Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-08-07

!
Corresponding Secretary of tn.
NJ. r. Church SOciety-It Seems "a
Agree with the Secular Senti.
ment Everywhere Expressed -
Christianity In Earnest.
The financial problem is now the
most important and perhaps the most
difficult OF any occupying public at
tention. 1t is the foremost question
in business and political circle.
throughout the civilized world. Var.
ious theories are proposed, diverse pol.
icies suggested, and the forces, favoring
and opposing, are gathering as the real
or supposed interests of the people
aroused as if by call to arms, suggest
to the individual citizen. Political
party lines are traversed with little, il
any regard to questions of protection
or free trade, or others prominent two
years ago, and the very existence OF old
political parties in their unity through
out the country seems to be in peril
although both, in their last national
conventions, formally declared in favor
of both gold and silver coin. Now
they drag their anchors and drift like
ships before the storm, and these two
great fleets are being scattered over
our political seas. Can they ever
again be marshalled in hostile array?
We are told that we shall have a
campaign of education. In our view
there has rarely, if ever, been a time
when the right education of individual
citizens was more important, for the
question is vital and the leadership to
which the people hsves been accus-
toned in such questions is now wholly
unavailable.
We make no apology for the taking
part in the Educational campaign
for besides the interests common to all
citizens, we have some that deeply
concern our official work, rs the rep
resentative of q great Christian benev-
olence. Our friends know something
of the extent to which this work has
suffered in consequence OF the prevail
ing financial distress and our future
success depends upon our fellow. citi-
zens finding the good and the right
way. Among those who are inhuen-
tial in the education of the public
especially concerning questions on
which political parties do not join is
sue are the readers of our pages. We
desire to suggest to them a few facts
and principles that may serve as safe
guides for the proposed campaign o
education in which all intelligent pub
lie teachers should bear their part.
We premise, by suggesting that the
laws of finance, though more obscure
are as real and as memorable as the
laws of nature. 1t is therefore impor'
tant to study them with the greatest
care. We should, with special vigi
lance, guard against being influenced,
in any degree, by false and misleading
cant-phrases adopted by heated par
tisans, such as -" sound money!" hon
est dollars" The questions to bs set
tied are, "What is sound money!
What are honest dollars" We are
always safe in suspecting any party te
a dispute who uses such phrases in
stead OF sound facts and honest argu.
ments, thereby assuming that all who
differ with them are unsound or dis
honest in character and purpose. We
do we'll to look carefully after the
facts, and with even handed justice
weigh oil arguments.
l. Gold and silver have constituted
the money of the wo.ld-not gold and
silver bullion, but gold and silver coin
of agreed relative weight nearly uni.
form throughout the world.
2. While the relative value OF the
two metals has been greatly disturbed
within score of years, there were but
slight variations more than two hun
dred years preceding, and the recent
disturbance of relative value began
with legislative discrimination against
silver in this and other countries and
has almost steadily grown as this dis
elimination has gained upon public
thought and feeling.
3. The two metals, however, stand
related as OF old as the precious
metals" 1t is not possible for any
other to intervene for use as money
1t is, therefore, of necessity, simply 6
question whether there shall be gold
coin alone as redemption money" OF
whether these two metals shall con
tinue to serve together in agreed rela'
tions.
4. Taking the last hundred yeare
together, the relative amount OF gold
and silver bullion available for coinage
is in harmony with the relative value
heretofore obtaining for coinage pur'
poses-sixteen or less of silver to one
of gold.
5. Coinage OF money and the regu-
lation OF values thereof are the prerog'
atives OF the nations severally though
commercially related. In our coun'
try, the Constitution of the United
States, defining general powers ol
Congress, including money, weights
and measures, in these words, etc