George Lang

“ At length he arose, and coming to the great iron rungs that surrounded it, he yawned, and the boys started back in affright from the terrible mouth and teeth, but he soon returned to the sand.
"Pixy's mane is prettier than the lion's," said Fritz. "Oh, my Pixy!"
"Yesterday it was your gold-piece, now it is Pixy," grumbled Franz impatiently. "You should be glad that your dog is running in the open air, instead of being fastened up in a cage." ”

“ This stroke of policy was such a comfort that the spirits of the boys grew so jubilant that they laughed, chatted and sang, and even organized a parade in which Franz was drummer and Fritz and Paul fifers.
They were going along merrily, when they were startled by hearing "Hurrah!" shouted from behind a clump of bushes on the edge of the forest, and two of the Trojans came from behind it and stood grinning and pointing their fingers at the hats and shoes of the Grecian heroes. ”

“ Evidently the increase of money of credit is not to meet increased demand, but to increase trade independently of demand; and its decrease is not to meet decreased demand, but because trade, having been increased beyond the demand, under the stimulus of credit, must be returned to its proper support or perish. The rate of the currency is not an element of political economy. Those elements are population, demand, industry, supply, consumption, and savings or wealth, which, being mutually dependent, are not properly subject to great or sudden variations of relations. ”

“ But the restless Fritz was not willing to give up without trying to scale the giddy height.
"Here, Franz," he cried, "hold my books. Paul, here is my jacket and hat. Stand back, boys, and see if I am the coward they think me," and soon his legs and arms were in motion. The laughter and jeering of the Trojans stimulated him to his greatest effort, and he had almost reached the top when his efforts ceased.
"He is only resting," cried Franz and Paul anxiously. ”

“ Money represents value; but value is not a thing, nor does it reside in things. Value is demand, desire, esteem, want, wish—it is a power existing in persons—the motive-power of the population — a power that may be represented immediately, if necessary. Then, the representative of the unit of population, and thus of value will be the true money unit. But it may also be represented through the medium of the dollar, at a fixed rate per capita. When this is done, by proper authority, true money will exist. ”

“ Now we will go."
"Where are all the people going?" asked Fritz when they reached the street. "At home we only see a crowd when the church service is over and that is but for a little while. Here the street seems alive all the time."
"Yes, Frankfort has more than three hundred thousand inhabitants and of course many are on the street, some caring for business, others for pleasure, and some, like us, are sight-seeing."
"Just see that beautiful place like a rich man's garden!" said Franz, "with trees and plants and flowers, and so many people walking there." ”

“ Yet as money is known only by name, and as that is invariable, it is assumed that the demand which it represents is invariable. Thus these relations are apparently reduced to one—the supply of the commodity. Nevertheless, as money of gold consists of a commodity, and as the relations of demand and supply are common to all commodities, and as these are necessarily variable, such money evidently does not represent invariable demand, but, in regard to those relations, varies with every variation of its material. ”

“ And are not our fellow-men well served by having clothes made for them? If a tailor understands his business and works at it in a faithful, honest manner, he is as much to be respected as a kaiser who rules his people in a just and faithful manner. Listen to this little rhyme:
"'Not everyone can wear a kaiser's hat,
Not everyone must daily gutters sweep;
Yet everyone can do his honest work,
In palace or in hut his charge can keep.'
"Do not think I am censuring you, my dear boy, but never, never speak disparagingly of any honest work." ”

“ Money is chiefly appropriate to the retail trade—the great trade of every country—all being parties to it. The wholesale trade, which, though it has an imposing appearance, is much inferior to the retail in regard to the number of the parties to it, makes little use of money. Yet it is only the wholesale trade, and that only in its foreign department, that asks for redemption—that asks to be allowed to undermine the credit of the country, by withdrawing the base on which the credit of the currency immediately rests, that it may export it. ”

“ And truly poor Fritz was a sorry looking object. His hat, thanks to the monkey, did not add to his appearance. His aunt had intended stopping at a store on their way home to get a new straw hat, but on account of his battered appearance decided to wait until next day.
"But, Aunt Fanny!" said the logical Fritz, "I may look worse to-morrow than I do to-day; and why should we care more for the people in the store than on the street? Besides, the rim of the new straw hat will hide the bruise on my forehead." ”

“ Money valued for its material, as that of gold, is well suited to the want of confidence that characterizes a semibarbarous state of society; but when knowledge and civilization take the place of ignorance and barbarity, mutual respect and confidence take the place of rudeness and distrust, and, correspondingly, money of credit takes the place of money of gold. Yet money of credit is accepted chiefly because of its convenience, with the understanding that its redemption is properly secured, and its issue properly regulated. ”

“ Hans loaded the rifle, took aim, a second bullet whizzed through the air, and a second hole appeared in the weather-vane close to the first.
"'He is in league with satan,' cried a voice in the crowd. 'No mortal being could do that without the evil one's help.'
"'He is satan himself,' cried another, 'and could shoot a hole through the moon if his rifle would reach that far.'
"Shot after shot followed, each one leaving a bullet hole in the vase, until the whole nine were there, and anyone having good eyes can see them to-day."
"Fritz, Franz, I see them!" cried Paul. ”

“ Truly gold is a product of the country, and imports should be paid with surplus produce; but while the credit of the currency, and thus credit generally, is based on gold, that metal cannot be a surplus product, be the aggregate supply what it may. What the people desire of money is not redemption, but constancy of value. Government has declared that the dollar shall be the legal means of payment. ”

“ Their arrival in the school yard the next morning was announced by the laughter and jeers of their opponents.
"Say, did you imagine that your hog was Hector on the walls of Troy when it ran up the straw-heap?" shouted one.
"No, he thought he was Hercules, but found that instead of being strong enough to carry the hog, the hog had to carry him," laughed another.
The three friends passed on into the schoolroom, red with anger but helpless to defend themselves; their tormentors following, for there was more sport in store which not one of them wished to miss. ”

“ Nevertheless there is evidence of a tendency towards a single rate, which, for want of a better term, is called the gold rate—as though gold or money of gold is or has a rate—as though money of credit has a rate at which alone it is equivalent to gold—an attempt at a definition, which, however unsuccessful, is evidence of the tendency. ”

“ Emboldened by the sight of the Grecian warrior, he pushed back the bolt, the door flew open, and out rushed a hog, squealing with delight at regaining his liberty. Without delay it made for the open gateway, ran between the feet of the advancing Fritz, upset him, causing him to measure his length with that of the hog's back, then after a few turns about the yard, upset the pursuing Achilles-Franz and ran to the top of a heap of sodden straw, where it shook off Odysseus-Fritz, then ran nimbly down and out the gateway to the road. ”

“ Being of no use for any other purpose, and without foreign demand, it has only one function, and that the only one proper to money—the representation of given value.
In view of the universal and exclusive use of money consisting of gold or of credit, it may well be supposed that no other is possible. Happily, however, true money is not only possible but probable. Much time elapsed before money was invented, and much intervened between money of gold and money of credit, and much must intervene between the latter and true money ”

“ The sons of Forest-master Urich were so amused at hearing this that every morning while the stranger staid in the neighborhood they yelled as if being cruelly beaten, and the visitor published the article in which was mentioned the barbarous custom of the people of the Odenwald. Forest-master Urich would often say in jest to his boys, 'Come now, and get your cudgeling, which is to serve you for the day.'"
"Yes, Franz, that has ever since been one of the sayings in our neighborhood," laughed Mr. Heil, and Mr. Urich heartily enjoyed hearing the tradition. ”

“ That the credit dollar is ever at par is simply because payment is not demanded, and it is not demanded partly because money of credit is more convenient than that of gold, and partly because it serves to increase the rate of the dollar per capita, and thus the nominal value of wealth. ”

“ Pixy sprang up to follow, but the boy called him back.
"Franz was right, Pixy, when he said you have no sense," complained Fritz, as the dog continued to give dissatisfied growls. "You don't know a kind, good man from a thief and dislike him only because he is a stranger. Yes," he said to himself, as he walked along back to the store, "it was real kind in him to warn me, for he did not know but I was a stupid country boy who had never heard of pocket-took thieves. I would like to see a thief that could put his hand in my pocket without my knowing it. ”

“ The frightened boy tore himself loose with such force that he fell to the ground and Pixy, as though scorning to attack a fallen enemy, grasped the seat of the pants of another boy, tore a piece out, which released the boy, and he and the others ran as fast as their feet would carry them from such a dangerous locality. Pixy followed their hasty flight, barking vigorously, and would have made another attack had not Fritz called him back. The three Grecian heroes petted and praised him, and he wagged his tail for joy, and capered about them as much as to say, "Didn't I make them fly!" ”

“ Could Paul hide his pistol in his hat, and could Franz put the cutlass in his vest pocket as if it were a tooth-pick? Oh no, boys, lay aside the old weapons and travel along the public road as peaceable citizens with no thought of being harmed or of harming anyone. The roads of our beloved Fatherland are not infested with bandits and footpads, and you can go with contented minds and with no fear of danger upon your travels. ”

“ But the chickens were not at all pleased with his appearance, and fluttered, cackled and shrieked, awakening the old woman who was taking them to market.
"Whose black fiend of a dog is that, running loose about a freight car?" she exclaimed angrily.
"It is mine, good lady," said Fritz soothingly. "I did not wish him to frighten your chickens."
"How do I know that you did not set him on them while I was asleep? If he has hurt them, you will pay well for them."
"See, here is the cord that I hold him with," said the boy, taking it from his knapsack. ”