Seventeen Talks on the Banking Question: Between Uncle Sam and Mr. Farmer, Mr. Banker, Mr. Lawyer, Mr. Laboringman, Mr. Merchant, Mr. Manufacturer

Description

Charles N. Fowler’s Seventeen Talks on the Banking Question is a monumental work of economic philosophy and legal theory. Written at the height of the American banking debate, the book examines the banking system not as a dry technical subject but as a fundamental question of freedom and governance. Fowler argues that the banking question is essentially a question of whether the government or the people should control the creation of money — a debate that remains relevant today.\n\nThrough seventeen distinct talks, Fowler addresses the question from multiple perspectives: as a lawyer, as a manufacturer, as a laborer, and as a banker. He refutes the argument that a state banking monopoly is necessary for stability, showing instead how centralized control can distort markets and infringe on individual liberty. The work is both a defense of free banking and a critique of the bureaucratic creep that has shaped modern financial policy. For anyone interested in the history of American finance, the philosophy of money, or the ongoing tension between state and market, this is essential reading.