trust unless the rank and file of the people take matters into their own hands. The Wall Street and bank combine are now dickering for support with the management of both parties. It is said to be offering to finance the campaign of both sides if friendly candidates are nominated, and a real investigation of the "money trust" is prevented. It is willing to spend millions, because the play is for future billions and the political control of the republic for the next half century.

The people can defeat the measure only by making it the leading public issue in the 1912 campaign. It will be the secret issue anyway, engineered by Wall Street and the banks. The plan is to keep down all discussion in Congress or the campaign prior to election and then force the bill through Congress under whip and spur before the expiration of the present session and presidential term March 4, 1913, or later, if the "interests" control the nomination and election in 1912. The people should publicly pledge every delegate, candidate and convention. Take no man high or low for granted. Count as secretly pledged to the bill every man refusing to declare against it publicly. There will be no neutrals. Talk with your friends and neighbors and beg them to immediately join in this fight. The entire money supply is at stake. Your business and the welfare of your family is involved. The issue will be: "Government Money vs. Corporate Currency." Do the people want their Government to continue to issue and control the public currency? Or, shall Congress grant to a mere private corporation owned by the banks controlled by Wall Street an absolute monopoly of the printing and issuing of all public currency? Remember, those who have power to make money scarce or plenty have power over the business of every man, the happiness of every home, to make or break, to confer or destroy general prosperity. It gives them a hunger-hold on every man, woman and child. Shall this autocratic power be granted without reservation, effective regulation or restraint for fifty years to just one

THE BEACON OF HOPE

TO ALL THE WORLD

Crozier

SHALL THIS LIGHT BE PUT OUT? THE ALDRICH PLAN" WILL TEND TO ABOLISH RULE BY THE PEOPLE AND THUS DESTROY AMERICAN LIBERTY.

private corporation? Even the suggestion is criminal! Yet, there is serious probability of its being done. Wall Street and the banks feel sure of it, and generally they know.

The people can kill the scheme. But will they do it? Public sentiment, lashed to indignation and fury by knowledge of this dangerous and daring legislative "hold-up," can smash the entire conspiracy. But will the people wake up; will they realize their peril and act in time? It must be war!

If the Aldrich measure is passed it cannot be repealed. It will be a contract, a "vested right" for fifty years; 94,000,000 Americans and all their interests will by act of Congress be put in financial and political bondage for a half century to a cold, calculating, merciless, greedy and soulless incorporated money power-a central money trust. We are at the "parting of the ways." Shall the country hereafter be ruled by the people, or by a single private corporation?

To a greater extent than during any national crisis since 1776, the life of the republic is now in danger!

Banks Promoting Aldrich Scheme.

The American Bankers' Association at New Orleans in November, 1911, by resolution officially committed itself and the banking fraternity to the Aldrich private central bank plan. This makes it proper and necessary to examine and publish the history and record of the national banking system and the conduct of bankers generally. Only in this way can the country determine whether it is safe by law to turn over to a private corporation owned by the banks a monopoly for fifty years of the entire public currency and the other enormous powers granted by the Aldrich bill. By seeking thus vastly to increase their profits and power by act of Congress the banks have made themselves and their practices a public political issue. Therefore startling facts about banks and bankers will be revealed herein plainly and without bias or apology.

Wealth honestly and fairly gained by individual effort, whatever the size, may put upon the owner a public responsibility, but no stigma. It should receive the full protection of the law. But law-made wealth, that obtained. improperly by private interests through acts of Congress or State Legislatures, if it tends to increase the burden upon. the people for the profit of the few, should be either confiscated or strictly regulated for the public benefit. This line of distinction between law-made and individually earned wealth should ever be kept in mind.

No honest person will be prejudiced against any man simply because he is a banker, or rich. On the other hand,. because a man is a banker, rich and powerful, is no reason why he should be shielded or feared if he has been guilty of graft, fraud and criminal conduct. Writer's brother and many of his personal friends are bankers, so he has no class prejudice whatever. But a deep sense of duty impels the publication of the official evidence conclusively proving the existence of a great and dangerous conspiracy between Wall Street and the big banks for the creation of a giant: central money trust that in time through the 24,392 banks and their grip on all business will rule the republic and destroy genuine popular government.

The gold standard no longer is an issue. It is firmly and permanently established. The silver question is gone forever. And no one wants fiat paper currency or irredeemable greenbacks. But the action of Wall Street and the big banks has precipitated on the country a new financial and political issue more important to the people than all former financial issues combined. There are two branches to this one new issue:

I. The trust question. Shall Congress take from Government and the people all power to issue and regulate the quantity of the public currency and grant it unreservedly for fifty years to a private corporation controlled by the big banks owned by Wall Street? Shall it by law create and turn loose for half a century a huge incorporated central

money trust in private hands to monopolize and control without any effective regulation or restraint the country's entire supply of money and bank credit?

2. The money question. Shall the future currency of the country be full legal tender ("lawful money"), the direct obligation of the Government, redeemable on demand in gold, secured by a reserve of at least one-third the volume in actual gold, issued through the banks on fair but businesslike terms under strict legal regulations by a great and independent public institution so created as absolutely to exclude all Wall Street and political control? Or, shall it be as proposed by the Monetary Commission, a partial legal tender (not "lawful money") corporate paper currency, the mere obligation of a private corporation and not guaranteed by the Government, issued for private profit without legal limit as to quantity by a corporation controlled by the big banks owned by Wall Street? Shall it be Government money, or corporate currency?

Around this new financial and trust issue soon will be waged the greatest political contest since the Civil War. It touches the pocket-interest of every citizen. The people will be on one side and the "special interests" on the other. It will be a finish fight. The victors will rule the republic for all future time, the vanquished being subservient.

It is history that no question so interests and stirs the American people as does the money issue. They are intelligently and wisely jealous of their money supply. Instinctively they realize that whoever controls money and credit, the life-blood of all business, soon can control everything else, including government itself. Therefore the people will fight to the last ditch to retain in their government control of the issuance and volume of the public currency.

Party lines are likely to be shattered and perhaps destroyed. If the present efforts of the promoters of the Aldrich scheme to control the nominations and policies of