Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1895-10-04
Times Changes.

10 his henchmen before his departure
for Washington in November. He
gave the Olympian some pointers
which will doubtless modify to some
extent the silvery tone OF that journal
John l.. sees very plainly that his
party, true TO its prestige and inherent
instincts, will support the gold-bug
policy, whether the platform plainly
avows it is constructed on the "strad-
dle-bus" order. Mr.. w. declares
that the crime of 70 is not worrying
the people nigh as much as the mis-.
take of 49," meaning, of course, the
accession OF power by the present Ad-
ministration. "The urgent need Of
the hour is," he declares, "a system
that will produce sufficient revenue to
pay the running expenses of the Gov
ernment." A moments reflection
will show that "aystem" has very
little to do with it. The government
revenues have fallen off for just the
same reasons that individual profits
are small, from the "hard times"
which have been precipitated by
confederation of circumstances. When
people econOmize, the demand for pro-
ducts of all kinds declines; the i'm.
ports, from which the major part of
the public revenue is derived become
less, and finally, with the gold-bug de-
cision OF the Supreme Court, which
annuled The law by which the million
aire WAS made to pay small percent
age on his income, the revenue very
naturally falls below the expenditures
for the public service.
The only reasonable cause for the
financial panic is the debssement OF
one-half OF our national coinage. 1t
has injured, if not absolutely ruined,
every legitimate business enterprise of
the country, and for what object?
Simply to enable the better classes OF
the community" the money sharks,
the office-holders, and the parasites. to
gorge themselves upon blood-money
drawn from the middle classes; sim.
ply 10 enable the money kings of Eu-
rope and America to give another turn
to the screws whereby their enormous
wealth could be doubled and quadru.
pied.
Mr.. Wilson declares that bonds we're
never sold before to obtain means for
meeting the expenses of the civil ser.
vice. That may be true, but what
does that prove in these times which
have no precedent? Simply, as stat
ed, that the nation, a. we'll as the peo-
pie, feels the grasp OF the moneyed
power" the power behind the
throne"-the power that yields the
scepter-the power that the Republi.
can party, from the days OF Hamilton,
has obsequiously bowed down before.
Probably Mr.. Wilson does not remem.
Der that when the Democratic party
turned over the reins of government to
" Grandfather's Hat" the surplus in
the Treasury through economy and
thrift, Was 80 large that it was seri.
Gus question to determine how to dis.
pose Of it. but how long did the mat.
ter remain unsolved after the tribe of
Benjamin had stepped into power I?
True it may be that the excess was
piled up in the Treasury by robbery
tariff, which was unfelt simply be-
cause other conditions had produced
an unprecedented season Of prosperity,
but the fact remains tina. the surplus
was faithfully turned over TO the in
coming administration, and that it
disappeared IS mists before the sun
under the skillful direction OF the
party bosses, who had made such
close study of the methods of "addi-
ton, division and silence" When
the Treasury came back to the Demo-
Gratis in 1898, the sack was empty, and
the first duty which confronted the
party was to make provision for de-
ficiency.
But, then, the Senator 10 his Olym-
plan interview, was simply selecting
soft spot for his party to light upon
when it tumbles over the fence into
the gold-bug ranks, and to tune his
"organ" into something like unison
with the gold-bug sentiment which
permeates the party in the East.
Alas! we will hear the silvery ring
no more from the party organ. The
edict has gone forth and must be
obeyed.