The Portland daily press., 1897-12-23
Reply to American Federation Of
Labor.
AUTHORS OF DENUNCIATORY RES.
OLUTIONS ANSWERED.
Refuses to Plead Guilty to Being Either a
Foolish or an Evil Adviser-Federation
Argument.

Reminded That Denun olation is Not
Argument.
Washington, December %. Secretary
Gage has written the following letter to
President Gompers of the Federation OF
Labor:
81 have read with care the resolutions
adopted on the Goth inst at Nashville. by
the convention of the Federation of La
Dor, which recites as follows:
Resolved, That we declare ourselves
most positively opposed to the Gage
financial bill recently introduced in Con-
gress by the Secretary of the Treasury. 1t
is measure, that if adopted as a law,
will only the moro firmly rivet the gold
standard on the people OF the country and
perpetuate Its disastrous affects in every
fern.
Resolved, That we pronounce the
cage bill an undisguised effort to retire
our greenback currency and all govern
ment paper money with view to the
substitution OF national bank notes In
their stead and thus fasten the bank sys-
tem Tor years upon the American people
NOW if 1t be true that the gold stan
dard-by which things have been meas
nred, as to price for the last SIXTY years
IN this county-is inimical to the interests
OF The laboring classes of the United
States-then I think it is inimical to all
classes. In other words, do not believe
that the exploitation of one class by an
other, either through false weights or 8
bad monetary system. can be made to
work for the permanent benefit of the
exploiting class itself, or for the general
veal, even wore 1t defenslble on any
ground of right or justice, which it is
not. Granted therefore, that the perma-
nence of the gold standard (for which
l argue), operates in this evil direction,
then your resolutions of condemnation
| are all found ID and / am justly charged
either with an ignorance which consti-
tutes me foolish advisor, or with a
peryersity of motive which, makes me
an evil advisor.
''i have right to disavow the charge
OF perversity or evil purpose, since there Is
nothing in my whole life as related to
my fellow men, either in word or deed,
| from which the possession by me of such
characteristics can be inferred, much less
demonstrated
but ignorance often uncOnsciOusly
works as deep injury as evil intent might
do and to this sin of ignorance, Of it be
Il SIM, must confess myself to be Il
possible victim. This confession, how
ever, ought not TO classify me as separate
from my feilowmen generally, whether
they be considered as individual units
or as congregate6 in groups. Ignorance
is relative, not an absolute term, since
few are totally ignorant and none is
absolutely wise. Nor does tho number
constituting the group change this fact,
since the wisdom of group, however,
large, cannot e greater than that of the
wisest man in it.
This remains true whether the subject
matter involving knowledge and judg-
lnent be astronomy, physics or finance.
The condemnation then involved
in the resolutions referred TO is measured
by tho jnst OF imperfect apprehension of
questions relating to monetary science
held by the wisest men who supported
them.
Laying these general considerations
aside. let me say to you and through you
to the great body you SO honorably repre-
sent, that If intead Of denunciatory resolu-
tions, which are not arguments, you or any
other one on your behalf will show that
the views 1 entertain and advocate are
other than satisfactory to the economic
body of which we are all independent
members, will abandon them without
hesitation. My present conviction, the
honest fruit of sincere study and rehec.
ton. is that breakdown in our present
monetary standard would be most dis
astrous blow to all our commercial and
industrial interests, and that upon the
wage workers, as class, would be en-
tailed the most serious effects of the dis
aster. Believing this I must SO bear wit
ness"