three bowlsful of corn mush, and drunk two big cups of hot coffee. Now, I intend to git all the names and facts about that bridge bizness, and that Beriar Wilkins back tax bizness, and them commissioners, and He convince Jobe that all his high-toned Republican officeholders are arter is the chance to get rich off from the people's money. He do it if it costs me a divorce suit to do it. HO BETSY G A SKINS, DIMICRAT. That nite Jobe went to bed fust. When I went in I found that he had got in with his head to the foot. He thought it would spite me, I spose. But it dident. I laffed and jist stood there and looked at him, and while I was a lookin I couldent help thinkin how much he rep- resented his party on the money question. You know how they use to claim that they was the party what believed in lots of greenback money, and how they pinted with pride to the great amount of greenbacks they had given the people to do bizness with. Now they are turned end about, jist like Jobe. Now they claim they are for "gold only," that "lots of greenbacks haint good for the people." They are a sayin now agin silver and paper money jist what Vallandingham and his likes said about greenbacks. But then this is about the top fellers. So I wont discuss this any more until I git the facts about them bottom fellers about the county commissioners and auditor and prosecutin attorney and Beriar Wilkins, and lots of sich things that is done and bein done all over this country, lie git enough to drive Jobe clear under the bed, if I can hold him down to listen to it. Jobe says he is a goin to git the facts agin the Dimicrats if he has to subscribe for every Republican noosepaper in the county. Now I dont think he need to go to all that expense, because so fur as I can see they are all alike and run for the same purpose for the purpose of keepin the Republican voters in line. CHAPTER XVIII. THE SPITTOONS. you tell a feiler where he could borrow a little I , money to pay taxes with? Here it is June, and taxes are due agin bridge taxes and all and Jobe lacks $22.69 f havin enough to pay his share. Taxes seem to stay up better than anything else. They really seem to be on the rise. I wonder if a feller could borrow that much money from them county commissioners? They git their pay when they sell a bridge to the taxpayers cut-worms or no cut- worms. Them commissioners ort a have a little spare change by them, when they git pay from the people of the county for buyin bridges and pay from the bridge companies for sellin bridges. Ime a hearin a good deal about that bridge bizness. About them iron tubes that we paid the same for as stone butments would a cost, and that sellin out of the Trenton bridge in pieces privately, so that it would bring more "commission," and of them contractors that come down here and got paid for not biddin on another job, and all them things, and Ime a layin low for Jobe so that the next time he lites into me He pulverize him. He's been quiet for a day or two. He's been out a tryin to borrow tax money, workin on the "gold basis," as it were. He ginerally is quiet durin tryin times. He dont know what minit he may need my help. II2 BETSY CASK INS, DLM1CRAT. This tax bizness is a deep question, and seems to be a gittin deeper. How does it come that a feller what has a farm, and owes for it, has to pay the same tax as he would if he had it all paid for? Now, here is Jobe and me. We have this farm, that liaint worth more nor $2,500; we owe $i, 800 gold mort- gage on it. So we own $700 of its worth, and the banker what holds the mortgage owns the balance. We have to pay $51.80 a year tax on it. That is, we pay $51. 80 tax on $700 we own. Haint that over seven per cent, tax on all we are worth? Now, if the banker is permitted to deduct his debts from his tax list, and the storekeeper and man- ufacturer is allowed to deduct their debts from their tax list, why haint the law-makers what Jobe and his likes has been electin to office made laws to allow the farmer to deduct his debts from his tax list? Why haint they, I say? Haint a voter what farms for a livin jist as good a citizen, jist as much entitled to the benefit of laws as the fellers are what lends money for a livin, or what sells store goods, or gits rich by makin things to sell to the farmers and sich? If we only had to pay taxes on what we have paid on this farm, on what we have over our debts, we wouldent have to borrow any tax money this June. If anybody but them crazy Populists would offer to make sich a law, I believe I could git Jobe to vote for it. But them Populists are pizen to Jobe. He is so swelled up 'and elated over the county offices bein filled with Republican officeseekers instid of Dimi- crats, that I dont suppose he will ever vote any other ticket, even if doin so would put him out of debt or bring down taxes and interest and sich. The second nite arter the cold weather drove Jobe in from the haymow to the comfortable bed of his lawful wife, I had n experience lie never forgit. II 4 BETSY GASKINS, DIMICRAT. We had gone to bed about the usual hour, and as neither was very sleepy we fell to talkin. I had tried to avoid anything of a perlitical natur since that tryin mornin in the kitchen, and Jobe had got along with givin me a slur now and then. Well, arter we had laid there some time we got onto the question of taxes, and I onthoughtedly said : "Jobe, why couldent there be a law to make interest less and taxes lower? "What good does it do you and your likes to vote the same party ticket year arter year, when you see they dont do anything to make things easier for you when you know, or ort a know, that the men what runs your party only work for the money they can git out of the taxes you pay? "What difference is it to you what party has the offices? Better laws is what you ort a look to. "What satisfaction is it to you to have the Republicans in, anyhow?" I hadent that last question out of my mouth until Jobe was up on his knees in the middle of the bed, layin it off with both hands. The moon shinin in through the winder made him look like a ghost, with his long gray whiskers and nothin on but his shirt. "Satisfaction! satisfaction!" says he, loud and quick. "Betsy Gaskins, for forty odd years Ive been goin to that air court-house and have had to pay my taxes to Dimi- crats copperheads, if you please, rebels! and do you suppose its no satisfaction for me to go there now and see a Republican in every office? Betsy, it was the happiest day of my life when George Sharp told me that the last office in that air court-house was filled by a Republican. Even the janitor, Betsy, is a Republican. Yes, sir, the janitor is a prominent Republican. Satisfaction! Do you THE SPITTOONS. suppose it is no satisfaction for me to go into that court- house and see a influential Republican cleanin them big spittoons and a sweepin of that stone floor? Do you suppose that when I spit in one of them large vessels, or throw a chaw of terbacker in one of them, that it does not give me more satisfaction to know that that terbacker what has been in the mouth of Jobe Gaskins will be handled and wiped out of that spittoon by a promi- nent, influential Republican than if a copperhead Dimi- crat was to do it? Satisfaction! Betsy, you women dont know what real perlitical satisfaction and enjoyment is thats one reason you haint got sense enough to vote. "Do you suppose that Ive been a votin the Republican ticket all these years for nothin? No, sir. "If the Republicans hadent a turned out the Dimicrat what was janitor, and appinted a tried and true Repub- lican in his place, I wouldent a gone to the next election. Jist to think of all them court-house offices bein filled by Republicans janitor and all is enough to make any true Republican farmer rejoice." Durin all tliis time I jist laid there and let him talk. Finally he laid down, and, thinkin I was asleep, he muttered a few things to himself and went to sleep too. Poor Jobe! If I had a knode it would be sich great enjoyment to him and his likes to knock the Dimicrats out A strait, influential, leadin Re- publican officeholder." n6 BETSY CASK INS, DIM2CRAT. of that court- house, Ide a been in favor of it long ago. I would, though I m e a Dimicrat. Jobe says you can find lots of fellers, jist like him, s t a n d i n around the court- house nowdays, chawin terbacker and talkin poler- ticks, jist to git to spit in them big spittoons and "Lots of fellows just like him." tQ haye the gatis . faction of knowin that it will be cleaned out by a strait, influential, leadin Republican officeholder. Well, all Ive got to say is to let them enjoy their satisfaction while they can, for that is about all they git for the taxes they pay and the vote they vote and have been a votin for years. Ime glad they have spittoons in that court-house. If they hadent, what would Jobe and his likes git for votin the strait ticket? What would they git, I say? Susan Swaller is a goin over into Harrison County next week to visit her aunt, and Ime a goin along. While Ime over there Ime a goin to find out more about the county commissioners of our county offerin to sell that county a bridge for much less money than they charged THE SPITTOONS. 117 this county for the same kind of a bridge. If what I hear is true, lie give Jobe names and dates and prices that will make him stand clear up in bed next time, moonlite or no moonlite, shirt or no shirt. CHAPTER XIX. A BIG-HEADED MAN. JOBE and me are livin under a flag of truce. I went down into the adjoinin county to find out which one of our county commissioners is the bridge agent, and by what I could hear it was Commissioner Westholt what was down there, but it seems they are all agents or kind a pardners in the "commission " bizness. When I got home I up and told Jobe that it was one of the Republican commissioners givin his name. Jobe he flew up and claimed he knew better ; that Commissioner Westholt is a Dimicrat, for he had been inquirin too. Jobe said that it was purty hard to find anything out about it, as all the court-house fellers thought it would be better not to let it git out. Jobe says they told him that it wasent anything onusual for a county officer to make all he could while he had a chance, and as a difference of $400 or $500 on a bridge was only a little thing to each tax-payer, they hadent ort to know much about it, as they might git to talkin about it and hurt the party. And Jobe says they told him on the quiet that the Dimi- crat commissioner was the bridge agent now, but jist as soon as his time was out a Republican would come in, and a commissioner of his own party would git the job of lookin arter the bridge company's interests in this county. This seemed to satisfy Jobe, so he proposed to me that if I would say nothin more about it he wouldent until they can git a full board of Republicans in. us A BIG-HEADED MAN. 119 And as there seems to be some doubt as to which one is agent now, that Dimicrat or one of the Republicans, I agreed to postpone further argament on the subject until that pint was settled. I would like to know which one is /'/ now. If it is the Republican, and not the Dimicrat, Jobe will ketch it. If it is the Dimicrat, and not a Republican, I expect He have to lay low. But let it be Republican or Dimicrat, either or both, it seems to me that a man must have a big head for bizness that is able to be the buyer and seller of a thing at the same time. It seems to me he would git "mixed in the deal." As county commissioner he takes an oath to buy the things for the county as cheap as he can git them. As agent of the bridge company he would want to sell a bridge for as high price as possible, so that his commission would be big. Wouldent you like to see him a argyin with himself, fust as buyer, then as salesman? But then, Jobe says, "they work the office for all there is in it." Now, if Mistur Republican or Dimicrat, as the case may be, as county commissioner, gits his salary from the tax- payers, whether he buys a bridge at a high figger or a low figger, dont you suppose he lets himself, as bridge agent, work himself, as county commissioner, for a little bigger 'Jobe he flew up." 120 BETSY CASK INS, DIMICRAT. price for a bridge than he would let himself, as county commissioner, be worked for if somebody else was bridge agent, especially when the pay for sellin bridges depends on the price you sell them for? I cant see what Jobe and his likes expect to git out of that way of runnin bizness. But then there are the spittoons. "It wasent anything onusual for a county officer to make all he could." CHAPTER XX. "BONDS SELL WELL." JOBE haint got that tax money yit. Times seem awful hard. But Jobe says they jist seem that way ; they haint hard at all. "Times are never hard under a gold basis," Jobe says. Jobe was a argyin last nite that " times is better than they was jist arter the war." Says he : " Hadent we all ort to be satisfied so long as bonds sells well?" Now, I dont know. Maybe we had. But Jobe and me have been a keepin house for nigh onto ' Hadent we all ort to be satisfied so long as bonds sells well?' " thirty-six years, and of all the crops we have raised to try to make a livin at, Ive never seen Jobe plant a single govern- ment bond at seed-time nor harvest one at harvest time ; so whether government bonds bring high prices or low, good prices or bad, I cant see what benefit it is to Jobe and his likes so long as they haint got any to sell. And if govern- 122 BETSY GASKINS, DIMICRAT. ment bonds are like bridge bonds, I think the lower they are, and the fewer of them that are sold, the better it will be for him and his likes. I guess it is really so that them iron tubes under the Dover bridge cost the taxpayers of this county jist what stone butments would a cost. I hear the contract was fust let for stone but- ments, and then the same contractors persuaded the county commission- ers, "by word of mouth or otherwise, " to let them put in them little iron tubes, and was paid the same pay as if they had put in stone butments. They dont do things that way down in Penn- sylvania. My aunt Jane's son Charles is a workin down there. He sent me a paper from his town, and here is the way they do it down in that State: " COURT WOULDN'T RELEASE THEM. ' ' HOLLIDAYSBURG, PA. , June 24. The Blair County Court, this afternoon, declined to order the release from custody of County Commissioners John Hurd and James Funk on a writ of habeas corpus. The accused officials were required 'Times are never hard under a gold basis,' Jobe says." "BONDS SELL WELL." 123 to furnish bail in three different prosecutions for malfeasance in office. The grand jury reported to court this afternoon that the two commissioners had unlawfully let two impor- tant bridge contracts to the Groton Bridge Company at a loss to the county of $1,490. The jury requested that the court interpose its power to prevent such loss." You notice that it would be dangerful for county com- missioners to let a bridge contract, like the Trenton bridge, contrary to law, without advertisin, if they were down in that State. Jobe hasent time to discuss this bridge question now, nor wont have till arter tax-borrowin time is over. He is bizzy. CHAPTER XXI. THE SERMON. I GUESS Jobe and me are goners. Jobe is nearly broken-hearted, and I feel kind a faint like. We will have to go to hell. Our preacher says so. Last Sunday Jobe wanted me to go to meetin. I said Ide go. So I jist put on that hat I got from Jane Sum- mers, and the blue cambric dress I have wore now for some three years, and we hitched poor old crippled Tom to the spring wagon and we went. We tied Tom under a shade tree jist outside of town and walked in. They was singin when we got there. As we walked up the ile of that big Methodist church, crowded full of leadin men and women, they pinted and whispered and snickered at my straw hat and Jobe's linen coat, with a muslin patch on the sleeve, till I was really ashamed of some of them. High-toned people do sometimes act so silly that its shockin. Well, the preacher took a hard text to preach from. It was about Jesus tellin a young feller "to go sell all he had and give it to the poor." I thought the preacher had his foot in it the minit he read that text. But then he got out of it in a way that cast a gloom over Jobe and me. He went on to explain that Jesus dident mean what he said ; that he was jist a jokin with the feller. He said Jesus wanted to make a preacher out of the young man, and he told him that jist to try him ; but when 124 THE SEKMOX. 125 "They whispered and snickered at my straw hat and Jobe's linen coat." he told him to do that the young feller went off sorry and dident go to preachin. I jist thought if that was what Jesus intended to do and why he told him that, Jesus was a poor judge of timber to make a preacher out of. Then the preacher went on to show that the young feller Jesus failed to make a preacher out of was the only one he meant should give anything to the poor; that he dident mean anybody in that Methodist meetin-house ; that they and everybody else could git all they could and keep all 126 BETSY GASKINS, DIMICRAT. He said the rich all belong to church." they can git; that the more they git and the less they give to the poor the surer they would be of gittin to heaven. He said the rich all belong to church and were good; that that was the reason they were rich because God loved them and prospered them ; that God had made them his bankers, and they were his bankers. Well, when he said all that I jist felt gone like. I looked at Jobe, and he was as pale as a ghost. He was skeert. We both felt that we were doomed to eternal torment, because the Lord knows he hasent prospered us. We are old and poor. If riches is evidence that God favors the rich, and that they are good, and that He will take them to heaven because they are rich, to be poor is a sign that God does not favor the poor, and that they are bad and will go to hell. We have worked hard, Jobe and me. We have plowed and sowed and rept ; we have labored in sunshine and in rain ; we have paid interest on interest, THE SERMON. 127 taxes on taxes ; we have caught bushels of pertater bugs and killed thousands of cut-worms, tryin to git rich and thus gain the favor of the church and reach the kingdom of heaven. We have picked the lice from spring calves and buried many a sheep that died of the rot, tryin to gain the praises of the preachers and the world and git on equal footin, in the race for eternal bliss, with the fellers who live on interest and rent and taxes and dividends and sich, and in all our efforts we have failed. So now in our old age, with late frosts in the spring and airly frosts in the fall, with drouth when it ort to be wet, and wet when it ort to be dry, I can see no chance to gain the praises of the church and the necessary qualification for God's favor this late in our lives. Feelin this way, I can see nothin for us to do but to work day and nite to pay interest and taxes, so as to help the money-lenders, monopolists and officeholders git there. Its bad, but I suppose it must be that way. The preacher knows. Jobe has been buildin great hopes on havin it easier in the hereafter. His hopes are blasted. It looks now as though he would not have the pleasure of even votin the strait ticket in the great beyond. Poor Jobe! Its a great disappintment to him. But whats to be done? He will jist have to submit. He cant help it. CHAPTER XXII. JOBE HELPING TO RAISE THE OFFICERS' SALARIES. JOBE has been a helpin Hen Minick cut wheat and harvest for a week past, and the poor man has big blisters in his hand and cracks and sores on his fingers that jist keep me busy a pickin and a salvin and a doc- torin. And he is that stiff he can hardly walk. He has been workin to git money to pay taxes with. When he got done Hen told him he would have to wait till arter thrashin time for the $7.50 he owes him for helpin. Jobe told him he would have to have it right away, as his taxes was past due, and if he dident pay them soon they would attach a penalty to them. Hen said he was sorry, but he dident have a dollar, nor haint had for weeks. Jobe come home discouraged like. How can he git it from Hen when Hen haint got it? If Jobe sues him, Hen will git mad and git somebody else to do his harvestin next time. Besides, Hen is honest and would pay if he had it. He is a good nabor and worth it, but Hen says times is hard and money scarce. When I was a puttin salve on Jobe's hands last nite I jist thought : "Here is the same hand that has been puttin tickets in the box for thirty years or more to help elect the law- makers who made laws to lend money to national bankers at one per cent. ; laws to issue bonds to git the paper 128 HARVESTING BETSY GASK1NS, DIMICRAT. money of the country to burn ; laws to de- monitize silver; laws to make money scarce and times hard ; laws to enable the rich to live off the poor. And here that hand is sore and full of cracks and pain yes, the same hand that has helped to elect the county officers of this county full of blisters and scabs, made so a workin to git money to help pay them officeholders their salaries salaries of thousands of dollars a year and they ready to add to that tax and sell our home in order to git them big salaries if Jobe dident pay his sheer." There is the probate judge, who gits $5,300 a year; and the county clerk, who gits $5,500 ; and the recorder, who gits $3,600; and the sheriff, who gits $3,900; and the treasurer, who gits $3,400 ; and the auditor, who gits $3,500; and the prosecutin attorney, who gits $1,600 ; and the county commissioners, who git $1,400 apiece. And they git it from Jobe and his likes, who dont make $500 a year, even when seasons are favorable and crops good. And they are gittin of them big salaries by the votes of Jobe and his likes, who has them to pay yes, by the votes of the very fellers who are a blisterin their hands and a rubbin salve and a walkin stiff to pay them. Now if them salaries were reduced to what them same "I was puttin salve on Jobe's hands." JOBE TO RAISE SALARIES. men would be willin to work for at anything else if them salaries were reduced to $600 for commissioners and $1,500 for probate judge, auditor and sich, I wonder if it wouldent take less blisters and briars and cracks and backaches to pay them to do the people's work. Any of them would be willin to do the same work for them riggers, if the people would git together and, instid The hand that voted "the strait ticket." of votin for officeseekers, vote for men who would make a law to only pay sich riggers for public work. Is it any wonder they want to hold Jobe and his likes in line? All Ive got to say is : If Jobe and his likes would rather have sore hands and stiff backs, if they would rather rub salve and pick briars than to quit votin the "strait ticket," let them have them. Let them pick and rub. This strait ticket bizness is incrcasin the demand for St. Jacob's oil and Green Mountain salve and sich alarminly. But as they are great on the "home market" scheme, T suppose they are satisfied, and I ort to be. CHAPTER XXIII. PLAN TO RELIEVE THE RICH OF AN EXPENSE. ON the fust page of last Tuesday's Plain Dealer there is a article that has caused me to have a great deal of thought. It is about Captain Fred W. Lawrence of Company B, of the Standin Army of Ohio, a writin to the coal opera- tors, and railroad officers, and monopolists, and bankers, and rich speculators of Cleveland, askin them to give somethin toward supportin said army. He says he wants to git "good men in the militia men who can be depended on to do their duty in case of labor trouble." Now, Fred dont want any common scrubs in his company. He needs money to hire the kind of men he wants "men who will do their duty in case of labor trouble." Now what is the "duty" of sich men? What does Fred want them to do to the " laborin people " ? Haint it the "duty" of good men belongin to a arm), like Fred, to shoot? Judge Hutchins and Judge Blandin and some of the other polerticians say Fred hadent ort to a writ that letU-r, or, if he wanted to write it, he hadent ort to a writ it in that way, because now it is out what the militia is for. The militia is to shoot laborin men with. They are afraid some of the laborin people will begin to ask themselves what they are votin the strait ticket for. Fred says he jist copied that letter from the ones his 132 SOME noon MEN IN CASK OF I.APOR TRorni.r.." ! 34 BETSY GA SKINS, DIJMR 'RA 7 '. predecessors in office have been sendin out to these rich people for years. Now what is botherin me is how to save them coal opera- tors, and railroad owners, and monopolists, and rich stock- holders in monopolies, from havin to pay toward sich things as "keepin up the militia." They are leadin citizens and own the coal fields, and railroads, and banks, and trusts, and sich. They are rich, and everything should be done to make it easy for them to git along in the world without trouble. If there were no laborin men there wouldent be any need of "keepin up the militia." So if the militia is to be used only to quiet the people who labor, the best thing I know of is to get rid of the laborin people. They seem to be a kind of unwelcome creatures in this world anyhow. If we can get rid of them this will be a fine country. The rich can live in peace and the militia fellers can go to doin somethin useful. Now there is several good ways to git rid of the people who work for a livin. The best and surest way is to kill them, and now is the time to do it, when land is cheap. The buryin wont cost so much now as it would if we had more money and land was higher. But I dont believe in shootin. They ort to be killed in some nice, quiet way, in a way that wont cripple them up as militia shootin might. I hate to see crippled poor people ; it makes me feel sorry for them. The thing to do is to git a great lot of them together in a bunch, then do it quick and sure. The best way I know of is to offer a great feast of bread PLAN TO RELIEVE THE RICH OF EXPENSE, 135 and "real cow butter," with three or four side dishes, and invite all to come and feast their fill. Then when they are all at a great feast, eatin and enjoyin theirselves, like the rich people do, have an electric arrange- ment fixed so the current could be turned on the whole crowd at once, and in twelve seconds they would all be stone dead. They would die with a smile on their faces, jist like as if they had allus sot at the table of plenty and enjoyed their- selves. The big Methodist church in town would be a good place to have the feast and do the killin. Then arter the current was turned off all we would have to do would be to load their dead bodies in wagons and haul them off and bury them in some cheap piece of ground and let the militia disband. Dont you see, in that way we would dispose of the old and young alike the little children as well as the grown up men and women. I know some of the little children are pretty. Some even have nice yaller, curly hair, big blue eyes and red cheeks, and love one another. Ive heern of them clingin to the necks of their fathers and mothers with love, even when hungry. But we will have to kill the little things, or they will grow up to annoy the rich, jist as their fathers and mothers annoy them now. Of course, I know drownin is a easy death, and pizenin and all sich, but them are old-fashioned ways. Some of them might escape if we undertook to do it them ways. This electricity bizness is a grand thing, and is sure death if worked right. Of course, other counties could do it whichever way they think best, but here in Tuscarawas County, with the big Methodist church and all and plenty of laborin people, electricity is the thing to use. We might have two or three killins in this county. Fust 136 BETSY G 'A SKINS, DIMICRAT. 'Some of the little children are pretty." we could give a feast to all the rollin mill men and rail work- ers ; then to all the coal miners ; then to all the carpen- ters, and stone masons, and day laborers, and sich, and by not lettin any escape, one kind wouldent git onto what was bein done until we had them enclosed and the current turned on. Ive been a talkin to Jobe about it, and he says that jist whatever the Re- publican party says he'll agree to ; but he declares he dont want to go to town on the day of the killin. I dont know why he doesent want to go. It may be he is afraid he will git inside, or it may be he doesent want to look upon the faces of those dead poor people, whose toil has created all the wealth the rich people own who now wants them killed. Now, Mistur Editure, if you will talk this scheme up among the rich people of the nation, and especially of Ohio, I think you can git them to see that it would be much cheaper than their payin each year to keep a standin army, and it would be more kind to the laborin people PLAN TO RELIEVE THE RICH OF EXPENSE. 137 than to shoot them through the head when they are hungry, or make them cry with pain by cripplin them all up with big, heavy Winchester bullets. Besides, think of the moanin and grief and heartaches and tears it would save the wives and children if they are killed at the same time their husbands and fathers are. Shootin down men folks allers makes someone cry, and I hate to hear it even if it is poor women and little poor children. And shootin seems to be sich a slow way of gittin rid of them. Why, down in New York they use electricity to kill murderers with. They wouldent think of standin off and shootin even murderers down there. They use electricity because it is quicker and surer death, and more refined, and I know that the people of Ohio who labor for a livin liaint any worse or deservin of more cruel treatment than murderers are in New York. Hopin the rich will be merciful to the poor as long as they let them live on their land and in their country, I am yours for electricity and agin the militia. CHAPTER XXIV. THEM PROMISES. JOBE took what hay he could spare to town yisterday and sold it to Billot, the miller. He dident git any money. He took Billot's note, due ten days before our semi-annual interest falls due on our mortgage. Jobe says he would rather have Billot's note than the money. He says it haint in style to pay cash durin a gold basis. Our hay crop wasent nothin to brag on this year. We "Jobe took what hay he could spare." got $19 worth of hay off from five acres of medder, and a little doodle for old Tom. Now, I haint a goin to complain any more till arter fall election, but when Jobe come home and told me that $19 was all he got for his hay, and that what he did git would have to go for interest, I jist thought that it would not be so hard to give what you raise to somebody else if you got anything to show for it when you did give. But arter we sell our hay and thirty bushels of wheat that Billot said he would take at 60 cents a bushel, and THEM PROMISES. 139 the Lord only knows what else, to pay that $63 interest in October, we will still owe jist as much as we did before. Now, if my dream had been true, and we had borrowed that $1,800 from the county treas- urer at only two per cent., instid of the banker at seven per cent., our semi-annual interest would a bin only $18 instid of #63. With $63, then, we could have paid the $18 interest to the county and $45 on the mortgage and that would be encouragin. I wonder when the Dimicratic, or Republi- can party either, or both, will begin to do somethin to make it easy "They are kept so busy legislatin." for people to buy homes, and pay for them, by makin it easy for people to borrow money when they need it, by reducin interest and taxes and sich. Every election since Jobe and me was married, fust one party and then the other has been promisin to do somethin to help the people git along in the world, but I declare to goodness I have nearly got discouraged waitin for them to do it. 140 BETSY G A SKINS, DIMICRAT. They seem to be so forgetful arter election. I guess they are kept so busy legislatin and makin laws to help the rich that they jist dont have time to do anything for the poor. By the time the law-makers git all the laws that the railroad-owners and street-car companies and bridge com- panies and bankers and bondholders and monopolists and other milionairs want, they haint got any time to look arter the farmers and mechanics and merchants and mill- hands and coal miners and sich ; so they jist let the people's bizness go, until the next election, to make promises on. And as the voters seem willin to wait, jist so they git to vote the strait ticket, I guess I will have to do so too. CHAPTER XXV. JOBE EXCITED OVER A NOMINATION. THIS mornin while I was settin a churnin and thinkin, thinkin how high the monopoly men and the money-lenders and the officeholders live, and how low the farmers and mechanics and day laborers live, and wonderin why some live high and some low, Jobe come a stormin in at the kitchen door, so suddint like that it skeert me. Says he: "Betsy, give me my overhalls, quick, and put up that churnin and come out and help me build a higher fence around the medder. " And while he was a sayin it he was a jerkin skirts and pettycoats and sich like down from the nails in the wall onto the floor, a huntin them overhalls. "Why, Jobe," says I, "what on airth is the matter? What do you want more fence around the medder for?" "To save the grass, Betsy, to save the grass," says he. "What would you suppose Ide want more fence around the medder for? Hurry up, quit that churnin and git me them overhalls, or he will have half the grass stomped out before we git a rail up." I stopped churnin, and, lookin him strait in the face, says I : "Jobe Gaskins, are you crazy? What are you talkin about anyhow?" "What am I talkin about?" says he. "What am I talkin about? Betsy, Ime talkin about Coxey Coxey! Theyve went and nominated him for governor, and he'll stomp all 141 142 BETSY GASKINS, DIMICRAT. s the grass out of the State of Ohio if the fences haint built higher and stronger. "You can see now what them Populists are a bringin us to. ' ' You can see now what you git for readin them Popu- list books and pa- pers. "You git to carry rails, and set stakes, and put on riders, and " I had sot down and went to churnin. When Jobe heerd the sound of that dasher he stopped huntin for them overhalls, and, turnin to me with fire in his eyes, says, says he : "Haint you a goin to help build that fence?" I stopped churnin, and, turnin round facin him, with my hands on my knees, says I : "Jobe Gaskins, if you and your likes would begin to build up your common sense and good judgment with sich ideas as Coxey's 'county bonds without interest,' and Coxey's plan of makin roads and givin work to idle men like yourself I say, if you and your likes would build up your common sense with some sich ideas instid of votin the strait ticket with your eyes shet, you wouldent have to lose so much time in the future a borrowin interest mone)' and workin to pay taxes. Yes, if you and your likes had A huntin them overhalls.' JOBE EXCITED Ol>'ER A NOMINATION. been a votin for some sich ideas for years past instid of votin for a lot of office- seekin cander- dates(who never had a idea), you wouldent be $i,- 800 in debt to- day ; you would- ent be a sellin wheat for sixty cents a bushel and wool for fif- teen cents a pound; you wouldent be a givin all you raise every year for interest and taxes. "So my ad- vice to you, Jobe Gaskins, is for you and your likes to open gaps in your wall of prejudice and let Coxey and his ideas in, instid of buildin higher fences around your medders to keep him out. "Yes, put up a notice invitin Mr. Coxey to come in and plant his ideas all over your field, and tromp them in if need be. "Do this, and I think when you go to vote hereafter you will see crops a growin youhaint seen hi lore. " Jobe had been sidelin toward the door while 1 was T had snt ilmvn and went to churnin.' 144 BETSY GASKINS, DIM1CRAT. speakin, and, reachin it, he went out a mutterin somethin about dyin before he would change ; that he wouldent let Coxey into his medder if it would cause enough hay to grow next year to pay off the $1,800 mortgage that's on our farm. I went on a finishin my churnin so as to have the butter to trade for some groceries when the huckster comes around. It was lovely butter. I was tempted to use some of it for dinner, but dident dare, for fear I wouldent have enough left to git what we actually need. CHAPTER XXVI. THE BLOOMERS. I MADE me a pair of Dimicratic bloomers day before yisterday, and Jobe he is mad. Ive been a waitin to make me a pair all summer, but put off doin so till arter the Dimicratic State convention. As soon as I heerd from that convention I sot to work and made them. I made one leg and the waist out of a pair of Jobe's old black pants, and the other leg I made out of a sheet. The black leg is to represent the polerticians and schemers what wants a "gold basis," and the white leg is for the Dimicratic voters what wants silver for money jist like we use to have years ago when times were good. I made the black leg and waist for the right side, because it seems that the fellers what it stands for is the strongest, and the white leg is for the "left" side. When I was a soin that white leg to the black leg, every now and then a stitch would break out of the white leg, jist as though that white leg dident want to be hitched onto that "black leg" side, and I jist thought it would be a wonder if the white leg side of them bloomers dident split clear off from the "black leg " side before election day. But by a good deal of whippin and stitchin I got them together and put them on to go out and pick pertater bugs. Jobe he was away, and I was as busy as I could be knockin bugs into an old tomato can, bent over like, when Jobe come up to the gate and hollered : "Hello, mistur!" I stopped and turned towards him and says, says I : '45 I 4 6 BETSY G 'A SKINS, DIMICRAT. "I thank you, Jobe Gaskins; Ime no 'mis- tur.'" Well, you ort a seen the look on that man's face. He turned pale, opened his eyes skeert like, stepped back and says : "Why, Betsy, what air you out here for with your clothes off?" That made me mad. Says I : "Mistur Gaskins, I thank you for none of your insults. If you had any sense you would know that I am dressed in the latest fashion." Then I explained to him that bloomers were all the go, and that I had made mine arter the style of my party arter the Dimicratic State platform of Ohio and the Dimicratic county platform of Tuscarawas County one gold, the other silver. Says I : "Dont you see, Jobe, in this garb we ketch em a comin and we ketch em a goin." Says he: "Betsy, do you intend to wear them things all fall?" "I do," says I. 'The Dimicratic bloomers." "HKLLO, MISTUR!" 148 BETSY CASK INS, DIMICRAT. He studied a minit. Then, lookin at me determined like, says he : "You needent look for me home to-nite. " And off he started. As he went he kept lookin, fust back at me, then down at his pants. Whether or not he was a thinkin that his pants with their patches represented the platform of his "dear old Republican party" I cant say. But I jist thought : "If they dont represent his party platform, they are a good standin advertisement of the greenbacks that have been burnt, and the bonds that have been issued, and silver that has been demonitized by them within the last thirty years." Jobe is gone, the Lord only knows where, but Ive made up my mind to truly represent the divided principles of Dimocracy as it now stands, if doin so elects Coxey the next governor of Ohio and makes me a grass widder for life. Feelin that way, I am yours in bloomers. " 'We ketch em a comin an we ketch em a goin.' " CHAPTER XXVII. "THEM POPULISTS." I ME in trouble. Them Dimicratic bloomers seem bound to split asunder, or worse. Some days there is only a stitch or two breaks out ; other days they rip half the length of my arm. Every time I think of the high interest we are payin and have been a payin for these many years, of the number of times we have changed officers from Dimicrats to Repub- licans, then from Republicans to Dimicrats, back and forth, time and agin, without any change except for the worse every time that I think in all these years not one Dimicrat or Republican officeseeker or polertician has riz up in Congress and demanded that the law that permits interest and foreclosin and sich be abolished, a stitch or two lets go. Yes, neither Dimicrat or Republican has ever proposed to abolish interest or in any way make it easier for the hafd-workin poor people to git homes and pay for them. And the more I think of what they did do that they oughtent a done, and what they haint done that they ort*a done, the more I wonder that there are enough men left of either of them, or, for that matter, of both, to hold a county convention. But then I spose its because they are born that way. But talkin of my gold and silver bloomers, nothin seems to strain them so much or make as long rips in them as a listenin to them Populists explaihin Coxey's "Good Roads Bill " and them bonds what wont draw any interest. When I see in my mind people a needin work and a gittin it 149 I5 o BETSY G A SKINS, DIMICRAT. when I can see how under that law Jobe wouldent have to spend time a borrowin tax- money, but could work for it, them bloomers keep a gittin more, obstreperous all the time. The other nite at our school-house they jist kept a rippin and a rippin as speaker arter speaker went on a showin us what we haint got that we ort to have ; showin us how we had been a throwin our votes away for these thirty years or more ; showin us how that votin for officeseekers and polerticians and votin for good laws and good government was two different things; showin us that while Jobe and his likes has been a doin the votin, the officeseekers and polerticians has been a makin the laws that takes from us in taxes and interest what we raise, and that it seems that we are willin to submit just so long as they will let us keep on a votin for them. I tell you its a goin to take a good deal of Brice's sen- atorial soin thread to hold these bloomers together until election day; and arter election, sooner or later, I know they will split. That white leg side hates the black leg side worse nor pisen, and here and there all over the white leg I notice strange-lookin spots the same color as the clothes them Populists wear. And the spots are a growin and I fear there will be no bloomer bizness when them spots are big enough to rule that leg. If it ever happens that all the people who have suffered from the hard times that bad laws have brought them go to flockin together, and votin for common, decent people to make our laws, there will be a weepin and a wailin among the high-toned rulin class. The people will quit bein led around with a ring in their nose by the polerticians and officeseekers jist like Dave Syke's Durham bull. But so long as one Dimicratic convention declares for gold and the other for silver, I suppose He have to try to hold my bloomers together. ' < THEM POPULISTS. " ! 5 ! Well, Jobe he come back last Saturday. He had been gone for two weeks. When I seen him a comin up the lane, I jist felt like I use to when I was a girl. He dident say a word about my bloomers, but seemed pleased like to see me. Before he got up to the porch he says : "Hello, Betsy!" and when he got to me he shook hands and kissed me (the fust time for nigh onto twenty years) yes, sir, kissed me, and me in bloomers Dimicratic bloomers! and him a Republican. Somehow it seems the Repub- ; I seen him a comin up the lane." May- licans do like us Dimicrats better than they use to. be its because we all hate them Populists so. Well, arter Jobe had come in and got his supper and I got my work done up, we went into the front room and sot down; sot down to have a talk to court like. I had to begin the talkin. Says I : "Jobe, where have you been for so long?" "Well, Betsy," says he, "Ive been around over the country learnin all I could about thorn Populists. Do you I 5 2 BETSY G A SKINS, D1MICRAT. know, Betsy, that them Populists are jist made up of a lot of farmers, and school teachers, and doctors, and store- keepers, and railroad hands, and mill-workers, and coal- miners, and carpenters, and stonemasons, and day laborers and sich? Do you know that the lawyers, and judges, and officeholders, and bondholders, and poler- ticians, and monopolists, and bankers, and railroad officials, and coal operators, and in fact nearly all the fust, high- toned and leadin citizens of our country all them that dont work for a livin them what are smart enough to live without workin all sich, they dont belong to them at all." Says I: "Is that so?" "Yes," says he, "it is. And now, Betsy, what do them Populists expect to do? Do they expect to elect farmers, and school teachers, and merchants, and mechanics, and men what work for a livin, as officers? "Do they expect to have men what haint got any more sense than to work for a livin to make our laws? "Do you think farmers have sense enough to know what laws farmers need? "Do you suppose school teachers has sense enough to know anything about schools? "Does merchants know anything about the store-keepin bizness? "Do you suppose mechanics and mill-men and miners know anything about laborin? No. These men what do all these things dont know anything about the things they do. "We want lawyers, and bankers, and railroad owners, and monopolists, and speculators, and bondholders, and mine-owners and sich as our law-makers. These are the fellers what know all about farmin and teachin, and sellin goods, and diggin coal, and buildin houses, and workin mills, and makin things. Yes, Betsy, the fellers what do 'THE FUST TIME FOR NK1H ONTO TWENTY YEARS." 154 BETSY GA SKINS, DIMICRA T. them things haint got sense enough to know anything about the things they do. Its the fellers what dont do them that knows all about them. "Now, Betsy, this bein the case, if you are a goin to wear bloomers, I want you to color that white leg black and work for the strait ticket, so, if the Dimicrats git in, we will have the same kind of men to make our laws as we would have if the Republicans git in. We must unite agin them Populists, Betsy, or the fust thing we know they will be a gittin in and passin them laws what Coxey is wantin passed, and then people what work for a livin will go to askin $1.50 a day and a gittin it. I repeat it, Betsy, we must unite." I was silent. Jobe, continerin, says : "Betsy, think over this and lets us two old parties here- after live in peace and unite our efforts in keepin things jist as they are, and not go to complainin of hard times of our own makin." It bein late, and not wishin to git into a argament with Jobe so soon arter his return to my boozum, I retired in silence, but I cant jist say that I swaller all of Jobe's logic without peelin. I think I shall defer the colorin of that white leg for a few days, until we have discussed the subject further, and until I have obtained the full consent of the white leg side to the colorin act, remainin for the time ondecidedly yourn. CHAPTER XXVIII. TROUBLE WITH BILLOT. r I "*HERE may be hopes of my bloomers survivin the election, but I tell you it takes stitchin and soin to do it. That State platform ort a been like the county platform, or else the county platform like the State. Then my bloomers would a been all alike both legs made of the same kind of stuff and wouldent a needed this whippin and stitchin and soin. Jobe is in a fix agin. Our interest falls due the 2oth of October, and you remember it is payable in gold. Well, what do you think? Jobe sold his hay and wheat "Billot jist laffed at him." to Billot, the miller, and took Billot's note for $37.60, and yisterday, when Jobe went to git his money, Billot counted him out paper money for the amount. Jobe told him that he wanted gold. Billot jist laffed at him, and told Jobe that paper money \vas legal tender in sich bizness as this. 155 1 5 6 BETSY GASKINS, DIMICRAT. "Jobe he got mad and called Billot a Populist." Jobe told him that we was on a "gold basis," and that he had to have gold to pay Banker Vinting his interest. Billot said he had nothin to do with Jobe's interest or Banker Vinting ; that Jobe could take that paper money or nothin. Jobe he got mad and called Billot a crank and a Popu- list and all sich terrible names. Then Billot ordered Jobe out of the mill, and Jobe went off and sued Billot for $37.60 in gold. Jobe says he'll teach Billot that gold is the money of this country. He says that Billot thinks that jist because TROUBLE WITH BILLOT. 157 he is a old farmer that he haint good enough to pay gold to. Do you think Jobe will git the gold from Billot? I will have to go to the trial next Monday and help Jobe inforce the law agin Billot. Jobe is a full-blooded American citizen and has voted the strait ticket since he was twenty-one, and Billot will learn by the time he gits done with that lawsuit that this gold basis bizness is for the low-toned people as well as the high-toned people. The idea of paper money bein money! CHAPTER XXIX. "INFORCIN THE LAW AGIN BILLOT." WHEN we got to the trial, on Monday, we found our witnesses and the witnesses and lawyers of Billot a talkin, and a laffin, and a whisperin together. They seemed to have some deep subject which Dimicrats and Republicans were both in earnest about. So I told Jobe to git around among them and listen, and see if they wasent layin some plan to gain the lawsuit for Billot. Soon arter Jobe he come in a smilin and said : "They haint a talkin about the lawsuit at all; they are jist talkin together how to beat them Populists at the election next month." Jobe seemed tickled. He said them lawyers and editors are smart fellers, and when they git out among them ignorant farmers and laborin class they'd soon settle all that Populist argament. "There wont be any change in this country," says he, "as long as them editors and lawyers can help it." He said they were goin at it purty soon, and from what he could hear it dident make any difference to these leadin fellers who beats, jist so them Populists dont git in. Says I to Jobe : "They had better git at it, for if them Populists elects a farmer for representative, a farmer for treasurer, a farmer for commissioner, a coal miner for sheriff, and a mechanic for infirmary director, and they all make good officers, the 158 "INFORCIN THE LAW AGIN BILLOT: 159 chance of them lawyers and town polerticians hold- in all the offices hereafter will be slim." "Why, sich people was never made to hold office," says Jobe. The squire come in at that time and stopped the argament be- tween Jobe and me. The case was i "Lawyers a talkin and a laffin." The fust witness for our side was Sam Moore, editure ot the Times. I questioned him. Question. "What is your bizness, Mr. Moore?" Answer. "Editure and polertician," says he. Q. "Do you believe in the free coinage of silver?" A. "If we can git it inside the Dimicratic party, I do. If we cannot, I do not." Q. "Mr. Moore, is a treasury certificate issued by the United States treasury money?" A. "Well, now, Betsy, I I that is, I am not pre- pared to answer that question at this time. Cal Bri " "Hold! hold! " cried Lawyer Jim Patrick, jumpin to his feet. (Patrick is Billot's lawyer.) Gittin red in the face and pintin his finger at Sam, says lie : " Moore, we dont want Cal Brice's name mentioned !6o BETSY GASKL\S, DLMICRAT. durin this camp cam or, or lawsuit, I mean. You know as well as I do that he can never git back to the Senate if we let the people know that he is after the office." Then, turnin to the squire, says he : "I object to the gentleman answerin the question." I argued that all we wanted was to git at the truth ; that we was intitled to the truth, if gittin it defeated Mr. Brice or an}' other canderdate for office. But Jim he out-talked me, and the squire ruled that " the less said about Cal in open meetin the better for his chances." As much as to say that sometimes things could be done better by suppressin the truth than by tellin it. I perceeded : Q. "Mr. Moore, how long has it been since you quit advocatin the issue of 'good old-fashioned greenback paper money '? How long has it been since you said time arter time in your noosepaper that 'the greenback was the best money we have ever had ' ? " A. "Well, Betsy, I haint advocated paper money for nigh onto a year. Not since we decided that we wanted Cal Bri " "Hold, hold!" shouted Jim Patrick agin. Says he, jumpin to his feet : "Moore, what do you mean? Dont you know you are injurin our cause? Dont you know that if it gits out that Cal is a canderdate he will be defeated? Dont you know if he is defeated none of us will git an office? Sam, I want you to bring his name in this matter no more." That made Sam mad. He riz up and says, says he : "Mr. Patrick, I want you to understand that I am under oath now, and not a editin a free silver paper in the interest of a gold-bug canderdate, nor am I under the control of the Dimicratic Executive Committee while I am on this stand." MR. MOORE, HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE YOU QUIT ADVOCATIN THE USft OF GOOD OLD-FASHIONED GREENBACKS?'" .16: !62 BETSY G A SKINS, DIMICRAT. Sam was gittiu madder every minit. So I riz to my feet and says : "Hear, hear, gentlemen, dont lets drag family affairs into this suit agin Billot." I saw they was likely to give away the secrets of my party. Seein that Mr. Moore was excited, and, if pressed, was liable to swear agin us instid of for us, I excused him. Then Jim took him. Q. "Mr. Moore, what is money?" A. "Money is anything the law says is legal tender for debts." Q. "Mr. Moore, are not United States treasury notes legal tender? and then are they not money?" Sam begin to color up agin. Answerin, says he : "Well, now, look here, Jim, you know what shape our party is in that all the big fellers are for a gold basis and you know, too, that there is no chance for any of us to git appinted to office if we dont come out for gold. You know I edit one of the leadin papers ; and you know it takes a great effort to hold the party together. Now, Jim, dont you think you had better not make me answer that question under oath? Or if you want me to answer it, dont you think you ort to git this case abjourned till after election day?" Jim studied a minit, looked wise like, and says : "Mr. Moore, youre excused." Sam got down and went out, mutterin as he went some- thin about it bein "hard, these times, for a truthful man to be a Dimicrat." My next witness was Buckannan. Q. "Buck, what is your bizness?" A. "Lawyer Dimicratic lawyer and polertician." Q. "Buck, what is mone)'?" INFORCIN THE LAW A GIN BILL OT," 163 A. "Gold gold is money." Q. "Who makes money, Buck?" A. "God God makes money." That was all I wanted. Thats the kind of swearin I wanted to inforce the law agin Billot. So I turned Buck over to Patrick. Jim he looked Buck in the face a minit. Buck he dropped his eyes shamed like. Then Jim perceeded : Q. "Buck, what is your bizness and polertics?" A. " Ime a lawyer a Dimicratic lawyer and poler- tician." Q. "Buck, did you ever study the money question?" A. "No, sir; never did ; never want to ; never will. I know enough. Ime a Dimicrat a Dimicratic lawyer and that suits me." Q. "Buck, dont you know that anything that the law says is legal tender for debts is money? and dare you swear here under oath that a paper bill issued by the United States treasury is not money?" Buck colored up and looked hurt like. Says he: "Patrick, you know the condition our party is in, and you know that our names would be Dennis if Cal "Hold, hold!" cried Jim, jurnpin to his feet and, pintin his forefinger strait at Buck, vicious like, says he : "Here, Buck, dont you know that Brice has instructed us to mention his name as little as possible. Now, I want you to answer this question without any reference to Cal or anybody else : Is paper money money?" Poor Buck, he filled up, and, tumbling like, says: "It is, Patrick it is." And great big tears rolled down his manly cheek and dropped on the lapel of his Prince Albert coat. The squire asked him what was the matter. 164 BETSY GASKINS, DIMICKAT. '"Lawyer Dimicratic lawyer and polertician.' He said he was ruined ; that he had been tellin everybody that "nothin was money but gold," and now if it got out that he swore in the case of Gas- kins agin Billot that paper money is money, nobody would believe him hereafter. And, poor man, he cried like a child. Well, as I had examined what I considered my strongest wit- nesses, and they dident swear as they talked to the voters, but jist to the contrary, I con- cluded to end the case and let the squire decide it. I argued that nothin was money but gold, showed how all the noosepapers said so, and how all the lawyers and polerticians said so (except when on oath). I showed how Jobe had delivered good wheat and hay to Billot and took his note for it, how Billot offered Jobe jist common paper money when the note was due ; showed how Jobe demanded gold money and nothin else, because gold was the recognized money of the world, and closed by askin the court to give us judgment agin Billot, payable in gold, and to make Billot pay the costs. I sot down. Jim Patrick got up and said they had no testimony to offer except Jobe Gaskins' own statement that Billot had offered to pay him with paper money, and now he tendered to the court the same money Billot had offered to Gaskins, and asked for judgment agin Gaskins for the costs. /.VFOA'C/.V TIfE LAW AGIN' BILLOT" 165 The squire took the money, counted it and stuck it in his pocket, then hemmed and hawed a minit and said that Billot had made a full legal tender of the amount due Gaskins, as in his court paper money allers had been good and he hoped it allers would be. He then said: "My judgment is in favor of the defendant Billot, with the costs of this case charged to the plaintiff Gaskins." It nearly took my breath. The costs was 18.60, all told. The squire said that paper money made by the United States was real money, and if a man offered to pay a debt with it, and the man he offered it to refused it and tried to make him pay gold, he would have to pay the cost for tryin it. Instid of us inforcin the law agin Billot, it looks to me that we have had the law inforced agin us. Jobe says that Squire Reed is a anacrist and ort to be hung. CHAPTER XXX. BETSY DISCUSSES "FIAT" MONEY. LAST Sunday, arter I got my dinner dishes washed up and the kitchen swept, I went out in the front yard where Jobe was. I found him a settin at the foot of the big apple tree, sound asleep. He had took the noosepaper with him and sot down there to read why it is better to borrow money from Urope than to make it ourselves, and had went to sleep over it. Besides he had been out all the nite before to a big Republican rally and had carried a banner sayin : GIVE US MONEY GOOD IN UROPE. And the poor man had to tramp three or four miles through the mud to git to do it; so I suppose he was tired tuckered out, as it were. Well, I looked at him a rninit a sittin there with his head throwed back agin that apple tree, his legs stretched out, his boots a shinin with the fresh lard he had rubbed on them jist afore dinner, and his honest old face turned up toward me, and I says to myself, says I : "There sets one of God's noblemen, injoyin the sleep of innercence. " And then I thought if I could only git him and his likes to understand that they are a part of this government, and that the government belongs to them and not to those only who are rich and high-toned I say, I jist thought that il 1 66 BE TS Y DISCUSSES ' FIA T ' ' MONE Y. 167 "He carried a banner." I could only git them to see that they had rights that ort to be respected and the power to inforce them rights, what a different country this might be. Thinking this and feelin the importance of my duty, I decided to begin to edicate him then and there. He has a habit of gittin up and leavin me when I begin to talk to him on things; so I made up my mind that I !68 BETSY G A SKINS, D1MICRAT. would fix him this time so he couldent git away, and would give him some plain talk on the money question. I got the rope I use as a clothes line, and, slippin up behind him, I wound it around and around him and the tree from his waist to his neck. He never flinched. Then I got the check lines from the barn, and, fastenin them to his feet, I tied one to one gate post and one to the other, and with the hitchin strap I tied his hands behind him. Then I got a straw and tickled his nose. You ort a seen him try to jump ; but he couldent move. He opened his eyes and says to me, skeert like: "Betsy, what does all this mean?" I think he was afraid I was a goin to kill him, but, answerin, says I : "It means, Mr. Gaskins, that I propose to discuss the money question here without interference and without my audience a leavin before I git done, as is its usual custom." Says he: "Betsy, wont you let me loose?" "Not till I git done," says I. Says he: "Why, I cant sit here and listen to you for an hour?" "You cant?" says I. "But you will. You can spend all nite, and nite arter nite, a listenin to argaments in favor of continerin the laws that makes prices low and interest and taxes high laws that keeps you poor and the poler- ticians rich but you think you cant spend a hour listenin to a argament for a law that would make it easier for 3^011 to live; that would give you better prices and lower interest." Then, puttin my hands on my hips and lookin, lovin like, down at him, says I : "Jobe, dear, I guess you will listen this time, and you wont leave till the speaker dismisses, will you?" Says he, half laffin, half cryin : BETSY DISCUSSES "FJAT" MONEY. 169 "It looks that way, Betsy." So I went and got me a chair, brought it out and sot down in front of him. When I got seated says he : "Betsy, is it Dimicrat or Republican argament that you want me to listen to?" Says I: "It is neither, Jobe. It is neither. It is female female argament, based on common sense and bed-rock experience. It is the argament of a lovin wife to a errin husband. The argament of one who knows there is somethin wrong and has tried to find somethin better than what we have got. Are you ready?" says I. Jobe tried to nod his head, but couldent. He looked real interestin. "Perceed with the argament," says he. So, leanin up strait in my chair and foldin my arms across my boozum, I perceeded. Says I : "Jobe, what is money?" "Money?" says he. "Why, money is is is why, Betsy, money is jist money." Says I : "Is that all the answer you can give?" "I guess so," says he. Then a thought seemed to strike him, and, lookin up sudden like, says he : "Why, money is gold thats what money is." I looked at him a full minit. Then says I : "Jobe Gaskins, if money is gold, how much money have you seen since you was a baby? If money is gold, how much have you handled since you become the husband o* Betsy Gaskins?" "Why why," says he, "I haint handled much go^d, but I have " "Hold on," says I. "Then you haint seen much money, or else somethin is money besides gold haint that so?" I 7 o BETSY GASKINS, DIMICRAT. ' ' Yes, I guess there is some money besides gold, " says he. "Then you agree that paper money is money, do you?" "Yes, I reckon it is," says he. "Well, then," says I, "we will perceed with the arga- ment." Jobe looked worried. If it hadent a been for them ropes and straps, about this time Jobe would a had bizness some- where else. It seems that some men get very bizzy about the time one is ready to show them how they can help themselves. But, havin full confidence in that clothes line, I went on. "Money," says I, "is somethin made by one's govern- ment that we git when we dispose of somethin we have. If you sell somethin direct to the government and the government gives you money for it, it is the same as a receipt from the people that they have received from you somethin of so much value and it at the same time is an order on all the people for them to give you whatever you want of equal value. The officers that make the money and do the bizness is merely the agents of a big company of people known as the United States, and each man, be he rich or poor, is a member of the firm. Instid of havin our money (that is these receipts) signed by every member of the company, which would require a very large piece of paper, we have a stamp, and say to our agents or officers for them to put that stamp on our money and we will stand by it. The placin of that stamp on a piece of paper by the right officers is the same as if all the twelve million men had signed it, and the women too. "So, if you sell the government say $10 worth of oats to feed our army mules on, or if you do $10 worth of work a keepin books or a holdin office or a bankin up the Mississippi River, and you git a $10 bill for it that bill, or your havin of that bill, says that you as a individual BE TS Y DISCUSSES ' F1A 7"' MONE Y. 171 '' M I I ' 1*1 I T ' \(' <(' lT ' lf " " "I got a straw and tickled his nose." have delivered to all the balance of the seventy million people to the company, if you please 10 worth of value, and hold their paper for it. Now, if, arter you git that $10 from all the people, you go to Alick Smith and buy his 172 BETSY G A SKINS, DIMICRAT, Chester White brood sow and give him the $10 for her, your claim aginst all the people has passed from you to him he has the receipt for the value you delivered the government and you have his sow. And, bein a good citizen, he takes the paper $10, because the value you gave the government was in part for him, and the $10 is an order to him as one of the twelve million or more pardners. And you bein one of the twelve million, you are one of the firm also, and stand ready to accept that same $10 for any- thing you may have to sell that Alick Smith might want." Jobe seemed to be a gittin interested. "Then," says I, "we will say that Alick would go to town and buy two gallons of John Schwab's rye whiskey. John takes the bill for the same reason that Alick did. Well, John bein a licker dealer, we that is, all the people charge him $25 a year for sellin rye whiskey and sich. So John sends that same $10 to the revenue collector at Cleve- land for his revenue tax. The revenue collector sends it to the treasury at Washington, where it was made, and where it fust come from. Haint it been redeemed? Haint that money? John Schwab paid for the work you done, or for the oats the government mules eat, and paid for it with the receipt you got for the oats or the work. "Now, suppose nothin was money but gold, and the government couldent issue sich receipts or orders, or whatever you want to call them, and suppose the govern- ment dident have any gold so then you couldent sell your oats, nor you couldent git the work to do on the river bank, and you wouldent git any money. If you couldent git the money you couldent buy Alick's sow ; if Alick couldent sell his sow he couldent buy Schwab's whiskey ; if Schwab couldent sell his whiskey he couldent pay revenue tax, and when people cant pay revenue tax the government gits hard up and has to borrow money. BE TS Y DISCUSSES ' FIA 7' ' ' tiONE Y. x 7 3 "Now, Jobe," says I, "honest injun, which do you think would be the best : to make what money this firm of the United States needs or to keep on a goin deeper and deeper in debt a borrowin money? "Speak out," says I. "Haint that good money?" Jobe studied a minit. "Y-a-s," says he, "but haint that fiat money?" "Yes, sir," says I, "that is fiat money, and fiat money is the only honest, true money we can have. Any other kind is a deceit and a fraud." Jobe twisted and would have got away if he hadent a been tied. As he couldent git away he snorted out : "What good would that money be in Urope?" "The very best that could be made, so far as you and your likes are concerned," says I. "Whats its basis? Whats its basis?" says he, "a hundred cent gold dollars or fifty cent silver dollars?" "Neither," says I. "And as long as we have so many grains of gold or so many grains of silver or so many grains of both as a basis, you and your likes will be a payin high interest with low-priced grain." "What!" says he, "no standard! How are you to tell what your dollar is worth?" "We will have a standard, Jobe, and the best standard in the world, and the dollar will always be worth one hundred cents, and each cent will be worth ten mills." Jobe looked puzzled, but inquirin like. "Now, Jobe," says I, "dont you know that the law that says that the dollar shall be of the value of so many grains of silver or so many grains of gold is what makes every- thing you raise low in price? Rich people can make the gold or silver scarce and dear, and that makes every dollar, either paper or metal, dear also, and the dearer the dollars 174 BETSY G A SKINS, DIM1CRAT. the more of your grain or the more of your work it takes to git them. "Now, what ort to be done is this : Make a law callin in all the gold and silver money, and redeem it in paper money, dollar for dollar, the same kind of money I spoke about a while ago ; give them only six months to turn it in, and therearter let neither gold nor silver be money or a legal tender. And if any of them Wall Street gold sharks want to hang on to their gold money let em hang, and they will find that they will have to sell it for old metal. Arter the government gits it redeemed let us sell it to the jewelers and spoonmakers to make watches and spoons out of. "And instid of the law a sayin that eacli dollar shall be of the value of so many grains of useless metal, let it say that 'The Dollar shall be of the value of sixty pounds of wheat in the Chicago market. ' * "Now, Jobe," says I, "if the law said that the dollar should be of the value of sixty pounds of wheat in the Chicago market, what would be the value of a dollar?" Jobe studied a minit and then looked up sudden like, as *Nort:. This may strike the ordinary reader as a strange proposition. Some of those who have studied the philosophy of money may differ from Betsy and claim that the unit of value should be a day's labor. There are various good reasons, however, which make Betsy's suggestion appear not only plausible, but expedient and logical. By making a bushel of wheat the unit of value we could establish not only the value of the dollar, but also the price of wheat, and of nearly all other commodities. As a rule a bushel of wheat is worth two bushels of corn, three bushels of oats, four pounds of wool, ten pounds of cotton, etc. This price ratio of wheat to other commodities varies very little. Prices of other things rise and fall with the price of wheat. Betsy's plan would raise the price of wheat and of all other farm prod- ucts, and, consequently, would make farming more remunerative. By making farming more profitable it would start more people farming, and thus relieve the overcrowded labor markets of the great cities. The farm- ers, obtaining better prices for their products, would be able to consume more of the products of the factory. The increased demand for factory products would give work to the unemployed and raisi: wages in all the BETSY D/SCUSSES "FIAT" J/u.Y/-: y. 175 if something had broke loose in his mind, and says he : "Why, it would be of the value of sixty pounds of wheat." "Well, then," says I, "what would be the value of sixty pounds of wheat in Chicago?" "Why why," says he, "it would be worth a dollar." "What would be the price of wheat west of Chicago?" says I. "A leetle less than a dollar," says he. "What would be the price of wheat east of Chicago?" says I. "Why, a leetle more than a dollar," says he. "You are a good scholar," says I. "You are a larnin." He tried to git loose agin, but failed. "But but," says he, "what good would sich money be in Urope? Would that money be good anywhere in the world?" "There you go agin," says I. "I haint got to Urope yit. We'll go to Urope purty soon." "Yes, but that would be fiat money," says he. "Yes, sir, it would," says I, "and the sooner you and your likes git up to that word 'fiat,' and touch your industries. Under these conditions, with our money system on a proper basis, and with trusts and monopolies obliterated, as they soon would be, we would need no labor unions to maintain the wage scale. Labor \voul TIA 7 " ' MONE Y. 177 He looked at me, starin like, for a whole minit. Says I : "How does it strike you, Jobe?" Says he: "Betsy, have you been a drinkin?" "Yes, sir," says I, "Ive been a drinkin a drinkin in the sad, hard experience of the last thirty years a drinkin the dregs of poverty, hardship and trouble caused by low prices and high interest caused by havin money so good anywhere else in the world that the only way we can git it back when once it gits away is to borrow it back, and put ourselves in bonds to do it. And, Jobe, when I say that the 'mone}' thats good anywhere in the world' is the very money that we as a nation dont want to use, I am a talkin sober, hard sense. We want money that will come back to us and buy our wheat and corn and oats and sich, instid of goin to Roosia and Germany and France and India and buyin their stuff. What we want is money that is the best for America, whether it is good for any other part of the world or not. "As it is now, Jobe, when we pay the $300,000,000 a year interest to Urope, or when our high-toned people buy their Uropean clothes and sich and give our gold and silver for them, them Urope fellers takes that gold and silver and go to Roosia and Germany and France and India and other countries and buy what wheat and flour and oats and corn and meat and cotton and cattle and wool and manufactured goods they need, while our wheat and our cotton and our wool and sich lays in the warehouses along our seashores a waitin a market. And while it lays there a waitin a market our farmers are gittin lower prices and our workin- men lower wages, or goin idle, which is worse. "Now, if we paid that interest with money that was not good in Roosia and Germany and France ; if our rich people had to pay for their fine stuff with common every- day paper money, each dollar of which was of the value of 178 BETSY GAS1CJNS, DIMICRAT. sixty pounds of wheat money that couldent be melted up and made into Roosian money or French money or Dutch money or Indian money if them Urope fellers would have to send the money they git from us back here to git its value in breadstuffs or grub or clothes or somethin our workinmen make, dont you think our warehouses would be emptied? And when our warehouses are emptied wouldent it require work to fill them agin? And haint honest work what our people need and ort to have? "So, Jobe, you can see that if them three hundred million interest money was made out of paper and sent to Urope to pay that interest; if the money spent there by our rich people and all was good greenback paper money, redeemable in wheat and flour and corn and oats and cotton and manufactured goods of all kinds made, raised and produced in the United States, and they had to send it back here to git its value, instid of sendin to Roosia and them other countries to buy their stuff, and them ware- houses would be emptied, you would find more demand for the wheat you raise to fill them agin, you would find prices a raisin and times a gittin better." Jobe was a thinkin hard. Says I : "Jobe, can you see the cat?" Jobe was silent. The wheels in his head was a beginnin to turn and he was a listenin to their moosic. Finally sa3's he : "Why, Betsy, if each of them dollars was worth sixty pounds of wheat at Chicago and sixty pounds of wheat was worth a dollar, what would our leadin men what make a livin and git rich a speculatin in wheat do? They couldent force it up nor force it down. What would they do?" says he. Says I : "They would be like lots of fellers who haint leadin citizens are to-day they would be a huntin a BETSY DISCUSSES "FIAT" MONEY. ijg job, and would have to ingage in some honest okepation." "Well, Betsy," says Jobe, "is that Populist argament?" "No, Jobe," says I, "it haint Populist argament; it is the argament of a plain, old-fashioned female woman the one that thinks more of you than all the polerticians piled in one pile and I hope you will think on it." "Well, Betsy," says he, "if it haint Populist it seems to me that it is worth thinkin about." So, havin for one time held Jobe down to a finish and got him to thinkin, I unloosed the rope and straps, kissed him out loud on the cheek and let him up. He riz up, stretched out his legs and arms, gapped a time or two and says : "Betsy, line glad you tied me down." Then he went out to do up the evenin chores. Now, if I could only keep Jobe away from them office- seekers and polerticians ; if I could only keep him a thinkin, I would have some hopes; but as it is, no tellin how soon the good lesson of his wife may be overcome by a smooth-tongued canderdate. CHAPTER XXXI. JOBE BLOWS A FISH-HORN. JOBE has been so busy tryin to git Mr. Bushnell, the millionair, elected governor, that he forgot about his interest bein due at the bank. He stayed to town the nite of the election till the chickens were crowin for daylite. It was nearly mornin when I heerd the patriotic sounds of the fish-horn. I got up and looked out of the winder, and there was Jobe a comin up the lane, with his breadbasket stuck out and his head throwed back, blowin that fish-horn as though his life depended on it, and every now and then he would stop, take off his hat and holler for Bushnell, jist as loud as he could holler. Well, he come in and acted the fool worse nor a drunk man, till he nearly wore my patience out. He said the gold basis bizness had succeeded and now one dollar was jist as good as another, and asked me if I wasent ashamed that I was a Dimicrat, and all sich fool questions. Well, he got to bed at last and went to sleep, and in the mornin dident want to git up; so I jist let him lay. About 9 o'clock a feller rid up to our gate and hitched, come to the door and asked if this is where Mr. Gaskins lives. Says I : "It is where Jobe Gaskins lives." He handed me a paper and told me to give it to Mr. Gaskins. I took it in and waked Jobe up and got him his ' ' specks. " 1 80 "IT WAS NEARLY MORNIN WHEN I HEERD THE PATRIOTIC SOUNDS OF THE FISH-HORN." 181 182 BETSY GASK1NS, DIMICRAT. "He looked kind a pale.' He unfolded the paper and read it over to hisself. I saw he was worked up. Says I : "What is it, Jobe an ap- pintment from Bushnell?" He looked kind a pale. Says he : "No, Betsy, its a summons to court in the case of Vinting, the banker, agin Gaskins ; he has begun foreclosin proceed- ins agin us, Betsy." I looked at him a minit. He dident look up. Says I: "The official re- turns are comin in quite airly, haint they?" I then went back to the door, and the court officer was gone. Poor Jobe got up in a little bit, lookin worried. When he come out in the kitchen I handed him his fish-horn and says, says I : "Give us a tune, Jobe." He dident offer to toot a toot. He jist looked hurt. Well, from that day to this he has been tryin to raise the money to pay Vinting, the banker, his interest. After payin all them costs in the Billot lawsuit there was very little left out of that wheat and hay money, sich as it was. He sold our cow, and nearly all our pertaters, and then sold old Tom, our only hoss, and borrowed $5.50 from Widder Baker, when she got her penshun money, and took that $63 down to Banker Vinting and handed it to him at his bank. Vinting pushed it back to Jobe and says, says he : JOBE BLOWS A FISH- HORN. 183 "This is not accordin to contract. The contract, Mr. Gaskins, says you must pay the interest in gold. I must have gold. Gold Mr. Gaskins." Jobe told him he "had no gold, that this money was all good, legal tender government money, and he would have to take it " Banker Vinting told him, "Gold or nothin." Jobe went around to all the stores in town and to all his friends and tried to git gold for the paper money, and not "'Give us a tune, Jobe.'" one of them had a dollar in gold to help him out with. Everybody said they "hadent seen any gold for a lon time ;" that " paper money was good enough for them ; that they was glad to git even it, these times." So Jobe come home, and he haint got that gold yit, and the Lord only knows when and where he can git it. I dont. Jobe he is nearly distracted. Now, if the law makes Jobe take Billot's paper money for wheat, I dont see why the same law wont make the 184 BETSY GASKIKS, E> I MIC RAT. banker take the same paper money for interest, especially when a feller cant git any other kind. If the banker wont take Jobe's paper money, all I know is for him to go on with his lawsuit to foreclose us until the court makes him take it. We cant do anything else. It jist seems the world is full of trouble and sich. "'This is not accordin to contract.' " CHAPTER XXXII. AT COURT AGAIN. r I "*HE lawsuit to foreclose us out of our home is bein tried to-day. We borrowed Ike Hill's gray mare and driv to town airly, and found the lawyers hangin around like buzzards waitin for the arrival of a dead beast. They begin to meet us and shake hands from the time we hitched in front of Urfer's big dry-goods store until we got clear inside the fence that surrounds the judge's seat and divides the high-toned cattle from the low-toned breed. They all wanted to know if we had "ingaged counsel." When I told them that our family had counsel of its own blood, in the person of myself, Betsy Gaskins, wife of Jobe Gaskins, the defendant, they would kind a sneer and walk off. They looked hurt like, jist as a feller does when he loses a ten-dollar bill. These lawyers seem kind a anxious that the people who are bein foreclosed should have "counsel," but I could never see where "havin counsel " changes the foreclosin act any. Well, we got inside the lawyers' field, the officer opened court and the judge called the case of "Vinting, plaintiff, vs. Gaskins, defendant, for money only." Says he: "Are the parties to the case ready for trial?" Jim Patrick, the lawyer, nodded his head and says, "Ready," without even takin his feet off the table. I dident have my feet on the table. But when the judge looked our way I nodded and says, "Ready." I hadent that word out of my mouth till Lawyer Porter riz to his feet, and, addressin the court, says : 185 186 BETSY GASKINS, DIMICRAT. "We hitched in front of Urfer's big dry goods store." "If your honor please, on behalf of the 'bar' of this county, I object to Mrs. Betsy Gaskins a practicin law before this court. "I object for three reasons: First, because she is a woman; second, because she has not been admitted to practice in this court ; third, because it interferes with the legitimate profits of the legal fraternity of this county. "If your honor please, as you well know, the lawyers of this county have no other source of income than from the parties to the cases brought to this court, and if women and persons who have not been admitted to the bar are permitted to practice in this court, our bizness will be ruined, and some of us, at least, will have to go to workin for a livin ; therefore I object to permittin this woman to farther participate in this case, and in doin so I voice the sentiment of every member of this bar." T riz up. AT COURT AGAIN. 187 The judge looked at me, steady like, over his specks, as if he was a goin to tell me to set down. Says I : "Mistur Court, may I speak?" He looked around at the bar. Several heads went east and west. The judge thought a minit and says : "You may speak." Perceedin, says I : "Mistur Court, I am the lawful wife of Jobe Gaskins, the man you are asked to foreclose and turn out of the home he has tried hard to hold. We are old people. We are poor. Times are hard and money is "Ready."' scarce, and, bein called here without our choosin, we came without money to pay anything toward the support of the 'bar' the lawyer spoke about. "All we ask, Mistur Court, is to be heard. We want to save our old home if we can do so. All I ask is, if there is any speakin that can be done to persuade you that we hadent ort to be turned out, that you let me do that speakin, because I feel that I can tell you what we would suffer, and why we hadent ort to be turned out, as honestly and as earnestly as any lawyer could who was talkin for only a few dollars pay. i88 BETSY GASKIXS, DIMICRAT. "God knows, Mistur Court, that what I shall say to you will not be prompted by a few dollars, but by the love I have for the roof that has sheltered us, for the fire that has warmed us, and those things about the place that has caused a lump to come up in my throat whenever I think we may soon have to leave them forever, or when I wonder where we would go if you say, Mistur Court, that we must be foreclosed. "I know I am a woman a old woman. I haint a regular lawyer, but I ask to do the speakin in this case, because we haint the money to pay any of these regular lawyers to do it, and God knows we have always tried to pay for everything we have ever got or had done for us." I sot down. The judge set a studyin ; finally says he : "Mr. Sheriff, adjourn court until 1:30 o'clock p. m." And that is where the lawsuit is at this hour. I am waitin to see if I will be allowed to speak. Yours at court. CHAPTER XXXIII. JUDGMENT KKNDKRED. THE lawsuit is over. The decidin is done, and we are foreclosed. My heart has been so heavy and Ive been so troubled that I jist couldent set down and write a letter with any sense to it till to-day. You dont know how bad it makes a body feel to know the place you have looked on and loved as home is a gittin away from you slippin from under you, as it were. Everything seems to change. Jobe, poor man, he jist sets and studies. Well, that day at court, arter dinner, the judge come in, took his seat, ordered court opened, and says, lookin at me : "Mrs. Gaskins, I have decided to let you argy this case." At that all them lawyers except Jim Patrick, the one doin the foreclosin, got up and left the house. When everything was ready Jim he got up and handed in the mortgage and the notes, and stated that he would prove by those papers that last Aprile Jobe and Betsy Gaskins executed notes and a mortgage to Mr. Vinting, the banker, for the sum of $1,800, with interest at seven per cent., payable semi-annually "in gold;" that a few days after the interest fell due Jobe Gaskins tendered to Banker Vinting $63 in paper money as said six months' interest, and refused or neglected then or at any other time to tender gold in payment of the interest as the contract provided, and upon this evidence he would ask the court to foreclose the mortgage and sell the premises to satisfy the claims of his client. 189 i go BETSY GASKINS, DIM1CRAT. He then called Banker Vint- ing to the stand and had him hold up his hand and swear. Then he examined him as follers : Question. "Mr. Vinting, what is your bizness?" Answer. "I am a banker, sir, a banker." Q. "Did Jobe Gaskins, the defendant here, tender you the interest due on this mort- gage as the mortgage pro- vides?" A. "No, sir, he did not. He offered paper money nothing but paper money while the mortgage and notes call for gold." Q. "Is this interest still '"I am a banker, sir, a banker." due and unpaid?" A. "It is, sir. It is." "You may have the witness," says Jim. Then I examined the banker. He looked very witherin like at me, but I dident wither. Q. " Mr. Vinting, what kind of money did you give for this mortgage and notes?" A. "Paper money, paper money." Q. "Then why haint paper money good enough for interest on them?" A. "The contract says 'gold,' Mrs. Gaskins it calls for gold." Q. "Well, haint paper money as good as gold now, since the election?" JUDGMENT RENDERED. Ig i "I 'bject," says Jim, and then he got up and argyed that my question was leadin, &c., and the court decided that he needent answer it. "We rest," says Jim. Then I got up and stated our case. Says I : "Mr. Court, we will prove that Jobe Gaskins sold hay and corn to Billot, the miller, to git the money, or a part of it, to pay this interest, and took Billot's note ; that when the time come to pay it Billot offered to pay it in paper money ; that Jobe refused to take it, jist as the banker refused ; that Jobe sued Billot before Squire Reed for the amount 'in gold;' that Mr. Patrick, who is now the lawyer a tryin to foreclose us for not payin gold, was the lawyer agin us when we was a tryin to git the gold to pay with. We will prove that the law made Jobe take paper money or nothin, and made him pay the costs for tryin to collect gold. We will prove that Jobe took some of that money the law made him accept for wheat, and more jist like it, to the banker, and offered to pay his interest ; that the banker refused, and on this testimony we ask you to render judgment agin Mr. Vinting, the banker, for costs, and make him take this $63 in paper money that I now tender in open court as payment of the six months' interest due." At that I handed the $63 to the clerk. He took it and gave me a receipt for the amount. Then I put Jobe on the stand and proved that he had taken the same money the law made him take for his wheat to the banker and offered it to him ; that the banker refused to take anything but gold ; that he had tried to git the gold, but couldent find anybody that had any gold, and that he had done all he could to raise the gold and couldent. I then proved by Squire Reed that Jim Patrick was Billot's lawyer, and had argued and proved by Sam Moore 1 9 2 BETSY GAS KINS, DIMICRAT, and Lawyer Buchanan and others that paper money was money and was a legal tender for debts, and that Jobe was beat in his lawsuit agin Billot and had to pay the costs and take paper money. Then I "rested." Then Jim Patrick got up and made a short speech, statin that "gold was God's money;" that He had hidden it away in the vaults of nature for the use of mankind as money. He showed how Banker Vinting was a Christian and one of our leadin citizens, and all he asked the court to do was to inforce his contract agin Jobe Gaskins. He showed how all the bankers and bondholders and other money-lenders was in favor of gold and gold contracts : then he showed that it was dishonest for Gaskins to attempt to pay that interest in any other kind of money than gold as stipulated in the contract. " It is in fact repudiation, " says he, and he made sich a fine argament for gold and agin other money that I put on my specks to make sure it was Jim Patrick, the same Jim what argyed so loud and long for paper money and agin gold the other day, in our case agin Billot for wheat money. His argament was so fine and patriotic that I felt half ashamed for askin the court to make Banker Vinting take the same kind of money for interest as the law made Jobe take for wheat. Well, arter Jim got done I riz up and stated that we was aware that the interest was due and unpaid ; that I knowed the contract called for gold. I told the court how I kicked agin signin the mortgage last Aprile, when it was made, jist for the reason that it called for gold. I showed how it was the banker's doins, and not ourn, that it called for gold. I told the court how Jobe and the others laughed at me and called me an anacrist and all sich names for refusin to sign a gold mortgage. Then I told him about havin to raise the JUDGMENT RENDERED. money then to pay Con- gressman Richer to keep from bein foreclosed at that time, and about my succumbin to their ridi- cule and signin at last, hopin agin hope that in some strange way we might raise the gold and save our home. I told the judge that I dident believe "gold was God's money ;" that I dident think God would make a metal to be used to turn people out of home with ; that if it was made for any sich pur- pose it must a been the "other feller's" doins. I showed how government officers, through the influence of the rich people, had called in the paper money and burned it up ; how they had issued bonds agin Jobe and his likes to git it to burn. I showed how the same men had demonitized silver and brought us to a "gold basis," all of which had reduced prices, made money scarce and hard to git, and kept up interest. I showed him how sich laws had throwed people out of homes and turned all their earnins over to the money-lenders and sich. I showed him how we had paid $3,800 toward our farm, and how, if he dident make the banker take Jobe's wheat money, we would be sold out, and, at the low price land is sellin for, we would have nothin left in our old age. I begged him with tears in my eyes to make the banker ; He made such a fine argament for gold and agin other money." I94 BETSY CASK INS, D I MIC RAT. take Jobe's wheat money and give us one more chance to save our old home. Then I sot down, and my eyes would water, no matter how often I would wipe them. Well, the court cleared his throat a time or two and then said : "It is a common occurrence for us judges in our official positions to do unpleasant things. I am sorry for the old people, but the law must uphold the sacred rights of con- tract. The contract calls for gold. I will therefore render judgment agin Gaskins, the defendant, for full amount of mortgage, accrued interest and costs of this case, and order the sheriff to sell the premises to satisfy the judg- ment." When them words was spoke I jist felt smothered. I felt so queer I hardly knowed where I was. Jobe he jist sot there a starin, with a pleadin look on his face. We both sot there numb like till the officer come around and told us the case was over. We kind a come to then and got up. Then I thought of the clerk havin that paper money, so I told Jobe to go and git it. He went, and the clerk told him he couldent surrender the money till the case was settled ; that that money was part of the court record, and the land might not sell for enough to pay the judgment and all costs. So we come home and left our wheat money and hay money and cow money and the money for poor old Tom and all with the officers of the court. Jobe, poor man, from the time he left that court-house till now he has jist moped around, sighin and moanin. CHAPTER XXXIV. THE LITTLE WHITE ROSE-BUSH. WHEN Ike Miller brought Jobe's paper, the Adver- cate, to us day before yisterday, the fust thing my eyes fell on was : "SHERIFF'S SALE. Isaac Vinting, plaintiff, vs. Jobe Gaskins, defendant." I tried to look away from it, but, all I could do, I couldent git my ej'es off from them lines. I turned the paper over, but it jist seemed to me that I could see them words all over that paper. I never had anything make me feel so queer in all my life. My head seemed to be goin round and round, and I couldent see anything but "Sheriff Sale" "Vinting Gaskins Gaskins Vinting Sheriff Sale. " "Sheriff Sale." I had seen them same two words hun- dreds of times before, but they never looked like they did that day. I was all alone at home, and I thought I would never live to see another livin bein I felt so queer. Well, I laid that paper down and went out in the yard. Arter a while I begin to feel better, though nothin seemed to look like it use to nor dont to this day. When I got out in the yard I could see the trees, and bushes, and fences, and the house, and the big road, and the little stream down over the bank ; but they looked so queer. Though I had lived by and among them for years, they dident look like they did when I use to think they would be around me and near me when I should die. No, 95 ig6 HETSY GASKL\S, Dl MIL-RAT. Little Jane. they now looked like some- body else's trees and bushes and fence and road and sich. I felt as though I was not at my own home, but intrudin on other people's property, " trespassin," as them court-house lawyers calls it. That "sheriff sale" in that paper had changed the looks of things. I went over to the little white rose-bush the bush my little Jane planted the day she was four years old the one she had watched and called hers till she was taken from me two years arter. I thought, as I stood there by that little bush, planted by her little hands, that I could nearly see her little form a squattin down and her little dimpled fingers pattin the dirt around the roots of that little bush. I remembered how she plucked the first rose and come a runnin to me with it, sayin : "Mamma, mamma, my bush raised this. How pritty!" I thought how, every spring, Jobe would pull the weeds and leaves from around it, and how a many a time I saw him wipin his eyes as he stood by our baby's rose-bush. And as I was thinkin this I thought that before long some- body else would own this ground and that bush, and we could not take care of it any more for our little girl that is gone. I wondered if anybody would stand there arter we are turned out and weep for the child that planted it. I wondered why it was that the law could tear people away from everything they love. I wondered why there "I COULD NEARLY SEE HER LITTLE DIMPLED FINGERS PATTIN THE AIRTH AROUND THE ROOTS OF THAT LITTLE BUSH." BETSY GASK1NS, D1M1CRAT. ';. I "'Mamma, . . . how pritty ! ' ' couldent be some way fixed to make it easier for people to git homes and pay for them. 1 wondered why interest was never less than six per cent., and sometimes more. I wondered why people who paid interest had sich a hard way of gittin along, while the people who got interest got along so easy. And as I stood there by our baby's rose-bush I thought of all the interest Jobe has paid on this place, of the taxes he has paid year in and year out, and I got to figurin, and I found he had paid for the farm nearly twice over. And then I thought of that dream I had nearly a year ago, when I dreamt that Jobe could borrow money of the county treasury at only two per cent. And I kept on a figurin, and I found that if interest had only been two per THE LITTLE WHITE ROSE-BUSH. 19y cent, since we bought this farm, the difference between the interest we have paid and what we would have had to pay at two per cent, would have let us out. We would have had our farm nearly paid for, and we could have stayed here and taken care of baby's little rose-bush and carried the roses to her little grave each year as long as we lived. But interest haint two per cent., and we must leave the little bush, leave the trees, leave the flowers, leave all and go. Oh! that nearly chokes me. Where shall we go? Who will take care of baby's grave? I cant rite any more. I feel so queer. CHAPTER XXXV. JOBE TALKS Ol- THINGS THAT ARE GONE. JOBE is down sick with "brain fever and nervous prostration." The doctor says it all come from his worryin over bein foreclosed. Jobe jist lays and moans and talks to hisself. He is out of his head most of the time. "Jobe jist lays and moans." Last nite he thought he had Betty, our drivin mare, back (the one we parted with last spring to git money to pay interest to Congressman Richer). He thought our JOKE TALK'S OF THL\'(,S THAT ARE GONE. 2O I little Jane was livin agin, and he was holdin her on Betty's back, a lettin her ride. He jist kept a talkin fust one thing, then another, all nite. I dident git to sleep any, and since he has been sick I have to chop all the wood and do the chores and wait on him till I am nearly wore out and not able to write. I dont know what I will do if they fore- close us and put us out before Jobe gits able to go about. It jist seems one trouble brings on another. If the law would make the banker (contract or no contract) take the same kind of money for interest as it makes Jobe take for wheat, Jobe wouldent be down with brain fever and sick from worryin. I wonder why laws haint made as much in favor of hard- workin poor people as rich people who sets in offices and dont do any hard work. I see Congress and Mr. Cleveland are a goin to issue more bonds on the people, and sell them at the post-offices to the popular people. Jobe and me rant invest. I have to chop all the wood." CHAPTER XXXVI. BILL BOWERS IS ON THE FENCE. JOBE is able to be up. We have been foreclosed, and ex-Congressman Richer has the farm back. We have a notice in writin to vacate these premises on or before the first day of March. Jobe bein sick, neither of us was to town the day our old home was sold by the sheriff. I felt bad all that day felt jist like somethin awful was about to happen. Jobe seemed weaker and more restless than usual. Bill Bowers rode by our place in the evenin, stopped at the gate and hollered. I went to the door, hopin agin hope that maybe for some unknown reason the foreclosin hadent been done. But as soon as I laid eyes on Bill I knode our home was gone. He hemmed and hawed and stammered, tryin to say somethin that was hard for him to say. Says I : " Out with it, Bill ; we are prepared for the wust." "Well, Betsy," says he, "its gone. Congressman Richer bought it in, at jist what the mortgage and interest amounted to, and you people will have to pay the costs. Mr. Richer seemed pleased to get the old farm back agin." "Yes, Bill," says I. "I allow he was glad to git it back. He ort to be. He has some $3,800 of interest and principal we have paid him on the farm, before he forced HILL BOWERS IS ON THE FENCE. 203 us to borrow the money from Banker Vinting to pay him last spring. You see, Bill, we paid him $3,800 interest and principal up to last Aprile ; then last Aprile we paid him Si, 800 that we borrowed from the banker, and some $300 of Jobe's leg- icy money from his dead aunt, makin in all some $5,900. Now he takes $i,- 863 of that money and buys it back, givin him the same farm we got from him and $4,000 nearly of money besides that Jobe has aimed by hard knocks." "Well, Betsy," says Bill, "it does look kind a tough." "Yes," says I, "and it dont look any tougher than it is." "I spose not," says Bill. "No, Bill," says I; "if the lawmakers only knew how hard it is to be sold out and turned out of your home, they would surely make laws to make money plentier and easier to git ; they would surely reduce interest." "They ort to," says Bill. "Yes, Bill," says I, " we have done all we could to hold 'Om with it, Bill; we are prepared for the wust.' " 204 BETSY GASKINS, DIM 1C RAT. the farm, and hoped to have a home to stay in in our old age. "We have give all we raised to Congressman Richer in payments and interest and taxes and sich. "We have done without many a thing we ort to a had tryin to keep our payments up, hopin that our old age might be spent here among our neighbors ; but every year since we bought the farm times have got harder, prices lower and money scarcer. "We have raised good crops, Jobe has worked hard, and now, arter all the years of hard work and good crops, we have $512 less than we had when we bought the farm seventeen years ago. "They kept a tellin Jobe that it was 'better to have less money and lower prices than to have more money and higher prices,' and Jobe and his likes have kept a votin for the fellers that told him sich until to-day he is sick and sold out. " He has done the votin and the other fellers has got the money. They held the bag, and Jobe and his likes poured in the grain." "Well, Betsy," says Bill, studyin like, " Ive about made up my mind that none of us farmers have much to show for our past votin. It looks as though, while we have been workin hard nite and day, economizin and savin ; while we have been a tryin to lay up somethin for ourselves in old age, and for our children ; while we have been doin ail this, and doin the votin, there has been a lot of schemers and rascals seekin office and gittin laws made to redeem one kind of money in another, and then cornerin the redeemin kind, and contractin and destroyin this kind and that, even issuin bonds on us to git it to burn, and doin everything so they would be able to take from us what we were a raisin and savin." KILL BOWERS IS ON THE FENCE. 205 III ' '{<* "'He tell you, Betsy. Tve made up my miiul to try them Populists hereafter.' " Then, leanin over on his horse, says he : " Betsy, step up closer to the fence." 206 BETSY GASK2NS t DIMICRAT. I walked out to the fence. Says he, whisperin like : "He tell you, Betsy. Ive made up my mind to try them Populists hereafter. I see they have some purty smart men in the United States Senate. But for the life of you, Betsy, dont say anything to any one about my changin." I jist stepped back a step or two and looked at Bill Bowers for a whole minit. He looked at me. Then says I : "Bill Bowers, I am surprised! I am surprised that you, a full-blooded American citizen, a grown-up man, a man who has made up his mind to do what he believes to be right, and then hasent the manhood to let the world know that you are independent, but are afraid that some officeseeker or polertician who lives off of you will turn up his nose at you! Bill Bowers, I thought you had more firmness in you than that. If the party you have been votin for has betrayed you, if the officeseekers you have helped to elect have used you as a tool, haint it your dooty as a man and a citizen to let it be known that you are a goin to quit the gang? Instid of bein afraid of them, you should make them afraid of you. Thats your dooty, Bill." "Well, Betsy," says he, "I dont know but what youre right, but Ide ruther you wouldent say anything about it." Then, changin the subject, says he : "Betsy, where do you think of goin to?" "Where do I think of goin to?" says I. "The Lord only knows. I dont." At that Jobe hollered for me, and, biddin Bill "good day," I come in. Yourn, nearin the close. CHAPTER XXXVI 1. BETSY FAINTS. A VISION. r I "HE other day ex-Congressman Richer's lawyer brought a man out to look at the farm. They driv into the gate, out through the bars back of the barn, across fust one field then another, the lawyer a pintin and layin it off, the feller a lookin and noddin his head. Arter a while tljey come back and come up into the yard, the lawyer still a pintin, the feller still a lookin and noddin. I heerd the lawyer say : "We want you to clear this all up. Clear away these bushes, and sow the yard down in lawn grass." As soon as I heerd that word "bushes," I thought all of a suddint of poor "little Jane's white rose-bush/' I felt faint like smothered and a tear came a rollin down my cheek and dropped on the floor before I could git my apron to my eyes, and they kept a comin, no matter how hard I wiped. When I use to read and hear of "sheriff sales " I dident take time to think what an awful thing it is to have the only place one knows on airth as " home" sold away from you. But now, when I know of what it is, I think of all the tears and sobs and heartaches and sich that has been a goin on around us, and we dident know anything about it. Sometimes I find myself stoppin and standin still and lookin up in the sky and sayin : " O Lord, is there no other way to do? Is there no way to save the women and children and hard-workin men from bein turned out of their homes, where they have lived and loved and been born?" 207 208 BETSY GASK1NS, D1MICRAT. And every time I think I can hear a whisperin voice, jist a little piece away from me, a sayin : " Yes, by reducin interest." And then in a minit or so it seems as though I hear a ringin in my ears, in words jist a little further away than the other, a sayin : "It will be done. It will be done." If I only knew where we are to go to, and what Jobe can git to do, I might bear it easiei. It seems as though an old man haint wanted to do work, and it seems every place is taken up. Jobe has been out, ever since he has been able to go about, lookin for work and some place to move to. Everybody seems to a heard of our bein foreclosed, and they dont seem to trust Jobe like they use to, though God knows he is as honest as he ever was. Well, arter the lawyer had gone all around the place, givin his orders to the feller, he come up to the door and knocked. I opened the door and says : " Come in." "No," says he, " I jist wanted to know if you intended to git out by March the fust." Says I : "We will if we can find a place." "Well, you must git out whether you find a place or not," says he, "as we want this gentleman to move in and commence spring work." "We will, Mistur Lawyer, if we can possibly find a place," says I. "Well, look here, Mrs. Gaskins," says he, short like, "we dont want any 'its' about it. I notify you now, in the presence of this gentleman, that if you are not out by March the fust, I will see that the law puts you out. No\\. take warnin." And at that he turned on his heel and walked off. "'() l.okli. IS THERK NO OTHKR WAY TO DO?'" 209 210 BETSY G A SKINS, D1MICRA T. I am an old woman, and have had many hardships, but, Mistur Editure, in all my life I never had anything to strike my heart like them words did. It jist seemed like everything turned black before me, and I sunk down in the doorway and must a fell to sleep, for arter a while I woke up, or come to, as it were. I had a dream while I lay there that I will never forgit. I thought that a great, large man stood before me, and jist behind him stood two other good-sized fellers. The big man said to me, in a cruel, coarse voice: " Ive come to turn you out." I thought I bursted out a cryin, and turned my eyes up toward the sky, as I had done before, and right there, a flyin through the air, come my dear little Jane, lookin jist as she did years ago before she died. I thought she throwed her little arms around my neck, and laid her little soft face agin my cheek, and says : "Dont cry, mamma. If no one else cares for you, I do," jist as plain as I ever heerd her little voice in life. I clasped my arms around her, and begin to feel a thrill of happiness as I once did, when the big sheriff stepped up and grabbed her by the neckband of her little dress, and, with a mighty jerk, threw her behind him, sayin : "Stop this sentimentalism. The law must have its way." I paid no attention to his cruel words, but jumped toward my little Jane, who laid there with the blood a runnin out of her little head jist above the left eye. Her eyes were open and starin, and, -with a scream of agony, I cried: "Oh, my child! My child is dead!" I was so shocked that it woke me up, and I found myself a layin there in the door, and, bein cold, I got up and went in, all a sliakin. From that day to this I can hardly think of anything but my little girl a comin through the air and throwiu her baby arms around my neck. CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE PARTING. JOBE is gone. Last Monday morning bright and airly he started for Lorain to find work. He had hunted and hunted far and near, high and low, around here for work, but couldent find any. Some one told him there was lots of work at Lorain, and poor Jobe decided he would go there. He only had $2.95. He said he would take the railroad to Medina and walk the rest of the way. lie never forgit the mornin he left. We sot up late the nite before, talkin. We talked over our whole lives about when we were fust married ; about how different times were then and now ; about the happi- ness we had then, and the plans we laid. Jobe was strong and healthy, and so was I. Money was plenty, and people were always lookin for somebody to work for them. We talked of little Jane ; of how we loved her, and how she used to love us. We talked of when she died, and how it nearly killed us ; and then we both jist cried as though our hearts would break. We talked of how hard we had worked to try to git along in the world, and how our plans had failed. Arter we had talked a good long while, and cried, and felt like cryin, Jobe he moved his chair over near to mine, and took my hand in his, and says : "Betsy, weve had our little differences. I know some- times I have been tryin. Ive had so much to trouble me that at times I was peevish. But, Betsy, I want you to look over 211 212 BE'ISY GASKLVS, D1MICRAT. all my failins. You have been a good woman. You have done your dooty, and more thanyourdooty. It nearly breaks my heart to go so far away and leave you behind ; but we have to give up the old farm, Betsy, we have to give up the old farm, and I must find some place to go to, and something to do. We must live, Betsy, ~we m ust live, and I must find some- thing to do, to live. I hope to be able to find work, and have you to come to where I am before long. " I surely can find something to do some place. I heerd Jonas Warner, that rich man in town, tell a feller the other day that anybody could find work that wanted to work. God knows, Betsy, I want to work, and if Mr. Warner is right, I surely can find somebody willin to give me something to do." We dident sleep much that nite. Jobe wanted to ketch the five o'clock train on the C., L. & W. Railroad, and was afraid of oversleepin hisself. He had to git up airly so as to i;it to town in time to ketch it. " He drawed me over in his arms and kissed me." THE PART INC,. 213 That mornin I had his clothes done up in a neat bundle. I had washed and ironed all his clothes the day before, so he would have enough to do him till I could go to him. He d i d e n t eat much breakfast. He said he " dident feel hungry." When he got ready to start he come up to the winder where I was a standin, and, seein that I was choked up, my eyes full of tears, he drawed me over in his arms and kissed me; then, turnin, walked out of the door without sayin a word. The moon was a shinin bright, and I stood a lookin at him as far as I could see him. He was wipin his eyes and blowin his nose as he went towards town. When he was gone from my view I still stood a lookin for some time, then sot down and cried, and kept a cryin every little bit all mornin. Everything seemed so lonesome like. Wherever I looked it seemed I could see poor Jobe a standin there lookin sad like. He said he would rite as soon as he found work. I am lookin for a letter every day. Poor Jobe! Little did he think, or me either, some 'He was wipin his eyes and blowin his nose as he went towards town. ' ' 2I 4 BETSY GASKIXS, DIM 1C RAT. "Then sot down and cried, and kept a cryin every little bit all mornin." thirty-six years ago, that in our old age we would be turned from our home by the law of our country. Little did we think that when we got old Jobe would have to go hundreds of miles from home, and out among strangers, a beggin for work to feed us by. Jist to think of all the interest money and payments we have give Congressman Richer some $3,800 all told. If interest had been less we would have had our home, and THE PARTING, 215 had it nearly paid for, and Jobe would not be gone out into the world to hunt work. If we had half or a quarter of that interest money we could buy us a little home to stay in the few remainin years of our lives. But, then, interest must be kept up, and the law inforced, so as to enable Mr. Richer and his likes to live in style and assert the dignity of their citizenship. It has to be done, no matter if the hardworkin poor people are turned out of their homes and those that love each other are parted. If Jesus was here and a makin laws, I wonder if he would have interest, and foreclosin, and turnin out, and all that? CHAPTER XXXIX. THE PREACHER AND THE SALOONKEEPER. MY heart is so broke that I hardly know how to rite. This is March 3d, and yisterday arternoon they put me out. I had about give up their comin, and was tryin to feel better, when all of a suddint I heerd a knock at the door. I opened it, and there stood three strange men. Said the one who acted as leader: "Is this where the Gaskinses live?" Says I: "One of them is stayin here, and the Lord only knows where the other one is." "I am a deputy sheriff," says he, "and have orders to set you out." Says I : " Where is Mr. Richer?" " In Washington," says he. "Where is his agent his lawyer?" says I. "In town," says he. "Well, dont they have to be here to put me out?" says I. "No," says he ; "the law puts you out for them." "Well, Mistur," says I, "couldent you let me stay a little longer? Jobe's gone to hunt work and a place to move to. If you will let me stay, as soon as he finds it He go out without your botherin." "I cant do it, Mrs. Gaskins," says he; "the law must be inforced. The law is no respecter of persons." Says I, pleadin like: "You see, I am a old woman, and not stout. Jobe is away, and I am here alone. If the law is no respecter of persons, why should it come here 216 THE PREACHER AND THE SALOONKEEPER. 217 and put me out of a home that we have paid over $3,800 toward, jist to please the man that we have paid the money to?" He shook his head. "Where are you a goin to put me?" says I. "I am goin to put you out," says he ; "out in the big road yonder, off these premises." Says I: " Mistur, please dont be so cruel as that. It would kill me to sleep out there all nite. Please let me stay a little longer jist a little longer." "No use a talkin," says he. " He have to do as the law says. Its not me a puttin you out, Mrs. Gaskins its not me that is cruel. It is the law, the law, that is doin it." "Come on, men," says he, speakin to the other fellers. So they come right into the house, the house I had loved so well, walkin over the floor I have scrubbed on my hands and knees thousands of times, and begin to tear up my things and carry them out in the big road. I jist felt so queer I could hardly breathe. They tore down my stove and tore up my carpet, and carried out fust one thing, then another, and sot them down beside the road, till all I had was out there. When they got it all out, the deputy come in and says : "Why dont you go out there where your things are? You have no right here. You must git out, so I can lock up the house." Says I: "Mistur, is Congressman Richer a goin to move in to- nite?" Says he, sneerin like: "Why, Lord no; Mr. Richer wouldent live in sich a house as this he lives in Wash- ington ; he lives in a. fine house." "Well, then, Mistur, let me stay in here till I hear from Jobe." "No," says he, "you must git out." 2l8 BETSY GASKINS, DIMICRAT. "They pulled me away from the winder." Says I, chokin like : ' Mistur, I cant go." "Well, youve got to go," says he. " Are you a goin?" "I cant," says I. "Here, men," says he, "take her out of here and out yonder, where she belongs." So one of them big men took hold of one arm, and the other hold of the other arm, and pulled me away from the winder where I was standin (the same one where I was standin the mornin Jobe left), and pulled me out of that dear old kitchen door and across the yard and out into the big road, where they had piled my things, and sot me down on a chair. The sheriff had locked the house and follered them out. THE PREACHER AND THE SALOONKEEPER. 219 When he came out he says, as though he wanted to be friendly : "Where do you think of goin to, Mrs. Gaskins?" I looked at him to see if he was crazy or what, but I couldent speak, I was so full. Says he : "Do you want the boys to put up your bed for you?" I nodded my head. They set my bed up and put two jints of pipe on my stove, and then got in their buggy and went to town. It was nearly sundown when they left me. Soon arter they had gone Tom Osborne come a ridin by and brought me a letter. As soon as he said "letter" my heart leapt. I knew it was from Jobe. Tom said he was sorry to see me out here in the road, and the man really shed tears. He lives some eight miles from here, and wanted me to go home with him for the nite. But I jist couldent go. So he rode on. Arter he was gone I got a lamp and sot down by the fire I had built in the stove, with some quilts around me, to read poor Jobe's letter. And every word seemed to be another knife stuck in my heart. Poor Jobe he is havin it hard too. I jist cried like my heart would break as I read what he writ. I send it to you to read. I want" you to return it, as it is from the only person in the world that cares for me. Here it is you can read it for yourself. You see it was writ at different times and places. JOBE'S FIRST LETTER. ELYRIA, O. , Feb. 22, 1896. To Betsy Gaskins. MY DEAR WIFE : I have put off ritin to you thinkin 1 would be able to rite you somethin to make you happy, but to date I cant. 220 BETSY GASK1NS, DIM1CRAT. I got into Lorain the third day arter leavin you. I found a big iron works there and lots of men at work, but on the sides of the door to their office and at all the gates around the big fence they have signs stuck up, readin : NO HELP WANTED HERE. I went into their office, and asked them if they couldent give me something to do. Thev said : "No, we have all the men we need." I told them how I wanted somethin to do at any price ; of our bain foreclosed and havin to git out and all. They shook their head and said they "had to turn away hun- dreds of men every da}'," and told me to " look around," I " might find work somewhere else." So I left and went from one place to another, and every- where I went I saw them signs and was told the same thing. I found lots of men huntin work. On nearly every street, and down along the river and over by the lake, were men a cam pin and a sleepin in railroad cars and outdoors ; cookin by fires built along the banks and on the shore; "waitin," they said, "till they could git a job." I got my supper with three fellers that nite that done their cookin that way. They seemed to be nice fellers. They was from different parts of the country. That nite 1 got a bed for fifteen cents, and had forty- three cents left. The next day I walked and walked and walked to find work, but couldent. At nite I had twenty-four cents left. Not wantin to git clear out of money, I got into an empty box-car and slept the best I could. It was cold, and most of the nite I had THE PREACHER AXD THE SALOONKEEPER. 22 1 At all the gates around the big fence they had signs stuck up." Berea and see if I cant find send this letter till I git there. t o walk from one end of the car to the other, back and forth, to keep my- self warm. So this mornin I come down here to Elyria, and have been from one end of the town to the other try in to find w-ork ; but nobody seems to want to hire me. 1 find men stayin out around town here too. They say they have been all over the country, and cant find work anywhere. I dont know what I will do. He go over to somethin there.- I will not CLEVELAND, O., Feb. 26, 1896. BOX-CAR 1406, VALLEY RAILWAY. BETSY : I am here. I will finish my letter. God only knows what it is to be out of work, out of money and out of home. I am not well. Ive had to sleep outdoors, in cars and barns and around lumber piles so much that I have a 222 BETSY GASKLVS, DIM 1C RAT. bad cold. I have not had anything to eat since yis- terday mornin. This cold weath- er has nearly used me up. I got one day's work cuttin ice, and got a dollar for it. That nite I got me a warm supper and slept in a bed. I run out of money at Elyria, and come from there to Berea. The first beg- gin I done was from the farmers on the way. I "Tasked him for something to eat." t one warm meal and a cold lunch. I was in Berea a whole day and nite without anything to eat, so I jist had to go to beggin agin. I went to the Methodist preacher's house one of them real cold mornins. I knocked, and the preacher come to the door. I asked him for somethin to eat. He called to the hired girl and told her to hand me a lunch, and went in, shut the door, and sot down by the fire. I could see him a settin there a readin the Cleveland Leader, with his feet restin on a plush foot-stool, and while that girl was a gittin that lunch and I was a standin out there in the THE PREACHER AND THE SALOONKEEPER. 223 wind a lookin at that good big fire I thought 1 would freeze. My teeth shook. When the girl brought that lunch I was so cold that 1 could hardly take it. It was two pieces of cold bread, with some cold beef shaved off and laid between. I was hungry and tried to eat it ; the bites seemed to stick in my throat, it was so dry and cold. What I did swallow seemed like chunks of ice in my stomach, and made me colder. I shook from head to foot. I couldent eat it, I was so cold. So I put what I couldent eat in my pocket, thinkin I would eat it when I got warmer. I thought Ide die with cold. No matter how fast I walked, I dident get warm. I went on and on till I got down where the bizness houses were. I could smell coffee and warm meat a fryin. It jist seemed as though I had to go in and take some, but I knew I darent. It seemed to make me colder. Finally I saw a sign sayin : FREE HOT SOUP. When I got up to it a man opened the door, a sweepin. I stopped, told him I had no money and was cold, and asked him if I could go into his place and warm. "Certainly," says he, "go right in. lie be in in a minit. " I went in yes, Betsy, went into a saloon, the fust time in my life. Dont blame me. I had to I was so cold. The stove was red-hot. When the feller come in and saw how I was shakin, says he : "Old man, this is pretty cold weather to be out.' 1 "Yes," says I, shiverin. He brought me a chair and told me to set down. Then he felt my hands and ears and says : 224 BETSY GASKINS, DIMICRAT. "Why, you are nearly froze." I told him about havin to stay out all nite, and about not havin anything warm for breakfast, the best I could, I shook so. He went and got a big woolen cloth, held it to the stove till it got hot, and wrapped my ears up. Then he went and got a little glass full of liquor, and told me to drink it and it would warm me up. I told him I hadent any money, and had never drank a drop of liquor in my life. "Well," says he, "I know you have no money, and, if you had, a old man like you, in your condition, shouldent pay for it. If )'ou dont wish to drink it I wont insist, but I thought it would warm you up." So he set the glass down on the counter and says : "He make you a hot cup of coffee, and then I think you will feel better." When the saloonkeeper set the glass of whiskey down and went to gittin me some hot breakfast, I seemed to git colder inside as 1 got warmer outside. So, Betsy, I jist made up my mind that Ide drink that glass of whiskey if it killed me. And I did. Soon after I drank it I felt a warm feelin inside ; and as I sot there it jist seemed as though I could feel myself a thawin out, with that big fire outside and that glass of whiskey inside. I sot there till the feller had my coffee and breakfast ready. It was the best coffee I ever tasted, though, Betsy, I always loved the coffee you made, and the fried eggs and the ham and the hot cakes jist seemed to melt in my mouth. Well, arter I had my breakfast the saloonkeeper came around and sot down and asked me all about myself, and you too. And as I told all our trouble, about our foreclosin and sellin out, and my huntin work and not findin it, big tears would every now and then leave his big blue eyes and roll (<1 WELL, OLD MAN, SICH THINGS HADENT ORT TO BE.'" 226 HKTSY GASK1NS, DIM 1C RAT. down his cheeks, and he kept a swallerin every little bit. When I had told him all, says he : "Well, old man, sich things hadent ort to be." So, when I got ready to go, he shook my hand and wished me good luck in findin work ; and when he took hold of my hand I felt somethin hard in his, and when he let go I had a silver dollar in mine. I handed it back to him, and told him I dident know as I could ever return it to him. "No matter, pap," says he, "keep it. If you are never able to return it, all right, and if you are able and never see me, 'do unto some other human brother as I have done unto you,' and the debt will be paid. Times are hard, and I have sich high taxes to pay that it makes money scarce with me, or I would give you more. I hate to see you go out in this cold ; you are welcome to stay if you wish." But, Betsy. I was so anxious to find work and git a place for you that I couldent stay. So that day and nite I made it to here. This is a big town, but so far I have found no work. Your lovin husband, JOBE GASKINS. When I got done readin that letter I was cryin out loud. Poor Jobe. I wonder where he was last nite. Oh, how I love that man that took Jobe in and warmed him and fed him! I love him though he is a saloonkeeper. 1 could throw my arms around his neck and cry on his shoulder with love for him and for his kindness toward Jobe. Well, this mornin the world seems strange to me. Last nite arter I had gone to bed and could look up in the clear sky at the bright stars, it jist seemed to me, while I laid there in my bed beside the big road, that every star was a eye lookin down on me with pity. And, thinkin that they THE PREACHER AND THE SALOONKEEPER. 227 looked that way, I was not a bit afraid and went to sleep, and slept till daylite. Hopin God will forgive them for makin and havin laws to put sich people as me out of home, I am Your troubled and homeless BETSY GASKINS. CHAPTER XL. "THEM ROOMS." THE "DIRECTOR OF CHARITIES." THAT mornin arter I wrote you the last time arter I had built me a fire in my stove and got my breakfast and washed up my dishes and made my bed I sot down on a chair out there by the big road. I never felt so queer in all my life. Not a sound could be heard, except over on the hill near Jake Stiffler's I could heer a cow a bawlin. It was awful lonesome. No one to speak to, nothin to look at, except my things piled up there beside the road. 1 couldent help thinkin of poor Jobe his beggin, and bein cold, and starvin, and sleepin in box-cars, and sich. Well, arter I had sot there a while a thinkin, I felt so bad that I jist thought I would go up to the house and take a look at them rooms and the place we had so long loved as our home. I felt afraid like to go, but I thought it might cheer me up to look into them rooms that I had cleaned and papered and swept the rooms where Jobe and me had set in and slept ; the rooms that had sheltered us in sickness and in health. So I jist throwed a shawl over my head, and walked up the walk that I had walked up thousands of times. There were the currant bushes, the lilac, the dead poppy stalks. And all the weeds and posies, that used to appear to wear a smile for me, now seemed to turn from me as if to say, "We haint yours any more. You have no bizness here now." THEM ROOMS. THE DIRECTOR OF CHARITIES. 229 And as I looked at them and felt that feelin, a lump would raise up in my throat, no matter how much I swallered and tried to keep it back. Well, I walked on until I got up to the kitchen winder. When I got there it jist seemed that I couldent look in, but, knowin I had come there to see them rooms, half afraid like but determined, I slipped over and put my face agin the glass. Everything was silent and still. There was my kitchen, all empty. Not a thing to be seen but that dear old kitchen empty no stove, no table, no chairs, no nothin. There was the winder where I stood cryin the mornin Jobe left. There by that winder I had set a combin my little Jane's hair years ago, while she drew pictures on them same winderpanes with her little fingers. There were the nails Jobe had drove in the wall when we fust moved in ; there was the same floor over which we had walked for I slipped over and put my face agin the glass." 230 BETSY GASKINS, DIMICRAT. years. Oh, how I longed to be a walkin over it agin! I was locked out I couldent git in. So I went from one winder to another, lookin in at them rooms. There was the same grate that had warmed us ; there in that corner, evenin arter evenin, Jobe had set and studied ; there in the other corner I had set and knit, or set and read. It seemed that I could see Jobe there now. Oh! how I would lo\e to see him there. Poor Jobe! I wonder if he thinks of the evenins weve spent beside that fire together. There was our bed-room empty, silent and still no bed, no nothin. There in that room I had set, nite arter nite, with little Jane when she was sick ; there she had throwed her little arms around my neck and put her fevered face agin mine the last time. From that room Ellen Jane Moore had carried her arter she was gone. It was empty now. I was locked out. I couldent go in. Turnin from them rooms, I walked around the yard, lookin at the fence, the well, the coal-house, and the things that had been mine. Then, comin to the front yard, I come to the little white rose-bush ; it seemed to look at me pleadin like. I started to go on, but I couldent. That rose-bush seemed to call me back. So I jist got me a sharp stick and dug it up, and took it down to where my things were and wrapped it up in a cloth. When I got back to the big road, and was settin there wonderin what Ide do, how long Ide have to live there in the big road, where Ide go to and sich, Constable Bill Adams come a ridin by. When he got up to me, says he : "Why, Mrs. Gaskins, what are you a doin with all this stuff piled in the road?" "Ime livin here," says I. "Well, voiile have to git this stuff out of the road," says THEM ROOMS. THE DIRECTOR OF CHARITIES. 231 he. "You darent obstruct the public highway. Its dangerous to have a pile of stuff like this in the big road ; its liable to scare horses, and somebody might git hurt or killed. Its aginst the law, Mrs. Gaskins, its aginst the law, and you will have to move it." "The law put it here," says I. "No matter," says he ; "youle have to git out of here, or youle be arrested." "Where will I put it?" " How do I know?" says he. "Youle have to look out for that yourself. Git it out of here, and that might}' quick, or you will git yourself into trouble." And he rode on towards town. Well, as he rode away I sot down and begin to think. Here I was, a old woman, set out in the big road by the Law put out of the house we had paid $3,800 towards ; the house empty, and now comes the Law and orders me to even git away from where the Law had put me. What to do I dident know. I jist sot there a cryin and helpless, when I heerd wagons comin down the road. I looked up, and there come two wagons and four men down the hill. They drove up and stopped, and there was Tom Osborne, and Charley McGlinchey, and that fat black- smith, and Jones the baker, all from Mineral Pint. They had come to move me. Tom Osborne had wer.t home the night before and told them about me bein put out in the big road, and they went together and got teams and come and moved me to town here. They seemed to be nice, kind men, but talked like them Populists. They dident talk much to me, but I heerd them talkin to each other, sayin : "Its a shame," " a disgrace to civiliza- tion," "wrong," "wouldent be if the people could borrow 232 HETSY GASKINS, DIM1CRAT. money from the government like they do in Switzerland," and all sich. They even said : " The time haint fur off when it can be done, and the likes of this wont be." And then they said a good deal agin the money power and polerti- cians, and sich, until I was glad Jobe wasent there to flare up. I was glad he wasent there, though Ide give the world to know where he is, or to have him with me. Well, they brought me to town and rented me this house here at 1412 West Front Street, and paid the rent for a month ; then -two of them drove off, and soon brought me a load of coal. While them two were gone for the coal the other two set up my stove, and fixed up my bed, and set things around in pretty good shape for men ; then, wishin me good luck, and hopin Jobe would soon git work and I would git to go to him, they drove off. They all looked pityin like as they left. I went to the post-office the next mornin to tell them I had changed my place of livin. I got this letter from Jobe. It jist seems there is no end of trouble for the people who are poor. Poor Jobe, how my heart bleeds for him. Here is his letter. Read it for yourself : JOBE'S SECOND LETTER. CLEVELAND WORK-HOUSE, CLEVELAND, O., March 5, 1896. To Betsy Gaskins. MY DEAR WIFE AND ONLY FRIEND: I am here in this prison put here by the law. God only knows my feelins. I am not a criminal. Ive done no wrong. Betsy, don't blame me. Pity me. I am a old man. I have worked hard. Ive been honest. Ive tried to do right. To-day I am in prison, wearin stripes. I was hungry. I had no money. I asked for bread. They arrested me. THEM ROOMS. THE DIRECTOR OF CHARITIES. 233 L L It was day be- fore yisterday. I had hunted for work all day. I had had nothin to eat for a whole day and nite. I was passin up Ontario Street, near Hull &Dut- ton's big clothin store. I saw a well-dressed man, with a high silk hat on, with a hand full of paper money, talkin loud and offerin to bet $500 that Mc- Kinley would git the delegates from Allegheny County. There were several fellers standin there a listenin and talkin, and two policemen. I stepped up and asked the feller with the money if he could give me enough to git me a supper and bed. I was so hungry and nearly sick by sleepin outdoors. The feller turned around and looked black at me. Then, turnin to the policemen, he ordered them to arrest me, sayin : "Ime d d if I dont intend to break up this beggin on the streets." The policemen took hold of me and jerked me out of the crowd and pulled me down Champlain Street hill to the city prison, and locked me in a iron cage. I In: teller turned around and looked black at me." 234 BETSY GASKINS, DIMICRAT. I asked one of them who the big man was that ordered me arrested. He said it was "the Director of Charities, one of the leadin city officers." You may have read in the papers of him a havin a tramp arrested for askin him for somethin to buy bread with. That tramp, Betsy, was me. They say he gits $5,000 a year for bein " Director of Charities." Well, they tried me next mornin and found me guilty. I am up for ten days. I cant find any work or a place for you till I git out. They brought me out here in a wagon with a cage on it. They call it the " Black Mariar." There was a lot of us in it. Betsy, pity me. Dont blame me. Your lovin husband, JOBE GASKINS. Mistur Editure, I cant comment. I feel so bad. CHAPTER XLI. A SORE HAND. I AM sick. I have been sick since day before yisterday. I have a high fever. My head bothers me. I cant rite. Here is another letter I got from poor Jobe. Oh! how I wish he was here. I know he would care for me and watch over me and do for me while Ime sick. Read his letter and return it. They seem so near to me. I havent been able to be out of bed much to-day. If Jobe was only out of that dreadful place. JOBE'S THIRD LETTER. CLEVELAND WORK-HOUSE, CLEVELAND, O., March 9, 1896. To Betsy Gaskins. DEAR WIFE : I got your letter yisterday. I cant tell you how I felt when I read of them a puttin you out. Betsy, I little thought, the day you stood beside me and become my wife, that the time would come when you would have to sleep outdoors in the big road. I felt then, Betsy, as though I was strong enough, and God knows I was willin, to provide a home for you as long as we both lived. Dont blame me, Betsy. Ive done the best I could. You know Ive worked hard, and we have lived savin, but by some unknown reason all I have aimed is gone. Mr. Richer has $3,800 of it. Ive done the best I could. I have to work hard here in this place, but Ime not complainin, nor wouldent complain if I was gittin paid for what work I do, so that I could help you. 235 236 BETSY G ASK INS, D2M1CRAT. "I have to work hard in this place." Ime a wheelin coal to the furnace and a wheelin hot cinders away. It keeps me bizzy. There are lots of men in here. A great many for beggin jist as I am. Betsy, dont let the neighbors know they have me locked up. I feel so disgraced. I feel that if that "Director of Charities," that had me arrested and put in here, had known that I had feelins ; if he had known that I was a honest old man; if he had thought of the difference between a old man, hungry, away from home and out of money I say, Betsy, if he had thought of the difference between sich a man as I was and a man drawin $5,000 a year as a leadin city officer, like hisself, I dont think he could have had the heart to have had me arrested and sent to prison. Lots of the fellers in here seem to be honest, kind- hearted people, but poor and away from home. Not bein known to the officers, they are arrested and sent out here. A SORE HAND. 237 Betsy, I long to see you. When I git out I will come back. I cant find any work up here. Nobody seems to want to hire me. My hand is sore. I can hardly use it. But then the feller what watches me work keeps me a goin. He dont allow me to stop a minit from the time they let me out of my cell in the mornin till they lock me in it agin at nite. The way I come to hurt my hand was I had a dream. Ive been a dreamin more or less for some time. Ime so tired and my bed is so hard. I suppose I dont sleep sound is why I dream so. I drearm-d I was in this work-house and there was more than a thousand other men in, and a comin in from ten to thirty a day mostly for bein hungry and beggin. Well, I thought one bright mornin one of the guards come through the buildin a hollerin and poundin on a big gong, and tellin all the fellers "to come into the big yard" that is in this place. He said that they had some good news for us. "Glad tidings of great joy," says he. I thought we all stopped work and went a hurryin to that big yard, and when I got there the yard was alive with people, men waitin to hear them "tidings." Well, when we all got into that yard two nice-lookin men climbed up on the platform that is in the middle and one of them says : " FELLOW-CITIZENS, GENTLEMEN AND BROTHERS: We are delegated by the proper authority to declare unto you this beautiful morning a new law that has been made by our brothers, the law-makers at Washington. We solicit your undivided attention for a few moments." He then read : "Be it resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives, in Congress assembled: That the chief aim of human gov- ernment should be to secure to each individual member of 238 BETSY CASK INS, DIMICRAT. such government contentment and happiness; that this can be done only by securing to all the unrestricted oppor- tunity to employ the means intended by the Creator for earning a livelihood /. ^>r V o> , , , >s^ ^ /^^; i 254 BETSY G A SKINS, DIMICRAT. of the room, stopped, turned, and all looked at the bed. Then they turned and gazed at me. I couldn't move. They kissed each other and began to move slowly toward the window, each with an arm around another. As they went out through the window the little girl began to sing the prettiest song I ever heard, in a low, sweet tone. When they were gone I got up and ran to the window. There they were, going up through the sky above the barn, the little girl singing at the top of her voice. I stood there looking as long as I could see them. I heard that little girl still singing as they went out of sight over the hill back of the poor-house. I felt so weak that I don't know how long I stood there, '&** "In the morning there was found a white-haired man.'' but finally I thought that I must run and tell the super- intendent that Mrs. Gaskins had gone. With that thought in my mind I turned from the window, crossed the room, and was just opening the door, when I happened to look toward the bed. And there lay Mrs. Gaskins as she had lain all evening, only stiller. I was scared. I could hardly believe it. I went to the bed. She was cold. She did not breathe. I rubbed my eyes and hands and face to try to bring myself to realize what it all meant. Then I went into my room and lay down beside my baby till morning. .-/ FAMILY REUNION, 255 I straightened out Betsy's clothes the next morning before they put her in the box. While doing so, I found a little rose-bush, tied up neatly in a rag and pinned fast to her skirt. This, Mr. Editor, is all I know of Betsy Gaskins. Of Jobe Gaskins I know very little, unless it was he that came with the little girl. In yesterday's daily paper, however, I noticed this item : "NEW PHILADELPHIA, O., March 22, 1896. Last night a supposed tramp entered the Canal Dover rolling-mill in an almost frozen condition and asked for shelter from the storm. In accordance with his instruction from the com- pany, the night watchman ejected him. In the morning there was found a white-haired man, apparently sixty years of age, lying cold in death on the ash-heap. The initials 'J. G.' were marked on his shirt. His face was burned so that it scarcely looked like a human counte- nance. His feet and body were covered with ice and snow. "The coroner's jury, judging from the time the man was refused shelter in the mill and from the amount of snow on his feet and body, decided that he must have died between two and three o'clock the night before." Could this tramp, Mr. Editor, have been the old man who was trying to get back to his sick wife? HATTIE MOORE. P. S. The rose-bush which I found pinned to poor Betsy's skirt I have planted on her grave. CHAPTER XLIV. AFTER THE WOE, THEN COMES THE LAW. |ETSY GASKINS' sad his- tory and the terrible fate of poor Jobe for he it was whose body was found on the cinder-pile caused great excitement, not only in Tuscarawas County, but throughout Ohio, and even in many other sec- tions of the country. One Chicago paper devoted a whole column to portraying the awfulness of turning an old man from a friendly shelter on such a cruel night as the one when Jobe Gaskins froze to death. Other papers in different parts of the Union expatiated on the hardships of the old couple from the time the hard hand of the law began to push them from their home until death took pity on them and removed them beyond the reach of man's cruelty to man. The lesson of their humble lives was made the subject of sermons and of editorials every- where. By the time of the campaign of 1896, the people of the United States had become so wrought up that there seemed to be a spontaneous demand for the restoration of the conditions which prevailed when it was possible for Jobe Gaskins and his likes to pay off their debts. So universal was the demand that three parties nominated the same 256 At-TEK THE WOE, THEN COMES THE LAir. 257 candidate for president. He made a brilliant campaign ; but, owing to his being handicapped by a plutocratic, mortgage-holding, interest-taking running mate, he was defeated. Out of the campaign and the knowledge gained by the people, however, much good resulted. In many States legislatures were elected that were above the corrupting influence of the money power. The people were awake to their needs, and many laws were enacted for the betterment of the conditions of the common people, particularly the poor and homeless. Ohio, especially, was active in this direction. It seemed that nearly every member of the legislature had learned the story of Betsy and Jobe Gaskins, and had come to Columbus determined, if possible, to provide laws that would stay the hands of Ohio sheriffs from turning honest people out of the shelter they had erected by their own industry and economy, and to make it easier for people to pay for homes. It was only the second day of the session when sixteen bills were presented in the House and four in the Senate, all designed to lessen the hardships of debtors and the burdens of the oppressed. There seemed to be a unanimity of opinion that county treasurers should be authorized to receive money on deposit in order to protect the depositor from loss ; that money so deposited should be exempt from taxation, and that legal interest should be reduced to four per cent. There was some diversity of opinion as to whether or not the treasurers should do a general banking business; all agreed, however, that money should be loaned out on first mortgage real estate security at not to exceed four percent, interest. The bills were referred to a committee appointed for the purpose, and the following ia the bill reported back 2 5 8 BETSY CASK INS, DLM1CRAT. by the committee, the chairman of which, Mr. L. W. Chambers, of Ashtabula County, became its champion : THE BILL. "Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio : That on and after the first Monday in April, A. D. 1898, any person so desiring may deposit money in any sum from one dollar ($i) up, with the treasurer of the county in which he resides, and receive therefor a certificate of deposit or a credit on a pass-book, and all such money may be withdrawn on demand unless otherwise stipulated in the certificate of deposit. The treasurer may require a notice of sixty days for the withdrawal of any sum exceed- ing one hundred dollars ($100). "SEC. 2. The county treasurers of Ohio are hereby authorized to receive on deposit money from the citizens of their respective counties ; keep the same separate from the other funds received by them ; place the same in a special account, to be called the People's Savings Fund ; provide such extra clerk hire as may be necessary to attend to the business ; lend the money of such fund on first mortgage real estate security to such citizens as may apply for same, at a rate of simple interest not to exceed four (4) per cent, per annum. "All securities and title of property shall be certified to the treasurer by the auditor and recorder, and shall be appraised by a board of appraisers residing in the town- ship where the property is situated. "Not more than ninety (90) percent, of the appraised value of any property shall be loaned thereon. "The trustees of the respective townships of Ohio are hereby constituted a board of appraisers of the property on which loans may be asked in such township. For such appraisement, whether the loan is granted or not, the applicant shall pay said appraisers a fee of two dollars AFTER THE WOE, 7V//-..V COMES THE LAW. 259 each. At least two of such appraisers shall go upon and assess the value of any such property. "The borrower shall pay all incidental charges con- nected with any loan. The treasurer shall not receive more than one per cent, per annum on the money loaned, as his compensation for conducting and caring for said business ; all interest received, less expense to said treas- urer, shall be distributed pro rata to the depositors in accordance with the amount and time of deposit. "A failure to pay interest for three years shall work a forfeiture of any loan made under the provisions of this act, and the property shall revert to the county without process of law further than order of court upon sworn statement of the treasurer as to such delinquency ; and the mortgagee shall be permitted to occupy such premises for such a length of time as the payments made thereon shall amount to a yearly rental of four per cent, and taxes, after which the said property may be rented at not less than four per cent, and taxes, or sold at private sale at not less than appraised value. "Any losses sustained by the depositors, through the defalcation or dishonesty of the county treasurer, or any other officer of a county, shall be paid by the county in full, and the said officer apprehended, his property, as well as any and all property transferred or assigned by him during his incumbency, shall be confiscated, and he shall be hanged by the neck until dead, without benefit of trial except to ascertain the certainty of such defalcation or dishonesty. In such cases there shall be no appeal, pardon or reprieve." No sooner was this law proposed than the telegraph wires were put in use to notify every banker in Ohio, as well as the principal bankers in Chicago, New York and other great centers. 260 BETSY G A SKINS, DJ MIC RAT. Their hired agents were there. In two days the lobbies and corridors of the State-house at Columbus were crowded with well-dressed, well-fed, diamond-studded gentlemen from all parts of the country, crying out against such a law and picturing the direful results that would follow its passage. Legislators were buttonholed, wined and dined, threat- ened, abused, coaxed, cajoled, persuaded and bribed for some five or six days. The newspapers of the country denounced the bill as "revolutionary," "socialistic," "destructive," "ruinous," and suggested that "the militia should be called out to drive the anarchistic law-makers not only from the State-house at Columbus, but out of the State of Ohio." They bemoaned "the terrible disgrace that had already been brought upon the fair name of Ohio," and claimed that "to uphold the honor and integrity of the State the bill must be overwhelmingly defeated." Brilliant lawyers and leading business men were summoned to Columbus to oppose the bill and to tell the law-makers how bitterly the people were opposed to it. All this time from ten to a hundred homes were being sold weekly by the sheriff of each county. Thousands were starving in Chicago, New York and other cities and towns, and all because during all their lives they had been paying directly or indirectly from six to ten per cent, interest to these same fat, well-dressed fellows who were now at Columbus trying to prevent legislation for the relief of the people. For days it looked as though the bill would be defeated. Very few spoke in its favor, but one could hear criticism almost anywhere. Two days before it was to come up for third reading a thing happened, however, that gave it new life. Bill-posters in all parts of the city of Columbus AFTER THE WOE, THEN COMES THE LAW. 2 6l filled the bill-boards and store windows with brilliant posters announcing that on the following night the famous actor James A. Herne and his company would play BETSY GASKINS (DIMICRAT), WIFE OF JOBE GASKINS (REPUBLICAN)," at the Grand Opera-house, for the benefit of the poor of the city, and that the members of the General Assembly of the State of Ohio had been invited to attend free as the guests of Tom L. Johnson, of Cleveland. The large posters in the windows and on the bill-boards showed "Betsy Set Out in the Big Road," "Jobe in Berea," "The Cinder Pile," and "Little Jane at the Family Reunion." Crowds gathered before the windows and about the bill- boards, studying the pictures. Strong men and brave women were seen to wipe away the tear of sorrow as they recalled and rehearsed the sad tale of Jobe and Betsy Gaskins. In the afternoon word got out that the legislature had under consideration a bill that would make it easier for people to get homes. By morning of the next day it was the talk of the town. The night of the show the large theater could not hold more than one-fourth of those who had come to see. The doors were closed at seven o'clock, and the performance began at once, word being sent to the disappointed crowd outside that Mr. Herne would give two shows that night, the doors to open for the second performance at nine o'clock, and, further, that seats would be free to all, only those paying who desired to contribute to the fund for the needy. Immense enthusiasm, tears, and at times laughter, 262 BETSY GASA'/A'S, DIM 1C RAT. followed the players. As the hardships, trials and dis- appointments of poor old Betsy and innocent Jobe were made vivid and real by the actors, like conditions in the lives of fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters or friends came to the memory of nearly every one in the audience, and tears and sobs proved the interest with which the people were drinking in the great lesson that was passing before them. Finally, when the curtain fell on the last act., instead of the crowd rising and hastening to the exits, as crowds usually do, they sat for some moments as if spell- bound,. Then individuals began to rise in their seats here and there, and, leaning over, to converse with their nearest neighbors in words and tones of consolation and hope, as though some great pall hung over them. Women were crying; the men looked earnest and thoughtful. This was the condition of the audience when a great tumult was noticed in the front of the house ; loud shouts of men filled the room, while above all others and on the shoulders of two brawny men there was lifted a middle-aged man, pale, nervous, yet seemingly calm. Every one seemed to be trying to reach his hand or touch his garments. He smiled. He was borne forward to the stage and placed upon it. At the same time two other men climbed on with him. When the larger of the two, who I afterward learned was the representative from Seneca County, vigorously pounded for order, the crowd settled back in their seats and quiet reigned. Then the big legislator said: "Ladies and gentlemen, we have witnessed to-night one of the most wonderful plays ever presented to an intelli- gent public wonderful in the fact that it is so true to life that nearly every one in the vast audience knows some near or dear one who is only Betsy or Jobe Gaskins under another name ; wonderful in the fact that this proud nation of the United States, after an existence of over one hun- AFTER THE WOE, THEN COMES THE LA W. 263 dred years, should have a system of laws that works such terrible hardships on her citizens, and then claim to be civilized or advanced ; wonderful in the fact that these conditions exist on every hand, in every direction, and yet a nation of Christians has not risen up against them. But, good people, my heart swells with joy when I tell you that sitting by my side, carried here in the arms of admiration, is a man who has set out to relieve the people of Ohio from such slavery who has introduced in the legislature a bill which will come up for a third reading to-morrow, and which will relieve the poor of many of such hardships as poor Betsy and Jobe Gaskins had to bear a bill, if you please, that will make it easier for us and our children to buy and pay for a home. "Fellow-citizens, I present to you the Hon. L. W. Chambers, of Ashtabula County, the chairman of the com- mittee and champion of the bill I have just referred to." The audience arose en masse, climbed on seats, cheered, stamped and whistled, while Mr. Chambers, without a smile, but calmly and courteously, bowed and sat down. Then the big legislator, after getting the crowd quiet again, said that the bill he referred to would enable any one with reasonable security to borrow money from the county treasury at not more than four per cent, interest, and that in his opinion the play they had just seen had in part offset the influence of the lobbying bankers who had been hanging around the Assembly hall like buzzards for nearly a week. Mr. Herne then came out and requested the audience to disperse, stating that four thousand other people were waiting outside for a repetition of the play. The audience left reluctantly. No sooner was the theater cleared than the second audience made a rush for admission. 264 BETSY GASKINS, D1M1CRAT. It was only a few moments until the house was filled again from pit to gallery. The interest manifested was fully as great as that evoked by the first performance, and the acting again was superb. At 11:20 o'clock the curtain fell on the last act for the second time that night. The next morning early people from all parts of the city could be seen traveling in the direction of the State-house, in street-cars, carriages, on bicycles and afoot. All seemed to be intent and anxious. Fully fifteen thousand people were on the State-house grounds by nine o'clock. They talked, whispered, argued and made speeches. The sole theme was Betsy Gaskins and the new law. The antiquated crank was there, claiming that it "can't be done," "better leave things as they are." Every now and then a lobbying banker could be seen, slipping along, eyes cast downward, as though he felt his guilt. When the session opened the galleries of the Assembly room were filled with people. The State-house was full. The gavel of the speaker fell. The chaplain offered prayer. He prayed that right might prevail ; that the poor and heavy-laden might be unburdened ; that the bribe-taker, together with the bribe-giver, might perish from the land; and, above all, he invoked the blessings of Divine Providence on the acts of that particular day. After prayer silence reigned a while. It was broken when a tall, partly bald, large-faced, keen-eyed law-maker over in the northeast corner of the hall arose in his seat, took a general survey of the house and galleries, took a large roll of money from his pocket, and, waving it above his head, said in thunder tones : "Behold! See that money! There sit in this house fifty-three men who know where that money came from, and what it was given for. They know it because they AFTER THE WOE, THEN COMES THE LAW. 265 each have received from the same hand like sums. They came here sworn to represent the peo- ple who elected them ; they would sell them into slav- ery instead. They are bribe-takers, and have sold their votes and influence against the bill that comes up to-day. This hall for the last week has been surrounded by a horde of lobbying bankers and bank- ers' lawyers, buy- ing the manhood of men that the poor may continue to be oppressed." Then, turning and pointing toward a banker from Cincin- nati who sat in the south gallery, he said : "There is the man! I defy him to deny that he paid me the five hundred dollars I hold in my hand to vote and work against this bill!" The banker was livid. All eyes were turned toward him. He sat looking straight at the legislator, who pic- tured the banker as a "thief," a "murderer, "a "corrupter of justice," a "despoiler of government," and closed by waving his hand over the hall and exclaiming that such Behold! See that money!" 266 BETSY GASKINS, DLM1CRAT. criminals had by their own acts put themselves beyond the pale of the law. By this time the crowd had become furious. The Assem- bly arose as one man, many with rolls of money in their hands, and a cry went up that was awful to hear a cry of lost manhood found. There were repeated calls for order, but there was no order to be had. Well-dressed, sleek men could be seen hurriedly making their exit from all the doors of the State- house, and hastening at full speed in all directions. For more than an hour the tumult continued. In the meantime some of the spectators had caught the Cincinnati briber and a lobbying lawyer from Findlay, and, securing a rope, tied them together, took them out on High Street, and made them run a gauntlet of some three hundred yards' length through a maddened concourse of American citizens. Some had staves, straps, switches ; others, lamp-black, flour, Venetian red, and whatever they could get to deface and besmirch the fine clothes, fair faces and dignified appearance of the two corrupters of the law. The pair trotted up and down that space until they became so fatigued and crestfallen that they fell prostrate and begged for mercy. They were permitted to go on sworn promises never again to come to Columbus to bribe or influence the people's legislators. After the tumult had subsided and when quiet had been restored at the -State-house, some forty-eight members, seemingly under the influence of a stricken conscience, took from their pockets various sums of money and sent them up to the clerk as a contribution to the fund for the need}'. In all there was $21,468. Many admitted that it was bribe money, and many others, while not openly admitting it, said so by their convicted looks. It was a solemn occasion. It seemed as though money and dishonor had been routed Al'TEK THE WOE, T/fE.V COMES THE LAW. 267 and the spirit of human justice reigned in that hall, touch- ing each heart with unseen hand. The bill that would make it "easier for the poor to live and secure homes" had come to life again. When the bill was read there was a murmur of general approval. Its champion made one of the most eloquent and pathetic speeches ever delivered in the State-house at Columbus. He showed how, at six per cent, interest, all the wealth of the nation may pass into the hands of the money-lenders every sixteen years, and leave of the annual increase only enough to support the great mass of the people with a meager living. He showed how the bankers had con- spired together to rob the nation in time of peril; how they had robbed the business men, robbed the masses, robbed everybody by their contraction of the currency and their thieving, unjust laws. He said : "We have had demonstrated here in this hall to-day the manner in which the bankers have looked after the interests of the country for the last thirty-five years. They know no god but money, and with money they have cor- rupted the world. They are of no service to either God or man, and yet they demand that both man and God bow before their will." He showed how hundreds of millions of dollars had been stolen from depositors in the banks of the United States by suspension and failure, the result of the most dishonest, the most unsafe system of banking known to the world. "The American banker laughs when asked for security; takes all the money he can get ; breaks up at pleasure, and mocks the grief of the poor depositors." Closing he said: "Fellow-legislators, I appeal to you for the passage of this bill. I appeal to you in the name of common honesty ; I appeal to you in the name of thousands of hard-working citizens who, desiring to save their earnings, now have no 268 BETSY GASK1XS, DIMICRAT. safe place to put them. I appeal to you in the name of the millions of husbands and fathers whose shoulders are stooped under the burdens of high interest and money contraction heaped upon them by this conspiring horde of money-mongers. Let our motto be: 'Justice to man- kind; equality before the law.' And let human rights and human liberty be our ever-burning beacons of guidance.'' Then followed the member from Sandusky County. He took up the feature of the bill that favored the exemption from taxation of money deposited in the county treasury. He showed how a tax on money always fell on the bor- rower in the way of increased interest; how, if we take taxes from money and give the people a safe place to deposit, thousands of dollars, now kept out of circulation and hidden in the homes of the people, would coaie out and be used in the channels of trade to the benefit of all. He then appealed to the legislators to be men and patriots, and to spurn with contempt the influence of the lobbying money-lenders and corruptionists. Many others spoke in favor of the bill, and only one or two offered any opposition. It was evident from the beginning that the opponents to the measure were routed, and when it came to a vote the bill passed with only fourteen votes in the negative. When the result was announced the scene on the floor and in the galleries was one of joy beyond description. Liberty, long chained, had broken her bonds. Men grasped each other's hands, and women wept with joy. They saw the dawn of the new day of liberty freedom from debt. The bill passed the Senate the same afternoon and became a law on the i8th day of March, 1898. The news was telegraphed all over the world. The county treasurers of Ohio were instructed to begin on the first Monday of April to receive the people's money on AFTER THE WOE, THEN COMES THE LA U . 2 6g deposit and to loan the same to the people at four percent. In every county seat, in almost every town, post-office or store, around nearly every fireside, the new law was discussed. When the first Monday of April came scarcely a man could be found who did not thoroughly understand this "law for the common good of the common people." As soon as the doors of the banks were opened, men began to draw out their money, carry it over to the county treas- uries of the State, deposit it and depart for home. Others called at the county treasuries, signed mortgages bearing four per cent, interest, and borrowed money to pay off their mortgages, held by the banks, drawing seven or eight per cent, interest, returning home feeling a thrill of new life and new hope. No sooner would one borrower pay off an old seven or eight per cent, mortgage at the banks than would some depositor withdraw the money, carry it to his county treasurer, deposit it, and another borrower would deposit a new four per cent, mortgage and pay off an old seven or eight per cent, mortgage at possibly the same bank. This continued for nearly six months, by which time most of the loans on which the people had been paying seven or eight per cent, had been converted into four per cent, mortgages, payable to the various counties. Most of the bankers were honest and continued to take in money on old mortgages and pay it out to the depositors until their business was settled up in full. In Tuscarawas County the aggregate of the mortgages held by the six banks was $1,048,692. On this amount the people saved by the new law an average of three and one- half percent., or $37,703.22. This sum, instead of being paid to the bankers of the county each year, was saved by the borrowers, and, being applied on the principal, helped pay off the burdens of the people. 270 BETSY Cr'./.YA'/.V.V, D I MIC RAT. The first man in New Philadelphia to withdraw his deposit was Clem Waltz. He had $2,200 in the First National. He drew it out at 9:10 a. m., took it to the county treasurer, deposited it at 9:28 a. m.; and at 9:52 a. m. Seymour Grimes borrowed $1,600 of it on his River Bottom farm, and paid off a mortgage against him held by the same First National. About the same time Jacob Moore borrowed $500 on his house and lot on Eighth Street for the same purpose. So by 10 o'clock $2,100 of that $2,200 taken out by Waltz was back in the bank, and two hardworking, honest, industrious citizens were paying only four per cent, interest instead of seven or eight. And Clem Waltz had all of Tuscarawas County back of him as security for his $2,200, and would receive three per cent, interest on his money clear of taxes. About ii o'clock Robert Witt came into the county treasurer's office with $2,000 of the same money that had been paid to the bank by Moore and Grimes, and by noon it was loaned out to other persons who would rather pay four per cent, interest than seven or eight. In the after- noon business was still brisker. The first day there was $38,000 withdrawn from the various banks; deposited with the county treasurer ; loaned to the same people that owed the banks ; paid back into the banks ; taken out and placed in the treasury, etc. The first week loans to the amount of $356,828 were thus changed. Everybody seemed to be happy except a banker here and there. Many bankers, however, admitted that they were pleased to see the poor have more chance in life. In six months' time all the banks except the First National had closed up their business and quit. Business in all other lines has picked up. Two of the ex-bank- ers are clerks in the county treasurer's office, while AFTER THE WOE, THEN COMES THE LAW. 271 the others, being rich, have decided not to engage in any business for a while, feeling that it is due themselves and the community that they take a long-needed rest. Betsy's dream has, at least in part, come true. Jobe's dream still remains to be realized. Millions of men are still out of work. But the people have been aroused. They are thinking hard, and soon they will act. They will act at the ballot-box, and by their votes they will declare that "the chief aim of human government should be to secure to each individual contentment and happi- ness, and that this can be done only by securing to all the unrestricted opportunity to labor." "Work for the unemployed" is the issue on which the people will fight and win the battle of the ballots. There is much talk that a memorial be erected to Betsy Gaskins not to perpetuate the memory of her hardships, but to ever keep the people in mind of the fact that every liberty or right we enjoy has cost much suffering, distress and woe, and, further, that every advance toward a perfect state of human society as taught by Jesus Christ has been in spite of selfish and ignorant wealth, and never by its aid. Long may the spirit of human justice live, is the prayer of THK EDITOR. BROTHERS ALL BROTHER of mine, if one should come, Should come to your door to-day, With the marks of the nails in His hands and the scars Of the thorns on His brow, and say : " Brother of mine, I stand in need; I am He who was crucified ; Will you help me to-da) r in word and deed? Will you stand to-day at my side?" Brother of mine, I know that you Would give Him this answer true : ; ' You died for me, and what can I do But die, if I may, for you?" Brother of mine, if one should come, Should come to your door to-day, With the scars of toil on his hands and the marks Of the sweat on his brow, and say : " Brother of mine, I stand in need ; I am being crucified ; I have sought for work from door to door ; I am everywhere denied. " Brother of mine, I ask not alms ; I have asked no man to give ; I but ask for work to earn my bread ; I ask the right to live." Brother of mine, what would you say, What would your answer be To this lowly brother of Him who said : "Even so unto me." 272 HENRY BENSON. Part II THK WORLD'S OPPRESSOR. PART II Present Day Problems EDITKD BY K. L. ARMSTRONG CONTENTS OF FART II. }'AG K I. The Impending Revolution 277 II. The Philosophy of Money 283 III. A Bird's-eye View of American Financial History. By Samuel Leavitt 37 IV. The Eight Money Conspiracies 345 V. Financial Authorities 35 2 VI. Interest and Usury 3^ VII. Debt and Slavery 3 8 7 VIII. The Laws of Property. By Lyinan Trumbull 393 IX. Direct Legislation 4 O1 I. THE IMPENDING REVOLUTION. "And the Lord said unto Moses. Wherefore criest thou? Speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward." Exodus 14:15. THE purpose of the following pages is to present in compact form a series of articles on money and kindred subjects from the point of view of one who, realizing that a world-wide economic revolution is imminent, hopes that this revolution will be accomplished by reason and in peace, not by treason and violence by book and ballot, not by bullet and bayonet. It is not intended to make a special plea for the doctrines of any particular school of economics, or of any political party. The object is rather to place in concrete the arguments and principles of many branches of Reform thought which, while widely divergent in respect of methods, have a com- mon aim in the emancipation of industry. The many elements which make up the great and grow- ing army of Reform may be segregated into two divisions individualists and collectivists. In the early history of this nation the men who had battled for its independence were similarly divided into two great parties one advo- cating the centralization of power in the national govern- ment, the other demanding for each State sovereign independence. The flexibility of our Constitution is ascribed to the wisdom of the fathers, who sought out and adopted what was best in the ideas of both. So out of the apparently conflicting elements of the Reform movement will come the ultimate solution of economic problems. 277 278 PRI<:SE\ T T DA Y PROBLEMS. The editor is in thorough accord with the collectivists, whether they be known as socialists, nationalists or co-oper- ators, in so far as they advocate the public ownership of monopolies. The people should own and operate the railroads, the telegraph, the telephone, etc., as they already own the post-office. The people should also own and operate the street railroads, water-works, gas-works, electric light plants, etc. The notorious corruption of our law-making bodies is due almost wholly to their power to grant special privileges and to sell public franchises to private individuals or corporations. Legislative reform that ignores the cause of corruption is never remedial and seldom even palliative. Public ownership of natural monop- olies will abolish the bribe-taker by making impossible the bribe-giver. The editor believes also that it is the duty of the govern- ment to provide for every citizen willing to work full and free opportunity to earn a livelihood, and therefore advo- cates government employment for the unemployed. The editor further believes that reforms in these direc- tions can only be accomplished by direct legislation, and a special chapter is therefore devoted to that subject. The problem which now presses most persistently for immediate solution is that of money. The crying need of the hour is to provide work for the unemployed. Tinkering with the tariff will not do this, because you cannot make a people prosperous by taxation. You can set the wheels of industry in motion, however, by putting money in circu- lation. And what is money? Money is the public credit, stamped or imprinted upon, or represented by, metal, paper, or any other convenient substance recognized by law or usage, and employed as a medium of exchange and a measure of values. THE IMPENDING REVOLUTION. 279 Money is money only so long and in so far as it repre- sents the public credit. Moses, as well as the early fathers of the Christian Church, undoubtedly adopted this view of money when they denounced usury, which is the device whereby the drones in humanity's bee-hive, monopolizing the public credit, have in all ages exacted tribute from the workers. We have seen what money is. Now let us see how we can best circulate it. Suppose that this country were governed by a czar, an autocrat, with absolute power to make what laws he pleased for the government of his people. Suppose this autocrat should issue an order increasing the standing army to one million men, these one million men to be armed, not with muskets and swords, but with pickaxes, shovels, etc., and to be set to work improving roads, reclaiming desert and waste lands, etc. Suppose these men were paid $1.50 a day in money issued for that purpose by the government. What would be the result? One million of men would be taken from the overcrowded labor market, and at the end of each week nine million dollars would be put in circulation. Would it be necessary to pay these men in gold and silver? No. Would not mere paper money inscribed something like this, in denominations of one, two, five, ten, twenty and fifty dollars, answer all purposes? THIS CERTIFICATE, TO THE AMOUNT OF ITS FACE VALUE, WILL BE RECEIVED BY THE GOVERN- MENT OF THE UNITED STATES IN PAYMENT OF ALL PUBLIC DUES, AND IS A FULL LEGAL TENDER IN THE PAYMENT OF ALL DEBTS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE. 2 8o PRESENT DA V PROBLEMS. Would not these certificates pass everywhere for their face value? Would the}' not have back of them all the power of the law? And would they not have the same power if they were issued and ordained, not by an autocrat holding merely a fictitious authority, but by the will and the vote of a sovereign people? Would they not be backed by all the wealth of the nation? The right to issue money is a sovereign right and should be jealously guarded by a sovereign people. To delegate this power to banks and money-lenders is as grave an error as it would be to confer on a class the privilege of making laws for the whole community. The volume of money should be regulated to suit the requirements of all the people and not the greed of those who thrive on usury. The use of metals for money is unscientific, and they will eventually be relegated to obscurity with the shells, pelts, tally-sticks and other cumbrous mediums of exchange employed by our ancestors. But great reforms cannot be accomplished at once. Gold and silver are the money of the Constitution. The act of 1873, which made gold alone the basis of credit, and which, by reducing the volume of money, doubled the burden of debt, was a violation of the fundamental law of our government. The wrong per- petrated in 1873 must be righted now. This is the first great step in monetary reform. Following this, the issue of interest-bearing bonds must be stopped forever. The careful student will find that interest is at the bottom of all our financial ills. Unselfish patriotism must abolish usury by substituting the credit of all the people for that of the banks. Every physical or moral ill is the result of some breach of natural or divine law. For generations we have THE IMPENDING REVOLUTION. 2 8l violated the laws of God as they relate to money and to land. "And if thy brother be waxen poor and fallen in decay with thee, then thou shalt relieve him ; yea, though he be a stranger or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. Take thou no usury of him or increase ; but fear thy God, that thy brother may live with thee." (Lev. 25: 36-37.) Moses, the inspired law-giver, the great soldier-poet- statesman, who led a semi-barbarous people from the slavery of Egypt and made of them a nation which endured the longest in the world's history, wrote these words. We also read: "The land shall not be sold forever; for the land is mine [saith the Lord] ; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me." (Lev. 25 : 23.) Let the Christian world cease bickering over questions of dogma and study again the inspired law of Moses, the law which Christ came to fulfill, and a solution of all the many questions which now vex us will soon be found. Under the Mosaic law, slaves were emancipated, human life was made sacred, debtors were liberated every seven years, inherited property was divided and paternal in- heritances were alienated, luxury and extravagance were discouraged, and by forbidding land-monopoly and usury (in the Bible usury and interest are synonymous) dis- proportionate fortunes and vast accumulations of wealth, which have caused the decline of the world's great empires and are now threatening the foundations of modern civilization, were made impossible. Chattel slavery no longer exists in any part of the civilized world, imprisonment for debt has been abolished, the right of the people to rule is established, but humanity is still bound in chains of servitude as galling and oppress- ive as in any period of its history. The rule of kings is passing away, but the autocracy of money and monopoly 282 PRESENT DAY PROFILE MS. is seated on the throne and swaying a more imperious scepter. But the people have it in their power to overthrow their oppressors. In this country, at least, we have the ballot. The 'duty of the hour is to study political economy, so that this weapon may be wielded intelligently and effectively. "Education" must be our watchword. It is only by education that we may hope to gain the three great essen- tials for perfect liberty and equality : direct legislation direct money direct taxation. These will establish forever the sovereignty of the people. II. THE PHILOSOPHY OF MONEY. '* The American people must learn the lesson of money or they are lost." r "*HE word "money" is derived from the Latin nwneta (from moneo, to warn), meaning "warned" or "admonished." Moneta was a surname for Juno, because she was believed to have warned the Romans by means of an earthquake to offer sacrifice. In the temple of Juno Moneta coins were made; hence moneta, meaning either a mint, or coin, or coined money. The English word "money" is defined by Webster as "an}' currency usually and lawfully employed in buying and selling;" and the word "currency" is defined as "that which is in circulation or is given and taken as having or representing value." Varieties of Money. Until recent times many substances entirely foreign to our modern ideas of money were used as measures of value, among which were: Leather. In Rome and Sparta 700 B. C., and in Persia, Tartary, France and Spain as late as the sixteenth century. Bark. China used the inner bark of the mulberry tree in the fourteenth century. Base Metals. Iron was used by the ancient Spartans, Romans and Hebrews ; tin was used in ancient Syracuse and Britain, while lead is still used in Burmah and brass in China. All of these forms of money were stamped with some 283 284 PRESENT DA Y PROBLEMS. sort of design indicating their exchangeable value and by whose authority they were issued. Wood. Several ancient governments used money made of wood. From the time of Henry I. (A. D. 1273) up to the foundation of the Bank of England, in 1694, a period of over four hundred years, England circulated a legal- tender money make of wood, called "exchange tallies." The "tally" issued by the British Exchequer was a stick or bit of peeled rod upon which notches were cut, indicative of an account, pledge or other commercial transaction. It was split in such a way as to divide the notches. One-half the "tally" was given to the payer and one-half was retained by the Exchequer; and the transaction might be verified at any time by fitting the two halves together, when the notches would be found to "tally" with each other if the check had not been tampered with. Jonathan Duncan said that these wooden representatives of value circulated freely among the people and sustained the trade of England. Wampum. One of the prevailing forms of money in use among the New England colonies was wampum. This was simply strings of white and black beads made from sea-shells found along the New England coasts. In 1641 Massachusetts made these beads a legal tender at the rate of six for a penny up to the sum of ^10; and they were receivable, at that rate, for all judgments and taxes. In 1643 the limit of this legal tender was reduced to 40 shillings. In 1649 the colony passed a statute forbidding the receipt of wampum for taxes, and its use as money rapidly declined, though it still circulated in a limited way in several of the colonies as late as 1704. Tobacco. The people of Maryland and Virginia, before the Revolutionary war and for some time after, in default of gold and silver, used tobacco as money, made it money THE PHILOSOPHY Ol-' MOXEY. 285 by law, reckoned the fees and salaries of government officers in tobacco and collected the public taxes in that article. Peltries. In an early day several of the Western States made peltries a legal tender. In 1785 the people of the territory now called Tennessee organized a State called "Franklin" and passed the following act, which is illustrative of similar acts in other States : "Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Franklin, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same : "That from the first day of January, 1789, the salaries of the officers of the Commonwealth be as follows: "His Excellency the Governor, per annum, 1,000 deer skins. " His Honor the Chief Justice, per annum, 500 deer skins. "The Secretary to His Excellency the Governor, per annum, 500 raccoon skins. "The Treasurer of the State, 450 raccoon skins. "Each County Clerk, 300 beaver skins. "Clerk of the House of Commons, 200 raccoon skins. "Members of the Assembly, per diem, 3 raccoon skins. "Justice's fee for signing a warrant, i muskrat skin. "To the constable for serving a warrant, i mink skin. "Enacted into law the i8th day of October, 1788, under the great seal of State." Gold and Silver have been used as money metals from the earliest times of recorded history. The Bible has many references to the use of both gold and silver as early as the age of Abraham. Paper. The first printed bank notes of which we have any record were issued by Palmstruck, a banker of Sweden, in 1660. Intrinsic Value. No kind of money, as such, has any intrinsic value, for the instant the material of which the money is made is 286 PRESENT DAY PROBLEMS. used for another purpose it ceases to be money. As money, the sole value of the material arises from its func- tion as a circulating medium ; and even the value of gold and silver as used in the arts and sciences will be largely determined by the demand for them for money purposes. Of recent years the general demonetization of silver by the principal nations has depreciated the value of that metal about one-half, and there is but little doubt that if gold were similarly demonetized it would correspondingly decline in value. This was the opinion of Cernuschi. He says: "If all nations should demonetize gold it would be worth more than copper, but it would not be worth much more." Appleton's American Encyclopedia (XI, p. 735) says : "After the discovery of gold in California, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany all demonetized gold and adopted silver as the legal tender at a fixed rate. In those countries gold only circulated as a commodity, sub- ject to daily fluctuations in value ; and as a consequence, deprived as it was of legal support as money, it was but little used." Upon the subject of intrinsic value the following author- ities are cited : "Congress shall have power to coin money and regulate the value thereof." Constitution of the United States. "To coin money and regulate the value thereof as an act of sovereignty involves the right to determine what shall be taken and received as money; at what measure or price it shall be taken ; and what shall be its effect when passed or tendered in payment or satisfaction of legal obligations. Government can give to its stamp upon leather the same money value as if put upon gold or silver or any other material. The authority which coins or stamps itself upon the article can select what substance it may deem suitable to receive the stamp and pass as money ; and it can affix what value it deems proper, independent of THE PHILOSOPHY OF MO.VEY. 207 the intrinsic value of the substance upon which it is affixed. The currency value is in the stamp, when used as money, and not in the material independent of the stamp. In other words, the MONEY QUALITY is the authority which makes it current and gives it power to accomplish the pur- pose for which it was created." Tiffany, Constitutional Law, " Whatever power is over the currency is vested in Con- gress. If the power to declare what is money is not in Congress, it is annihilated. . . . We repeat, money is not a substance, but an impression of legal authority, a printed legal decree." U. S. Supreme Court (12 Wai/ace, p. 5/p). "The gold dollar is not a commodity having an intrinsic value, but money having only a statutory value ; and every dollar has the same value without regard to the material. The gold dollar has not intrinsic value." Supreme Court of Iowa (16 Iowa Rep., p. 246}. "Money is the medium of exchange. Whatever per- forms this function, does the work, is money, no matter what it is made of." Walker, Political Economy. "An article is determined to be money by reason of the performance by it of certain functions, without regard to its form or substance." Appleton's Encyclopedia. " Money is a value created by law. Its basis is legal, and not material. It is, perhaps, not easy to convince one that the value of metallic money is created by law. It is, however, a fact." Cernuschi. Specie Basis. Where paper money is made redeemable in gold or silver the paper money is said to rest on a "specie basis." This monetary scheme now prevails throughout the civilized world. In almost every commercial nation a large portion of the currency in use is paper money, convertible in theory, at least, into metallic money, at the option of the holder. This financial system is framed upon the violent hypothesis that real money can only be made of the precious metals and that paper bills are not money, but only represent- atives oi money. Those who are addicted to this. theory 288 PRESENT DAY PROBLEMS. are in the habit of designating coins made of the precious metals as "primary money," "redemption money" or "standard money;" while paper bills are called "second- ary money," or "credit money," and are worthless except as they may be redeemed in "primary money." The specie basis may be gold or silver or both. Since the world-wide demonetization of silver gold only is the basis in the leading nations of the earth. The specie basis theory is open to the following weighty objections : 1. It is contrary to the fundamental law of the United States the Constitution. Judge Tiffany, in his work on Constitutional Law, expounding the right of Congress "to coin money and regulate the value thereof," says: "The authority which coins or stamps itself upon the article can select what substance it may deem suitable to receive the stamp and pass as money ; and it can affix what value it deems proper, independent of the intrinsic value of the substance upon which it is affixed." This learned opinion, which annihilates all necessary distinction between "primary" and "secondary" money, was followed by the United States Supreme Court in the celebrated Greenback cases, and hence has all the authority of law. (See 12 Wallace's Reports, p. 519.) 2. The specie basis theory is contrary to the facts of history, some of which will be recited in succeeding pages. Many instances are recorded in which paper and other material have been successfully used as money where no redemption in coin was promised or possible. 3. The specie basis theory postulates that a certain amount of "redemption money" will support or float a proportional amount of "credit money;" as the specie increases the paper money may be safely increased ; and THE PHILOSOPHY OF MONEY. 289 as the specie decreases paper money must also be decreased a philosophy that would lead to the absurd conclusion that when all specie disappears the people can have no money of any kind. Mr. R. H. Patterson, a distinguished English economist, truly puts the paradox as follows : "The gospel of monetary science now is, that when a country does not want paper money, it ought to have a great supply of it ; and when it does require paper money it shall have none. When a country has enough of specie it ought to double its currency by issuing an equal amount of bank notes ; and when there is no specie there should likewise be no notes. Is it necessary to discuss such a theory? In order to be rejected it needs only to be stated ; in order to be rejected it only needs to be understood. It is a theoretical monstrosity against which common sense revolts a burlesque of reason which even the present generation will live to laugh at." 4. The specie basis is insufficient in volume to redeem the credit money which is necessarily used in business. The entire circulating medium of the United States is, approximately, sixteen hundred millions of dollars, of which about one-third is gold, one-third silver and one- third paper. Since silver was demonetized it is now only credit money; hence we have but one dollar of redemption money (gold) with which to redeem two of credit money, or, taking into consideration, as we should, the vast volume of checks, drafts and other credits which must finally be redeemed in gold, it is perfectly apparent that the United States has not one dollar of redemption money with which to redeem one hundred dollars of credit and thus the whole theory of redemption becomes a mere figment incapable of practical realization. And what is true of the United States is true of all other countries. 5. The specie basis is a breeder of panics. In timei of prosperity and confidence credits are safely increased to 290 PRESENT DAY PROBLEMS. accommodate the increasing volume of business, and the specie basis is sufficient merely because it is not put to the test, the people preferring paper money because of its superior convenience. But at such a time a pebble ma}' start an avalanche. A startling failure occurs somewhere, creditors press for liquidation, the banks are besieged, and, being unable to redeem their promises to pay gold, they suspend and the panic is complete. Such is the recur- rent history of finance in all civilized lands. Charles Sears, an eminent authority, says of the gold basis: "Within the last fifty years, say, a money crisis has come quite regularly every ten years. Something any one of a dozen causes, few know what sets gold to flowing out. Fifty millions withdrawn in a short time from its usual place of deposit is quite sufficient to make the whole volume of coin disappear from ordinary circulation as com- pletely as if it had never existed. The metallic basis is gone slipped out ; the pivot of the system is dislocated ; somebody wanted it and took it, and the pyramid tumbles down, burying in its ruins three-fourths of. a business generation." To the same effect is the opinion of the famous American jurist, Judge Walker. He says : "The whole paper scheme is founded on the presump- tion that the holders of these bills will not generally ask for specie at the same time ; and, therefore, the amount of specie kept in reserve bears but a small proportion to the notes in circulation. And this is the great evil of the system. A general and simultaneous demand for specie cannot possibly be met, and disaster must follow. To enforce a universal performance of these promises is to insure their being broken. Every sudden panic, therefore, must produce wide-spread calamity." Walker's American Law, p. 152. 6. The specie basis affords a means by which greedy speculators work "a corner" in gold and thus extort large THE PHILOSOPHY OF MONEY. 291 sums in profits which the people eventually have to pay. The laws and official rulings, for instance, which require the maintenance of a gold reserve in the Federal treasury and the payment of duties and interest on the public debt in gold, create a special and imperative demand for the yellow metal ; and as the supply for that kind of money is almost entirely in the hands of a few great banking firms, the latter can, at their pleasure, extort such terms as they please when applied to for gold. An instance of the kind occurred on Feb. 8, 1895. On that day, in order to main- tain its gold reserve, the United States government purchased of M. Rothschild & Sons and J. P. Morgan & Co., bankers of London, 3, 500,000 ounces of standard gold coin of the United States at the rate of $17.80441 per ounce, and paid for it in United States four per cent, thirty-year coupon or registered bonds, interest payable quarterly. These bonds were taken by the British bankers at $1.04, and were sold by them within ten days at $1.18, by which the foreign gold exploiters made a net profit of about eight million dollars to be eventually paid by the people. 7. The specie basis must inevitably become more and more insufficient with the lapse of time, and the disasters due to it in the past become more frequent and distressing. The population of the world is increasing, barbarous nations are becoming commercial, and commercial nations are extending their commerce with unexampled rapidit)' from year to year. With this increasing business must come a necessity for a corresponding increase in the medium of exchange money. But no material increase of the precious metals is possible. On the contrary, as the mines successively become exhausted, or deeper and more difficult to work, it is clear that the annual supply of gold and silver must become increasingly insufficient to replace 2Q2 PRESENT DA Y PROBLEMS. that which has been lost or consumed in the arts and sciences ; and hence the difficulties of the specie basis will of necessity become more and more aggravated as time goes on. Considerations such as the foregoing have led to the rapid development of a new school of finance which, reject- ing the specie basis as antiquated and no longer tenable, professes to find a sufficient guarantee for the stability of money in The Legal Tender Basis. President Grant said : "My own judgment is that a specie basis cannot be reached and maintained until our exports exclusive of gold pay for our imports, interest due abroad, and other specie obligations, or so nearly as to le'ave an appreciable accumu- lation of the precious metals in the country from the product of our mines. " Message, Dec. I, 1873. Plentiful experience has demonstrated that a paper money based upon the authority, faith and credit of the government and made by law a full legal tender for all debts will serve all the purposes of a staple circulating medium as effectually as gold itself. The effectiveness of legal-tender paper depends upon two circumstances : 1. Government can by law compel the people to take it in satisfaction of private debts, by refusing to enforce contracts payable in any other kind of money. 2. The government may receive such legal-tender paper in satisfaction of all kinds of taxes and duties, thus giving such money a positive value equal to gold. The United States Supreme Court, in the celebrated Greenback cases, says : "Making these notes legal tender gave them new uses (or functions'), and it requires no argument to prove the THE PHILOSOPHY OF MONEY. 293 value of things as in proportion to the uses to which they may be applied." 12 Wallace Reports, p. 519. Benjamin Franklin, defending the Pennsylvania colonial paper money before a committee of the English Par- liament, in 1764, said: ''On the whole no method has hitherto been found to establish a medium of trade, in lieu of coin, equal in all its advantages to bills of credit founded on sufficient taxes for discharging it at the end of the time, and in the mean- time made a geneYal legal tender." Thomas Jefferson, in his letter to Mr. Epps, said of government paper money: "It is the only resource which can never fail them, and it is an abundant one for every necessary purpose. Treasury bills, bottomed on taxes, bearing or not bearing interest, as may be found necessary, thrown into circula- tion, will take the place of so much gold or silver." President Jackson, in his message, 1829, said: "I submit to the wisdom of the legislature whether a national one [currency] founded on the credit of the government and its resources might not be devised." John C. Calhoun, in a speech in the United States Senate, December 18, 1837, said: " It appears to me, after bestowing the best reflection I can give the subject, that no convertible paper that no paper that rests upon a promise to pay is suitable for a currency. It is the form of credit paper in transactions between men, but not for a standard of value to perform exchanges generally, which constitutes the appropriate functions of money or currency. No one can doubt but that the credit of the government is better than that of any bank more staple and safe. I now undertake to affirm, and without the least fear that I can be answered, that paper money issued by the government, to receive it for all dues, would form a perfect circulation which would not be abused by the government ; that it would be uniform with the metals themselves." Legal-tender paper money is usually issued in times of 2Q4 PRESENT DA Y PROBLEMS. war, when gold and silver are horded or exported from the country; and, as a consequence, such legal tender is put to the severest possible tests, those of an imperilled gov- ernment, disturbed industry and impeded foreign trade. Nevertheless, history abounds with instances to prove the entire sufficiency of this kind of money. In 1156 the Republic of Venice established a system of paper credits which served as the principal circulating medium of that country until 1797. This money was always at par and frequently at a premium. In 1770 the Russian government issued its own notes, which sustained the government through two wars and commanded a premium over coin. In 1797 to 1823 England issued $225,000,000 full legal-tender paper with which to carry on war against Napoleon. In his "Political Economy," John S. Mill says of these notes : "After they were made a legal tender they never depreciated a particle." During the colonial period of American history several of the colonies issued and successfully maintained legal- tender paper money. One instance is illustrative of them all. In 1739 Pennsylvania issued $400,000 in legal-tender paper not redeemable in coin, but receivable for taxes, which was loaned directly to the people on security of land and plate. This money continued in circulation until it was prohibited by the British government in 1775. Commenting on the success of this system, Dr. Franklin said: "Between the years 1740 and 1775, while abund- ance reigned in Pennsylvania and there was peace in all her borders, a more happy and prosperous population could not, perhaps, be found on this globe." During the Franco-German war France issued an enor- mous volume of legal-tender paper money, of which Victor Bonnet, the eminent French economist, says: "In the midst of the greatest calamities that ever befell a nation, THE PHILOSOPHY OF MONEY. 2 95 with an enormous ransom to pay a foreign nation, and with great domestic losses to repair, a credit circulation was maintained four times as large as its base, without depreciation. This circulation reached $600,000,000." During the war of the rebellion in the United States (1861-5) the government issued a volume of legal-tender "greenbacks" which, on July 1st, 1865, was outstanding to the amount of $432,687,966. The first $60,000,000 of this paper money, issued under authority of the acts of July i7th and August 5th, 1861, and February lath, 1862, called "demand notes," was made a full legal tender for all debts public and private. This issue never fell below and often was above par as compared with gold. In a speech delivered in the United States Senate, July 4th, 1862, Hon. John Sherman said of these "demand notes": "The notes are now held and hoarded. The first issue of $60,000,000 were issued with the right of being con- verted into six per cent, twenty-year bonds and with the privilege of being paid for duties in customs. They are now far above par and hoarded." In Schuckers' Life of Salmon P. Chase, p. 225, the author says : "The demand notes, being receivable for customs the same as coin, kept pace with the advance in the price of coin." All of the greenbacks except the first $60,000,000 were purposely depreciated by the "exception clause;" that is, they were made a legal tender for all debts, public and private, except duties on imports and interest on the public debt, which latter were required to be paid in coin. This exception clause created a special demand for coin, and as a consequence metallic money rose to a great premium, at one time (July, 1864) being at a premium of $2.85 in greenbacks to $i in coin. That these greenbacks were 296 PRESENT DAY PROBLEMS. purposely depreciated stands upon the evidence of Hon. John Sherman, who, in a report as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, made on the I2th of November, 1867, said: "But it was found that with such a restriction upon the notes the bonds could not be negotiated, and it became necessary to depreciate the notes in order to make a market for the bonds." Speaking of the amendment by which the "exception clause" was passed, Hon. Thaddeus Stevens, said in a speech delivered in the House, February 2oth, 1862: " It has all the bad qiialities that its enemies charged in the original bill and none of its benefits. It now creates money and by its very terms declares it a depreciated cur- rency. It makes two classes of money one for the banks and brokers, and another for the people. It discriminates between the rights of different classes of creditors, allowing the rich capitalists to demand gold, and compelling the ordinary lender of money on individual security to receive notes which the government had purposely discredited. . . . . But now comes the main clause. All classes of people shall take these notes at par for every article of trade or contract unless they have money enough to buy United States bonds, and then they shall be paid in gold. Who is that favored class? The bankers and brokers, and nobody else." This conspiracy of the lawmakers, by which the soldier in the field was paid in depreciated greenbacks while the Wall Street usurer received gold, did not deprive the paper money of its splendid functions. While coin rose to a great premium, owing to the special use made of it in payment of customs and interest on the public debt, the legal-tender money carried on the great war and conducted the business of the most prolific and prosperous epoch in the history of the United States. As a matter of fact the greenbacks, discredited by legis- lation as they were, did not depreciate in comparison with THE PHILOSOPHY OF MONEY. 297 commodities, but gold appreciated owing to the special demand created for it by law. The people never lost confidence in the government paper money, even in the darkest hours of the panic of 1873, as shown by the language of President Grant. He said : "The experience of the present panic has proven that the currency of the country, based, as it is, upon the credit of the country, is the best that has ever been devised. Usually, in times of such trials, currency has become worthless or so much depreciated in value as to inflate the values of all necessaries of life as compared with currency. Every one holding it has been anxious to dispose of it on any terms. Now we witness the reverse. Holders of currency hoard it as they did gold in former experiences of like nature." Message, December I, 1873. The Functions of Money. The functions or uses of money are three-fold : It is a measure of value. It is a medium of exchange. It is a means of storing wealth. As a measure of value money determines in what propor- tion commodities and services shall be interchanged. The yardstick measures the quantity of fabrics ; but some fabrics are more valuable than others. A bolt of silk, for instance, is more valuable than a bolt of muslin a differ- ence which the yardstick, alone, cannot indicate ; it merely measures quantities, not values. Here the money measure becomes necessary. The abstract unit which we call a dollar measures the values of both silk and muslin, and determines how many yards of muslin should be exchanged for a yard of silk. Money is a medium of exchange. Smith has a horse and buggy which he wishes to exchange for a piano belonging to Brown. Brown is willing to part with the piano, but does not want a horse and buggy ; he does want, however, 2 g8 PRESENT DAY PROBLEMS. a gold watch. Jones has such a watch, but wants to dis- pose of it for clothing. Wilson has clothing, but he wants coal. For these four parties to find out each other's wants and effect an exchange of actual commodities and adjust the difference in value between the articles would involve time and labor and make so many difficulties that the transactions would be greatly delayed, if not defeated. Here money performs its beneficent offices as a medium of exchange. Smith sells his horse and buggy for money, and with it purchases Brown's piano. Brown buys the watch he wants, and thus money goes from hand to hand, effecting innumerable exchanges, not only in the small neighborhood, but in great commercial circles, thereby bringing the antipodes together and enabling them to sup- ply each other's wants with the least possible loss of time and labor. Money is, also, a means of storing wealth. Jackson has a valuable farm, but is getting too old or infirm in health to work it. He might exchange it for a great quantity of food, clothing, and other necessaries sufficient to last him the remainder of his life ; but these articles could not safely be stored so as to preserve them for future years, and some representative, that can be stored, must be found. Money is that representative. Jackson sells his farm for money, and with the money purchases from time to time the necessaries required. From a brief study of these three great functions per- formed by money may be readily determined what should be the characteristics of a perfect currency, one that would most effectually and justly serve mankind. As a measure of values and as a means of storing wealth it is clear that money ought to be stable, that is, it should as nearly as possible have the same purchasing power from year to year and in all sections of the country; for when THE PHILOSOPHY Of-' MONEY. 299 money fluctuates in purchasing power it is obvious that some men will gain and some will lose without any merit or fault upon their part, but simply in consequence of the fluctuations in the value of money. This is particularly true in case of debt, for if a debt be contracted when money is cheap, and paid when money is dear, the debtor will evidently lose by the change, and if the circumstances be reversed the creditor will lose. To secure such stability or uniformity of purchasing power no measure or method is so effectual as for the government to make all its money a full legal tender for all debts, public and private. As a medium of exchange the volume or quantity of money in circulation should be sufficiently large to accom- plish the transaction of business without waste or delay. In estimating the necessary volume it is proper to take into consideration the numbers of population, the magni- tude of business transacted, and, since a nimble dollar will perform the work of several slow ones, the "effectiveness" or rapidity with which money circulates ; and, since popula- tion and business are, upon the whole, constantly increasing, and the rapidity of circulation (until some swifter method of locomotion be discovered) remains unaltered, the volume of money, clearly, ought to be increased from year to year. Few who have not patiently studied the prob- lems of finance understand the mighty effects of an expansion or contraction of the money volume upon, not only the material, but the moral well-being of mankind. The very heart of the complex money question, the center of all its divergent issues, is the question of The Volume of Money. The volume or quantity of money in circulation is always hard to determine, principally because banks, brokers and their allies in official and journalistic positions 300 PRESENT DAY PROBLEMS. are generally interested in concealing or misstating the facts on purpose to mislead the public; so that, not infrequently, a period of financial disaster steals upon the people unaware and they are compelled to endure all the miseries of such an event without being able to detect the cause or apply the remedy. In such circumstances the masses may dimly perceive that they are being robbed, yet, unable to detect the means of their spoliation, they attribute it to every cause but the real one, and thus the spoliators are enabled to repeat their robbery again and again, undetected by any save a few whose complaints are regarded as the extravagances of uninformed or fanatic minds. To fully comprehend how the exploiters of money may enrich themselves and impoverish others by merely manipulating the currency, it is necessary to understand the primary' fact that an increasing -volume of money brings rising prices and business activity, while a diminishing volume of money causes falling prices and business stagnation. Upon this proposition the following authorities are cited : David Hume, the English historian, in his essay on "Money," says : "We find that in every kingdom into which money begins to flow in greater abundance than formerly, every- thing takes a new face; labor and industry gain new life, the merchants become more enterprising, the manufac- turers more diligent and skillful, and the farmer follows his plow with greater attention and alacrity. The good policy of the government consists of keeping it, if possible, still increasing as long as there is an undeveloped resource or room for a new immigrant, because by that means there is kept alive a spirit of industry in the nation which increases the stock of labor, in which consists all real power and riches. A nation whose money decreases is actually weaker and more miserable than other nations THE PHILOSOPHY OF MONEY. 301 which possess less money but are on the increasing hand." Essays and Treatises, vol. I, p. 283. Henri Cernuschi, an ex-banker of Paris, and recognized as, perhaps, the most eminent of the French writers on finance, says : "The value of money depends upon its quantity. It is the same with gold as with greenbacks. If the stock in circulation is augmented the purchasing power of every greenback is diminished; and so with gold and silver. The purchasing power is always in relation to the quantity of the money." Nomisma, p. 15. "That commodities would rise and fall in price in pro- portion to the increase or diminution of money I assume as a fact that is incontrovertible. That such would be the case the most celebrated writers on political economy are agreed. " Ricardo, Political Economy.