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Show sentiments thut Daniel Shay himself might have expressed. HISTOKY liKt'K ATEf In view of Senator Inijai.ls' claim that the farmer's alliance is a growing power, it is interesting to learn that the distinctive features of this movement are all borrowed from past and often disastrous experience. Thus the scheme of issuing a currency upon laud credit is a veritable humbug tried as far back as 10'JiJ by tory England. Gwhcuk Law introduced it into France, and wrought wide-spread bankruptcy with it. A I similar scheme in colonial Virginia was defeated by the energetio opposition of Patkick IIknky. Franco tried it during dur-ing the revolutionary nuriod suul at- tained natioual bankruptcy. New York made uti experiment in this direction with tho $1,000,(100 it received as its quota in tho distribution of the federal surplus sur-plus in 1h;!7. Tho money was loaned out on real estate by county commissioners, commis-sioners, but tho scheme turned out to bo really injurious to the farmers and a losing business to the state. Theconi - troller of the state reported: "When we have to foreclose, as is frequently ' the case, it is often difficult to realize I from the proceeds of the sale the full ! amount of principal due." Tho experi- j metit had to bo abandoned. All the various legislative tricks by which people plan to get money without with-out earning it were worked to their fullest extent iu this country during tho colonial, the revolutionary period and under the confederation. Tho popular distress caused by their efforts and the strong reaction against such illusory expedients ex-pedients powerfully contributed to the adoption of tho constitution of 1TK7, by which it was expected that money would be taken out of politics. Whiie the federalist argues iu favor of other provisions of tho constitution, it simply points to tho prohibition laid on the states of having anything to do with coinage or tho emission of currency as j something that "must give pleasure to I every citizen." j It is not probable that tho Pekkkrs and Simpsons and other leaders of the ! alliance have studied history and repeat j it with malice aforethought, but the notnitn they suggest is such as appeals j to a fervid imagination in the cranium I of supei ficial thinkers. Indeod to com-j com-j plete the parallel tho anarchic arguments argu-ments against law and courts of justice i that culminated in Shay's rebellion in Massachusetts iu 170-7 are being heard again. The Rtiralist, a farmers' alliance organ at Huron, S. I)., says. ''Constantly we hear it said that all this stir and commotion among the farmers and laborers will amount to nothing and the brains and wealth of the community commun-ity will hold the mastery. But how did they bring about the present state of affairs? By laws. How do they propose to continue the mastery? By the process of law. Take away the bulwarks of legal process and how long would the upper ten grind down the lower millions?" These are the |