The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1894-10-25
A COMMI NICATION.



licanu of October 18th, appears two
communications The first under the
caption of "Notice to Monumental
Liars.r the other following in the same
column and headed "Notice to Popu-
lists"
The object of the first communication,
seems to be, to deny the genuineness OF
a certain "Bankers Circular" purported
to nave been issued March 18th, 1898,
by the Bankers Association, and OF
which the following is copy:
DEAR SfRs:-The interests of National
Bankers require immediate financial
legislation by Congress. Silver, silver
certificates and treasury notes must he
retired, and the National Bank notes,
upon gold basis, made the only money.
This will require the authorization OF from
$500, COO, 900 to 81 900, 100000 OF new bonds
as basis of circulation. You will at once
retire one third of your circulation and
call in one-haIf of your loans. Be careful
to make a money stringency felt among
your patrons, especially among lnfluen-
tial business men. Advocate an extra
session of Congress for the repeal OF the
Sherman law, and act with the other
banks of your city in securing large
petition to Congress for its unconditional
repeal, per accompanying form. Use
personal influence with congressman,
and particularly let your wishes be known
to your Senators. The future life OF the
National Banks as fixed and safe invest
ments depends upon immediate action, as
there is an increasing sentiment in favor
of government legal tender notes and
silver coinage"
The second communication calls in
question, the authenticity, of letter,
claimed to have been written by Lin
coin, to friend of his, and which is
now, sometimes referred to, by populist
newspapers, and orators, as Lincoln's
Prophesy; and is in the following Ian
guage:
LINCOLN'S PROPHESY.
I see a time coming fraught with more
danger than any war we have passed
through; time when the money power
will dominate our patriotism, and by
gradually contracting the currency force
us into a fratricidal war more horrible
than any past. The future dangers to the
republic lie in the increased greed of the
money power. AS Il result Of the war,
corporations have been enthroned and an
era Of corruption in high places will follow
while the money power of the country will
endeavOr to prolong it's reign by working
upon the prejudices ofthe people, until all
wealth has aggregated in few hands and
the republic is Observation-Disclosures
LINCOLN, in 1865.
1t is, SO far as the authenticity or
genuineness, of these two documents is
concerned, of little matter. to anyone,
whether they are spurious or not. We
may contend that both are genuine, Or
for the purposes of the argument may
admit both to be spurious. The great
question that interests the common
people now, is whether the sentiments
reflected, in either the one document or
the other are true.
Has the policy, indicated by the So
called "Bankers CIRCULAR" been the
policy, of Banks and Bankers, or not?
If the policy indicated has not been
their policy, the circular certainly can
work them no injury. If it has been
their policy it can make no difference
whether the circular of itself is spurious
or not 1t is the policy indicated by
the circular, not the circular itself that
hurts. Let us look into this purported
circular, and see if possible, what it
contains that so grievously Injuries the
Bankers, let us see wherein it proves
itself such malicious falsehood, that it
carries within it's very self, the best
evidence of its untruth, and absurdity.
1t is homely but true saying, that a
"Wounded bird flutters," and by the
fuss and futter every Banker in the
country, both great and small, has
made, over this so-called impudent and
monumental forgery something con-
tanned in it, must have hit them mighty
hard, we all know, that Bankers do not
allow their dignity to be ruffied, over
small things, and somehow, it strikes
us, that what hurts the Bankers so bad,
is not so much the falsehoods of the
circular, but rather the unvarnished
truths it publishes to the people.
The first statement made in this
document is "The interests of National
Bankers require immediate financial
legislation by congress, silver, silver
certificates, and treasury notes, must
be retired, and the National Bank notes,
upon gold basis, made the only
money" Have the Banks ever urged
this doctrine of finance? Has not this
one idea, above all others, been the
main one, advocated by the goId-bug
press, throughout the country, and
urged upon congress, and the people,
for years? If that was, and is your
doctrine on finance, and you dare not
say it is not-wherein, SO far, does the
malicious falsehood appear? What is it
that so Injuries your Lordships?
| The next thing seen in this lying and
malicious circular, is that your worships
will need a large and monumental issue
of government bonds in your business,
as a basis of future circulation. There
is proposition, gentlemen: We refer
you to those moulders of gold-bug policy
the files Of your plutocratic press, and
see if YOU cannot find dOleful warnings