A to pay B his 550 bgs of corn with 550 bushels of oats which are won only 30 cents a bushel. The corn having appreciated, because of the changed relation of the supply of corn to the demand for corn, has worked a hardship, under the inexorable operation of economic law, against B. And the economic law is an evolution of that natural law which regulates the rainfall and the sunshine and makes crops, either bountiful or meagre. Now would not the same morality, honesty, and sense of justice, which provide for the payment of a money debt created since we were on a gold basis—that is, since January, 1879—in depreciated dollars, made either of silver or any other commodity, also pay a loan of 500 bushels of corn, borrowed in 1894, with 550 bushels of oats in 1895; or, if in corn, then in troy weight instead of avoirdupois; or, if by measure, then with two pecks to the bushel? Du Maurier describes the wonderful vocalization of Trilby, as "waves of sweet and tender laughter, the very heart and essence of innocent, high-spirited girlhood, alive to all that is simple and joyous and elementary in nature-the freshness of the morning, the ripple of the stream, the click of the mill, the lisp of the wind in the trees, the song of the lark in the cloudless sky--the sun and the dew, the scent of early flowers and summer woods and meadows-the sight of birds and bees and butterflies and frolicsome young animals at play all the sights and scents and sounds that are the birthright of happy children, happy savages in favored climes-things within the remembrance and reach of most of us! All this, the memory and the feel of it, are in Trilby's voice as she warbles that long, smooth, lilting, dancing laugh, that wondrous song without words; and those who hear, feel all, and remember it with her. It is irresistible; it forces itself on you; no words, no pictures, could ever do the like!" But the music was that of her mesmeric master. The potency of his magic swayed her whole being-voice, features, pose, gestures, everytl ng-in one grand, breathing symphony. So the harmonies of civilization, the multifold tones of Trade, all the great choruses and melodies of Commerce-the murmuring stream that turns the mill wheel, the hissing engine on the rail, the plash of the paddle-wheel on inland lakes, the monotonous pulsations of the great hearts of steamships on all the oceans of the globe, the singing wires of telegraph lines hanging in the air, the whir of the electric cars-every movement of a sentient commerce transporting from north to south, from south to north, from east to west, and from west to east, with all its myriad sounds of contented industry-are merely the economic orchestra of Civilization obeying the motions of the magic baton of Demand, wielded by the will-power of the civilized world. These are the marvelous melodies of modern commerce. But the inspiration which gives voice to value, and energizes the many-tongued industries of modern life, advancements, and improvements, is EXCHANGEABILITY based upon demand, which is founded upon desire. And so, theorize as we may, contend for whatever financial faith we can, and legislate as we will, we shall find at last that in our Present the foundations of finance are, as they were in the Past of a thousand years ago, buttressed by human desires and human demands for exchangeable things. And the future will finally, perhaps, after many severe strains upon the credit of the Republic, behold the citizens of the United States, in their honesty and strength with one voice unequivocally declaring for a unit-a measure of value-a medium of exchange-fashioned out of or founded upon gold. They will thus determine and declare, because that metal has been tested and approved for five hundred years by the domestic and foreign trade of all the commercial nations of Europe as the only measure of value, the only facilitator of exchanges which civilized mankind has as yet discovered, adopted and utilized with nearly universal success and almost complete satisfaction. PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. SIXTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING. UNIVERSITY CHAPEL, LINCOLN, NEBR., January 10, 1893. } The Society was called to order by the President, the Hon. J. Sterling Morton, at 8:15 p. m. The roll was then called, and the following members answered to their names: C. E. Bessey E. N. Grennell A. R. Keim Miss Mary A. Tremain The secretary's report of the proceedings of the last meeting was read and approved without modification. The first paper of the evening was by the Hon. W. W. Cox of Seward, on Reminiscences of Early Times near Nebraska City. The paper was both interesting and valuable. The second one was by Mr. J. A. MacMurphy of Omaha. His subject, Some Character Sketches of Early Nebraskans," was an exceedingly well-putand important See Vol. V., pp. 63-91. contribution to the history of the State. The final paper prepared by Mr. W. H. Eller of Ashland, Va., on The Arickari Conquest of 1823,1 was, in the absence of the writer, presented to the Society for publication without reading. The Society then on motion adjourned to meet in the chapel at 8:00 p. m., January 11, 1893. J. STERLING MORTON, President. H. W. CALDWELL, Secretary. STATE UNIVERSITY CHAPEL, At 8:15 p. m., the Society was called to order with President J. Sterling Morton in the chair. It was moved and carried that the order of business be changed, and that the treasurer's report be read and presented to an auditing committee for report at the business meeting later in the evening. The president appointed Mr. S. L. Geisthardt and Hon. N. S. Harwood as an auditing committee. A very valuable paper was then presented by Mrs. Judge S. B. Pound on the History of the Lincoln Public Library. After this paper the president made an important contribution to history in a paper concerning Records and Their Conservation. Some unpublished letters of President Jefferson were read to illustrate the arguments of the paper. This paper was followed by a discussion of the freighting business from Nebraska City to Denver and the mountains during the years following 1848, by Hon. B. J. Johnson of Nemaha county. At the business meeting immediately following, a motion was made by Mr. Geisthardt that the thanks of the Society be returned to those presenting papers, and that copies be requested for publication. Carried. The auditing committee for the treasurer's report found the same See Vol. V., pp. 35–43. correct, with all vouchers present. The secretary then made his annual report, outlining the work of the past year, presenting the needs of the future, and making some suggestions in regard to the plans that seemed to him. wise, in order to forward the best interests of the Society. Report was on motion of the Hon. H. T. Clarke received and placed on file. As there were no reports from standing committees, the Society passed to reports of special committees. The committee appointed to confer with a like committee from the Horticultural Society reported that the latter Society had determined to hold only day sessions, thus enabling the members of each Society to attend the meetings of the other. Under the head of election of members the following names were presented: John M. Brockman, Hugh LaMaster, H. W. Quaintance, H. W. Parker, Henry Sprick, L. C. Richards, Mrs. L. C. Richards, H. A. Longsdorf. The rules were suspended and the Secretary was instructed to cast the unanimous ballot of the Society for the persons above named, which was done. The election for officers resulted as follows: President, J. Sterling Morton First Vice President, S. B. Pound Second Vice President, Gov. Lorenzo Crounse Secretary, H. W. Caldwell On motion of S. L. Geisthardt, Section two (2) of the By-Laws was amended by adding clause three, as follows: "Provided that in case the legislative appropriation shall in the judgment of the board of directors warrant, they may authorize the secretary to employ an assistant to act as librarian, and to do the general work of the Society |