Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-06-11
Reprehensible Methods.

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gan of the National Sound Money
Lcague-in other words, the mouth
piece of the moneyed power that has
u,urped control of all branches of the
government.
1t may be well for those philosophers
who live with their heads above the
clouds, and are never compelled to
grope in ash-barrcls for subsistence, to
declare that no one who has some
thing merchantable for sale complains
OF scarcity of money" for their sight
may be shut off by the cloudy canopy
that Obscures the pathway OF ordinary
mortals, but it will be difficult for
them to make the many thousands
who have muscle and Drawn that
used in the good times of the past to
be classified as something to sell"
believe that there is a market for their
wares. 1t is scarcely possible that they
could cram the assertion down the
Threats OF our lumbcrmen, our farmers,
our fishermen, our labOrers in every
branch of industry, that their wares
are understandable, even though
there is decidedly manifested "scarc-
ity of money" to buy them.
Sound Money seems to be edited by
another J. Francis Forsythe, the hon
est gentleman who jumped at bound
to the topmost round of the ladder of
fame, last September, when he wrote
his impressions of the political situa-
ton to Judge Bell, of Indiana. 1t
will be remembered that he protested
to speak for committee appointed to
educate the public to true realization
of existing conditions. This he did
from purely goldbug standpoint.
While it embodied their real views it
was incontinently denied and con-
demned for its utter disregard OF
expediency. Mr.. Forsythe stated, as a
premise, to the proposition that there
was no scarcity of money" that
labor expected too much of the circu-
lating medium as its recompense;
that cone dollar per day, on the gold
basis, was enormous pay for labor"
and gave as reason for this assertion
that the laboring man was extrava-
CANT, that he ate meat four or five
times a week." and "often indulge in
pie, which is no kind of food to be en-
joyed by working people, and did them
no good" 1t will be remembered that
this golden nugget magnanimously
gave it as his opinion that rice was
=" cheap and one of the most wholesome
and nOurishing of foods" and he like
wise recommended the substitution of
rye for wheaton bread as another
means of bringing the wage-rate to
merchantable limits and obviate
scarcity OF money"
1t is quite plain to the careful OBJ
server of social ethics that wealth has
made its votaries blind to the exist
ence of exact prevailing conditions;
that their environments are such that
they fail to grasp, much less compre-
bend, the relative conditions of capital
and labor. They do not dream that
they are over powder mine or a
seething volcano, on the very verge of
precipice, or at the mercy of a power
so much greater than their own that
they may well tremble at the prospect
of an awakening of the masses to
full realization of the utter heartless-
ness with which they have been
treated.
Let us hope that the necessity for
strict but righteous judgment be not
pressed, but it is the publication of
just such falsehoods and sophistry as
the gold barons rely upon that is
awakening thought and lashing popu.
lar sentiment up to the point of des-
peration.
Men will listen to reason but cannot
longer be deceived by falsehood or
struck down by weapons that are
ground to powder the moment they
encounter the impervious armor of
truth. Let us have fair play. Let us
agree, if we may, on other propositions,
but when darkness is pronounced
light, or wrong is declared to be right,
or it is affirmed that there is no
" scarcity of money" as circulating
medium, common intelligence is SUBJ
jected to such q deliberate insult that
hope of cooperation for any object is
at once dispelled.