Correspondence

• 1915 October 14 (Creation)

2 pages

R.F. Pettigrew responds to H.L. Loucks affirmation regarding Loucks money question. Pettigrew laments of his inability to financially help Loucks in his education endeavors and hopes that his financial condition will soon recover. Pettigrew also speaks boldly of his dislike for money and how it influences the people of Sioux Falls.

TRANSCRIPT

R. F. Pettigrew
Sioux Falls, S.D.
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Oct. 14, 1915

H. L. Loucks,
Watertown, S. D.

My Dear Friend:-

Your leaflets with regard to the money question are very interesting and they are sound, and you discuss the question with ability and evidently know what you are talking about.

I hope my financial affairs will get in shape pretty soon so that I can help you do this work of education. Of course the banking business and currency business should be done by the government and not delegated to private parties to be used to exploit the producers of wealth. You understand that as well as I do. Therefore no person should be permitted to engage in the banking business, but it should all be done by the government itself. What is the use. The people of this country like to be exploited and robbed and are proud of the enormously rich men they have helped to produce. I am sure it is a great satisfaction to the people of Sioux Falls to feel that they are paying $2 for gas, where they should only be paying $1. They can each feel the satisfaction of having contributed to the wealth of some contemptible financier down in New York who has with the money thus taken from the people of Sioux Falls been able to buy a dukelet for his daughter. Each one of these Sioux Falls producers is really proud of it, and I think most of them make the contribution feeling that they are having an opportunity to pay for the investment in the European dukelet. For seven years I have undertaken to arouse some interest here in the question of our public utilities only to meet with abuse from our two daily newspapers and sneers on the part of the victims who are paying the bills.

Of course the money and currency of a country is a public utility for money cannot exist except as a medium of exchange and its functions are conferred upon it by law. And yet with the circulating medium the very life blood of the business of the country and the public highways are under the control of the gang of thieves in New York and used to exploit the producers everywhere, we boast of our prosperity and our civilization.

Anyway I want to keep in touch with you and as soon as my affairs get in such shape that I can do so, I am going to assist a little in carrying on your educational work.

Yours truly,

R. F. Pettigrew

• Progressivism (United States politics)
• South Dakota -- Politics and government

• Loucks, Henry L. (Henry Langford) 1846-1928 (Subject)
• Pettigrew, Richard F. (Richard Franklin) 1848-1926 (Subject)

• Letters
• Correspondence