The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1892-05-19
soKE DEMANDS.


The platform adopted BY the Farmers
Alliance convention, which met at North
Yakima few days ago, shows what in
congFaliies and absurdities can be strung
together BY men who know more about
some things than they do about others.
Among other demands is that . financial
history Of the United States be made a
regular course Of instruction in our public
schools. and that teachers be required to
pass examination in this branch before
receiving certificates. At the irst glance
this does not seem 10 be at all bad idea,
and, coming from men whose financial
education has been neglected, It would
seem TO have the added force Of aeknow.
lodged deficiency and q laudable and pa
tFiotic desire 10 save posterity from falling
into error and preserving Il from the G.
nancial heFesies Of the alliance. But this
Is crediting the advocates Of the new
course with more humility and geneFos-
lily than they will admit themselves to
possess. They undoubtedly mean that
finance shall be taught in the srhools,
not now, but in that indefinite time In
the future when the alliances financial
ideas shall have been accepted by the
nation. A financial history written by q
believer IN sound metallic currency would
hardly receive the Endorsement Of the al
lance men as = fountain Of knowledge
from Whirh their children should drink.
No, II ls evident from the very nature Of
TIE situation that the alliance men Of
Washington could not mean to have this
new idea go into effect Immediately.
Let Ne suppose that the various states
should add q financial history Of the
United States to their school curriculum.
and see what would be the result. At
least three styles would be adopted-the
gold standard, bi.metallic and the fat
money. Some states would be teaching
their pupils that gold Is the basis Of .
sound currency and the history Of the
United States would be made to prove It..
Others would instruct that silver Is equal
y valuable with gold as a money fonda
tion, and that there is no need Of a cor.
respondenee Of intrinsic value in the
coins made from the two metals, and the
nations history would be made 70 prove
the correctness Of the theory, while the
alleged decentralization Of silver in 1878
would be pointed to as the eroWning acI
Of treason and infamy BY the gold
bugs" equal in its hostility to liberty
and human rights 10 the Shareholders
rebellion. slill other histories would
show from the nations annals that money
n but the stamp Of the government, and
that all II needs hack Of 1t is wealth
either In lands. cattle, grain or eabbages
regardless Of the fact that this wealth be
lonas TO individuals and not to the gov
eminent, and could not be put up as col
lateral upon which the holder Of the gov
ernments promise to pay could realiz
the promise. This Of itself would be Al
Interesting state Of Affairs, even we're tn
various states 10 continue to use the bis
tories frst adopted. But this could no
Be- possible. Every time there came
political upheaval in the state, one hia
tory would be thrown out and anothe
placed In the hands Of the pupils, 80 tha
the boy Of 10 might be instructed 10 th
gold standard HISTORY, have the bi-metal
lie placed In his hands at IA, and roun
out bic financial education in the hig
school with the cabbage currency vo
umo. Teachers, Of course, would be CON
PEELED TO study all three, in order to paa
the necessary examinations. The all
ance men Il Washington, TO make the
resolution expFess their desire more cleai
~. should have added to Il, ''the sal
history 70 Be prepared by committee q
The farmers alIianee.D
Another demand d that the state prir
IL own sehool books and supply ther
free d cot 70 The pupils. II the member
Of TIE alliance knew one-hali as muc
about the business d printing and boOl
making as Il 4 10 Be hoped they knO
about farming, they never would has
made such . demand = this. unless The
arc anxious 70 pay more iof their bool
than they nov DO. School books a
eopyHrhisd, and he stafs would hrl
have % boy The right % print sueh Z
were wanted ior q eood round sum,
lnissi, 4 could buy ne right At Al, Z