The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1893-12-29

Oregon's governor breaks out in
harsh Christmas greeting to Grover,
which, while overdrawn as to actual
conditions in Oregon, digs the Presi-
dent on the tender spot of unre-
deemed party pledges and shattered
planks in the Chicago platform.
Something is at fault for the times
getting worse instead of better and
this is populist Pennoyer's idea:
"The extraordinary circumstances
which greet the return of this holiday
must be my excuse for writing to you.
To day is the first Christmas in the
history of Oregon when more than
two-thirds of its people are without
employment and more than one-third
without sufficient means of support.
Business is almost completely stagna-
ted, money is not to be obtained, and
debtors are powerless to avert seizure
of their property and their homes to
satisfy, at small percentage of their
value, the claims of creditors. Repeat
ed appeals have been made to me as
governor of Oregon to assemble the
Legislature in order to alleviate this
condition of affairs and avert impend-
ing calamity. Redress is, showever,
not in our hands, but in yours, and
hence this appeal to you. The laws OF
congress which have Disseminated
against silver and made gold alone full
legal tender money, giving to the
money lender the privilege of refusing
both the silver dollar and silver GER
tifcate, thus rendering unavailable
more than one-half OF the national
currency as absolute debt-paying
money, are the sole causes of the de-
cline of values, paralysis of business
and consequent impoverishment of the
great army of wage earners and of the
impending starvation of their wives
and children.
eff, when you stood upon the east
ern portico of the capitol on March 4
last, you had announced to the people
that you would speedily convene con-
gress in extra session to carry out the
pledges of the platform to which you
gave your assent and upon which you
were elected, which declared for the
use of both gold and silver as stan
dard money, without discrimination
against either metal the wide spread
revulsion of business, which has di'
minished the value of the property Of
the nation by fully one-half, would
never have occurred, and if now you
would give such advice to congress the
further downward tendency would be
checked, and with favorable congress
ional legislation, business would again
revive and prosperity would again WISH
our land.
at is honorable to carry out thu
pledges of party to the people, and i
it not most dishonorable not to do so
The responsibility lies entirely will
you. The complete obedience of tin
lower house of congress to your wishe
has been observed throughout tn
world. It would obey your behest
and in this the senate would give yo1
support. You are father, and yo1
no doubt feel grateful to God whe1
!, you, upon retiring to rest, look upo1
, your sleeping babes in their couches
, the pictures of health consequent up
on their having sufficlency of foo
, and clothing. l pray you however, t
enlarge the scope of your vision, an
, behold, as you can, in many and man
a cot, children loved as much by thei
, parents as yours are by you, weak an
! sickly from insufficient food and clott
} ing, the innocent victims of viciou
) financial legislation, whose sleepin
forms are bathed by the scalding tear
| of mothers bending over them in sol
: row and despair, and then resolve, a
you should, to faithfully carry out tn
, pledges which your party gave to
! confiding people. If you will do S
God will bless you and grateful pee
pie will applaud you."