Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1897-09-03
A Palpable Misrepresentation.

Tor gold IN the klOndikc " hen asked
ii llr would resign as committeeman, he
replied: No. sir; | viii not. | am
Eryan' friend and white We iuay not he
abe Ia explain why it is that silver is
down and wheat is up, am for silver
and will return in 1900 to Vote for Viii
liam J. Bryan for President. '-P.-L
This is about as near as the pre-
sumptious FL. generally gets at the
truth when it reports 4 political OPP
ronent.
That War Horse Bill declared
himself an uncompromi>ing friend OF
Mr.. Bryan is doubtless true, for if
there is any trait of Mr.. Whites char
acter that prcdominatcS, it is steadfast
support of friends, but it is 4 notable
fact that his devotion to principle is
equally marked, and very few who
know him will, therefore, place much
confidence in the intimation that he
has admitted that he was not able to
explain why silver is down and wheat
up.
1t does an injustice to Mr.. Whites
acknowledged mental force to accredit
him with such humiliating state
ment. The logic of events explains to
demonstration why wheat is high,
and the same may be said of silver,
although the premise and conclusion
are separated by much longer time
and innumerable demonstrations all
going to show that the decline in silver
is owing solely and entirely to a with
drawal OF the support accorded gold
and silver alike while the metals
Travelled hand-in-hand as redemption
money.
While there is no production
OF silver, the demand for it has been
so circumscribed by adverse legislation
and the fight to down it to a finish
so determined by its aristocratic COM
petitor gold, that it would be indeed a
wonder if it did not obey the universal
law. Gold would have been equally
impotent to sustain itself had it been
the object of discrimination. With
the present immense production
OF that metal, it sustains itself simply
because it is upheld by law.
Any decline in the metal that is
made the standard of value can only
be observed in the appreciation of all
other values measured by it; in other
words, the unit must be reduced in
value when placed side-by-side with all
commodities for which it is a medium
OF exchange, aside from any apprecia-
ton OF value in specific commodity
such as wheat.
That there has been no special de-
cline in the gold standard is apparent
from the fact that general commercial
values have sustained no change, and
the mighty prop that the law is to
stilted dignity is shown by the fact
that unparalleled gold disco, cries
everywhere have not effected a change
Of relative value between that metal
and commodities, although the bal
ance on which they are poised is SO
delicately adjusted. The astounding
discoveries in gold so far have resulted
merely in removing the strain upon
monometallism, and to adjust the ten.
sion to normal high pressure condi'
tons. If the supply is sufficient to dc
this, and no more, the fiat quality Of
the metal when stamped with the gov.
eminent insignia will keep it at pa,
with itselfand at 200 per cent. premium
over the prices of commodities in the
good days of yore, when silver and
gold never varied more than two OF
three per cent. in relative value. It il
only when the supply of gold may be-
come equal to the demand that might
be met by dual currency, that al
commodities and property values will
become equal to what they were de
cade ago.
The goldbugs say this would be dis
honest, and deprive the Shylock of hi
full pound of flesh. From the miser'i
standpoint this may be true; but wher
we consider that the object of money
is only to command possession of sucf
objects, real or abstract, as may con
duce to the convenience and comfor
of mankind, and when this privileg,
of exchange of the standard of valu,
for equal value of earthly possession
is maintained by the possessor O
wealth equally with the man who's
possessions are limited to the bare ne
cessities of life, it follows that the al
legged robbery only applies to the elias
who Gaspard-like find pleasure il
handling their beautiful gold"
Mrs. John Drew, the actress, dice
Tuesday, at Lauchmont, N. Y, at tn
age OF n years. Mrs. D. was born il
London, and made her debut on tn
stage at the age of seven. She ha.
therefore been on the boards 70 year.
longer period than any other actres!
Leading parts were played by her wit
the elder Booth, Forrest, Macread,
Edwin Booth, Florence, Clarke an
Owen, all of whom have passed ava,
and with Jefferson and Couldock VIII
survive. She won fame many year
ago as "Mrs. Malaprop," "Ophelia,
"Julia" in the Hunchback, "Lad
Teazle" in School for Scandal, "De.
demOna and Pauline Sho r,os .,