Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-23
.ClCE MAKES A PROTEST.
r.,,.,,ioD Of Labor Resolutions Call Him
Out.
" WANTS THE BEST FOR THE COUNTRY
"a, he Shown the Gold Standard IL
mad for one Glass He VIII Leave
IL rs bad for All.

.,,,rrton, Dec. 22.-secretary Gage
,,,,tten the following letter to
a sas.ldent Gompers of the Federation
f,obor: 81 have read the resolu-
o. .s adopted at the Nashville conven-
uon of theFederation ofLabor'whieh re-
,te as follows;
ey,s,lved, That we declare ourselves
,st positively opposed to the Gage
Hanclol bill recently introduced In
o,.gress by the secretary OF the treas
=, ia n measure that IL adopted
law will only the more firmly
,be gold standard ON the people
,be country and perpetuate Its dis
.,,rous effects In every form.
"Resolved, That we pronounce the
. btl an undisguised effort to re-
,,~s our greenback currency and all
comment paper money, with view
:, the substitution Of national bank
.,ss in their stead, and thus fasten
Ky national bank system for years
,,ncn the American people
TaNow, II 1t be true that the solu
Sard-by which things have been
ars In this country, is inimical to
~ interests of the laboring classes of
,he limited States--then / think 1t Is
,a,,,ical to all classes. In other words
a. not believe that the exploitation
:, o,e clahs by another, either through
disc weights partial laws or bad
monetary system. can be made "a
,rork FOR the permanent benefit OF the
synloitlng clnss itself, or for the
general veal, even were 1t defensible
sn any ground of right or justice,
wblch II is not Granted, therefore,
,hst fine permanence of the gold stand
I'd flor which i argue) operates In
Ms evil direction, then your resolu-
tons of condemnation are well founded
and am justly charged either with
an Ignorance which constitutes me n
foolish adviser, or with u perversity OF
motive which makes me an evil ad-
yiser
charge of perverslty or evil purpose,
sinee there Is nothing in my whole life
ID related 10 my fellow-men, either In
work or deed, from which the posses
SION by me OF such characteristic can
h. inferred, much less demonstrated.
"put Ignorance often unconsciously
works as deep injury as evil intent
might do, and to the sin of Ignorance,
II II be a sin / must confess myself to
be possible victim. This confession,
however ought not to classify me as
SEPARATE from my fellow-men generally
whether they be considered as individ-
ual units or as congregated in groups.
Ignorance is n relative, not an absolute,
term since few are totally ignorant,
and none Is absolutely wise. Nor does
the number constituting the group
change this fact. since the wisdom of a
group. however large, cannot be great
er than that of the wisest man In 1t.
This remains true whether the sub
Vet matter involving knowledge and
Judgment be astronomy. physics or
nance The condemnation, then. In
yolved in the result referred to is meas
ured by the Just or imperfect appre-
tension Of questions relating to mon
eAry science, held by the wlsest men
who supported them.
Laying these general considerations
aside, let me say, through you, to the
great body you honorably represent,
that, II instead of denunciatory reso-
lutions, which are not argument, you,
or any one on your behalf, will show
that the views / entertain and advo-
cate are other than salutnry to the
great economic body of which we are
al Independent members, l will aban-
don them without hesitation. My pres
tnt conviction, the honest fruit of sim
esfe study and reflection, IL that a
beak-d0wn in our present money
standard would be n most disastrous
bow to all our commercial and indus
ual interests, and that upon the wage
workers, as class, would he entailed
The most serious effects of the disaster.
Believing this 1 must so bear witness