One way of blowing a dissatisfied party out of existence.
[1] Although, to all who have investigated the subject, the evidence is conclusive that an irredeemable fluctuating paper money is always made an agency for taxing with special severity all that class of consumers who live on fixed incomes, salaries, and wages, it has, nevertheless, always been a somewhat difficult matter to find illustrations of the fact so clear and simple as carry conviction by presentation that it does thus act to the classes most interested. With a view of obtaining such an illustration, application was made some months since to an eminent American merchant, whose large and varied experience abundantly qualified him to discuss the subject; and the result of the application may be thus stated:
Q. In buying in gold and selling in currency, what addition do you make to your selling price, in the way of insurance, that the currency received will be sufficient—plus profit, interest, etc.—to replace or buy back the gold represented by the original purchase?
A. We do but very little of that now; hardly enough to speak about.
Q. But still you make insurance against currency fluctuations an item in your business to be regarded to some extent?
A. Why, yes, certainly; it won’t do to overlook it entirely.
Q. Well, then, if you have no objections, please tell me what you do allow under existing circumstances?