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would be purchased and banknotes would not be ac- other side of the veil as well) I will be blessing the
cepted for trade without an up-to-date stamp. After good Lord for putting Social Credit upon my path
two years, there was no room to affix more stamps in this life. I will always remember that fateful day
and the banknote would be taken out of circulation. in 1934 when I was riding on the train that was tak-
The total of the stamps purchased would provide the ing me from Montreal to my job in Sainte-Anne-de-
government with the price of the banknote. The new Bellevue. I was privileged to read a 96-page pamph-
banknote was thus already paid. Louis Even did not let that explained Social Credit to me [J. Crate
like the theory very much as the individual was incen- Larkin’s From Debt to Prosperity]. I was not looking
tivized to spend his money quickly in order not to see for Social Credit on that particular day. However, I
his money lose its value. Louis Even saw this concept was looking for something that would put an end
as contrary to the freedom of choice of the individual. to the stupid financial crisis with which we were all
A Stroke of Light struggling during that time.
“I had read many things that day besides hav-
One day, the mail brought ing worked at my regular job. I was an instructor for
a simple 96-page pamphlet the workers of our printing house. Every week we
entitled From Debt to Pros- held a study session with the more than 100 work-
perity, written by J. Crate Lar- ers. We had chosen for that particular day a session
kin, of Buffalo, New York. It on the question of money and credit. Therefore, we
was a summary of the monet- were looking for accounts on the subject. I had read
ary principles of Clifford Hugh many manuscripts, a few small pamphlets and differ-
Douglas. Louis Even read the ent books that had been sent to us. In all of these, I
book during his daily train found that efforts were being advanced to improve
commute between Montreal the situation. But there were things that were ridicu-
and Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue lous, and there were problems in all of them. They
and was immediately con- were saying that one could come to the help of the
vinced of its significance. people but not without requiring something, such as
He recognized a group of principles which, when that programs were put together, or that a dictator-
applied, would make a perfect monetary system; a ship was installed, or that socialism was established.
system of finance flexible enough to answer all the “When I came upon Social Credit, I said: ‘This is
situations of economics, capable of bending itself fantastic!’ It hit me straight between the eyes like
to the facts of economics, rather than dictating or a thunderbolt, and I made up my mind immediately
contradicting their reality. The system respected the that I had just discovered a ‘truth’ on my path. The
freedom of choice of individuals, served both the other books all had shadows in their overall portray-
systems of production and consumption, and would al of the problems with the financial system at that
meet the needs of society and economics. particular time. There were no grey areas in Social
Immediately, Louis Even thought to himself: Credit’s overall picture of the exact problem with
“Everyone must be made aware of this!” From then the financial system; a very great truth had fallen
on all his thoughts would be directed toward realizing onto my path.
this wish. “After reading a few pages on Social Credit, even
Two more books, more exhaustive than Larkin’s before I had completed the entire book, when I saw
pamphlet, were also forwarded on the topic of So- what Social Credit was all about, I said to myself:
cial Credit: Social Credit for Canada by W. A. Tutte, ‘This is so wonderful that all people have to come to
and Economic Nationalism by Maurice Colbourne. know what Social Credit is. It came upon my path; it
Later, Louis Even acquired other works by Douglas has to be put onto the path of all people.’ It is Provi-
and other writers on the same topic, all written in the dence who put Social Credit onto my path, and even
English language. though I was not very wealthy at that particular time
At the request of Louis Even, Mr. Harpell agreed in my life and I did not know how to go about making
to publish Larkin’s pamphlet, From Debt to Prosper- this great truth known to everyone, I had the desire
ity, in French. Larkin’s book was the beginning of to do so. I was practically vowing that I would start
French language publications on Social Credit, and to make this great truth known to everyone as soon
Louis Even was the translator. as possible. I kept working at my regular job, and I
In 1959, the Movement held a congress in Al- could only give time to the cause of Social Credit on
weekends. Then one day, thanks to the initiative and
lardville, New Brunswick, Canada. On that occasion, support of Mrs. Gilberte Cote-Mercier, I was able to
Mr. Even explained how he came across Social Credit: leave my regular job at the printing house [on Sept.
“As far as I am concerned, every day of my life 4, 1938] and become a full-time Pilgrim for the great
(and I am sure it will be the same for me on the Social Credit cause.” u

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