Daniel Webster: Irredeemable Paper
on Wednesday, November 18, 2020Daniel Webster Money Quote saying there are nothing by bankruptcies, cheating, lies and unkept promises with nothing but paper to show for the trouble. Daniel Webster said:
“We are in danger of being overwhelmed with irredeemable paper, mere paper, representing not gold nor silver; no sir, representing nothing but broken promises, bad faith, bankrupt corporations, cheated creditors and a ruined people” — Daniel Webster
Share the Daniel Webster Money quote image above on your site:
Short Link to this Quote:
In this quote, Daniel Webster is warning about the dangers of having too much paper currency, or “irredeemable paper”, in circulation without being backed by a commodity like gold or silver. By “irredeemable paper” he is referring to banknotes or promissory notes that are not redeemable for specie (gold or silver coins). Webster believed that having a currency made up solely of paper notes without commodity backing would lead to a loss of confidence in the value of money.
This in turn could lead to “broken promises” if banks could not redeem paper money for gold/silver as promised, “bad faith” if the paper currency was not trustworthy, “bankrupt corporations” as businesses struggled without a stable currency, “cheated creditors” who could not collect debts of known value, and ultimately a “ruined people” as the economy suffered from a lack of sound money.
In essence, Webster was warning of the dangers of fiat currency not tied to a commodity standard, and the economic and social problems that could arise from having “mere paper” as legal tender without real value behind it. He felt this could overwhelm and ruin the country’s financial system and prosperity.
Birthday: January 18, 1782 – Death: October 24, 1852