The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-12-26

SALEM, oRE., Dec. 25.-GOvernOr Pen
noyer today addressed the following let
ter to President Cleveland:
The extraordinary circumstances
which greet the return of this holiday
must be my excuse for writing you.
Today is the first Christmas in the his.
tory of Oregon when more than two
thirds of its people are without employ
ment and more than one-third are
without sufficient means of support.
Business is almost completely stagnated.
Money is not to be obtained, and debt-
ors are powerlesa to Iavoid seizure Of
their property and their homes to salts.
fy at a small percentage Of their value
the claims of creditors. Repeated ap.
peals have been made to me as Cover
nor OF Oregon to assemble the legisla-
ture in order to alleviate this condition
of affairs and avert the impending
calamity. The redress is, however, not
in our hands but in yours, and hence
this appeal to you.
The laws of Congress which have dis
criminated against silver and made
gold alone full legal tender money, CIV
ing to the money lender the privilege OF
refusing both the silver dollar and sill
yer certificate, thus rendering unavail.
able more than one-half OF the national
currency rs absolute debt paying money,
are the sole causes of the decline OF
values, paralysis OF business and conse-
ouent impoverishment Of the great
army OF wage workers and OF the i'm
pending starvation OF their wives and
children.
II when you stood upon the eastern
portico of the Capitol on the 4th Of last
March you had announced to the peo-
pie that you would specially convene
Congress in extra session to carry out
the pledges OF the platform to which
you gave your assent, and upon which
YOU were elected and which declared
for the use OF both gold and silver as
standard money without discrimination
against either metal, the widespread
revision Of business which has dimin-
ished the value OF the property OF the
nation by fully one-half would never
have occurred; and, il now you would
give such advice to Congress, the fur
ther downward tendency would be
checked and with favorable congress
sional legislation business would again
revive and prosperity would again visit
our land.
1t is honorable to carry out the
pledges OF the party to the people, and
is it not most dishonorable not to do so ?
The responsibility lies entirely with
you. Complete obedience Of the lower
house OF congress to your wishes has
been observed throughout the world.
1t would be your behest, and in this the
senate would give you support.
You are a father and you no doubt
feel grateful to God when you, upon
retiring, look upon your sleeping babies
in their couches, the pictures Of health,
consequent upon their having suf-
ficiency OF food and clothing. pray
you, however, to enlarge the scope Of
your vision and behold as you can in
many and many a cot, children loved
as much by their parents as yours are
by you, weak and sickly from insult
ficient food and clothing; the innocent
victims OF vicious financial legislation,
whose sleeping forms are bathed by tho
scalding tears OF mothers bending oyer
them in sorrow and despair; and there
resolve, as you should, to faithfully
carry out the pledges which your party
gave to a confding people. II YOU will
do 80 God will bless you and grateful
nation will applaud you."