EDUCATION.—MONEY.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3991, 13 October 1881, Page 3

EDUCATION.—MONEY.

(To the Editor of the Evening Stab.) Sib,—" Give me a penny; for God's sake give mo a penny " was the hypocriticarsupplication of a wretched lunatic who possessed millions of money—acquired by subtle experiments upon the labour and ruin of his fellow creatures. The sting of this moral is self-pointed—the tale .too ghastly for adornment. My purpose was to continue the subject of " Money-'' upon the plan set forth at first, but, ghost-like, I scent the breath that warns me to conclude ere I exhaust the kindness of a liberal end independent editor, and the patience of indulgent readers, An epitome of the letters on general education show that it should be common, gratuitous, and obligatory; that all have a right to it, and a right to happiness, and that all have a duty to labour, and that therein consists the principle of equality. It has been proved , that education, in removing ignorance, would destroy evil and teach men that the land belongs to the people, that the remedy for the evils in connection therewith would be to nationalize the earth. Education on money has shown that under a gold and silver currency the labourer nnd producer have been robbed of their just rights, while the idle nonproducing capitalist rolls in ill-gotten wealth. It would have been shown also that the remedy for these evils would be found in an equitable medium of exchange based upon a scientific system of time and other averages. The surplus and unlimited stock produced by labour forming the exchangable wealth of society. It would have been demonstrated that the real value of production should be regulated upon the average time employed. All trade and professions reckoning by time, whether by day or piece work, and only upon the most scientific calculation of averages can any medium of exchange be reasonably based. Being obtained, however, the value of every production would be fixed, and its medium always commanding an equivalent, for all values would be represented on an equitable basis, the demonstration of which, however, I must leave to a more propitious opportunity,l as also the equitable exchange of labor. The benefits that would arise from such reforms have, however, been generally indicated. In such a state of society the interest of each being identical with the interest of all, emulation would cease to show itselt in envy, cupidity, pride, and hate. Public wealth now cheeked by blind and anarchical competition would receive an indefinite and unlimited increase from the harmonious union of all powers and intellects, and that mass of parasitical agents, now rendered necessary by the severance and antagonism of interests, would no longer jostle each other to prey upon the people, and where brotherhood, linking nations as individuals are united now, would faach men to consider war an atrocious-folly, and lead to the abolition of armies. Government would consist of a union of earnest, honest, aid intelligent men, freely chosen by their equals, to act the part in society which the head performs towards the body. The revenue derived from the land would pay all the expenses of Government leaving the people and imports free of all taxation, which should only be a portion of the common stock applied to the common good. And this civilization would destroy the monsters money and misery, and with them all vices,, all crimes, all misfortunes. Bear in mind, men of of industry, the producers of all wealth! that you are the people and that here, by acknowledged right and acknowledged law, the people govern. You must work out yotjb own redemption. You must rely not upon the middle or upper classes. You must govern for the nation, for yourselves, and your children. Govern as parents with children dear,, as men with mothers and wives, as fathers as well as citizens, as citizens as well as fathers. I pray and beseech you to throw aside all schisms; all national, political, and religious prejudices. Bear in mind that you have the power to work out these great radical reforms. Bind all your efforts to con-j summate these four grand measures. Let 1 your plan be in perfect unison with the nature of man, the nature of things. in mind that the stay and prop of liberty is knowledge; that the basis of iust government is rational education. Bear in mind, above all things, and act upon the knowledge, that all men are free and equal.—l am, &c.,' Bon Ami. Thames, October 6th, 1881.