The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-23
DiSaVOWS Charge Of PerEersity or Evil
Purposes.
SAYS IGNORANCE WORKS INJURY
Secretary of the Treasury Takes the Position
That Members of the Labor 0rganiza-
cations Have Misunderstood the
Features of His Measure.

Washington, Dec. 22-Secretary Gage has
written the following letter to President
Gompers of the Federation of Labor:
Il have read with care the resolutions
adopted on the Goth inst. at Nashville by
the Federation of Labor, which recites as
follows:
i" Resolved, That we declare ourselves
most positively opposed to the Gage bill re-
Gently introduced in congress by the Sec
retary of the treasury. 1t is measure
that, If adopted as a law, will only the
more firmly riVet the gold standard on the
people of the country and perpetuate its
disastrous results in every form.
:" Resolved, That we pronounce the Gage
bill an undisguised effort to retire our
greenback currency and all government
paper money with a view to the substitu-
ton of national bank notes in their stead,
and thus fasten the national bank system
for years upon the American people,
NOW, If it be true that the gold stand
ard-by which things have measured as to
price for the last sixty years in this coun-
try, is inimical to the interests of the la
boring classes of the United States, then
think 1t is inimical to all classes. In other
words, l do not believe that the exploita-
tion of one class by another, either through
false weights, partial laws or a bad none
tary system, can be made to work for the
permanent benefit of the exploiting class
itself, or for the general veal, even were
1t defensible ON any ground of right or
justice which it is not granted. Therefore,
that the permanence of the gold standard
(for which I argue) operates in this evil
direction, then your resolutions of con-
demnatfon are well founded and am justly
charged, either with an ignorance which
constitutes me a foolish advisor, or with a
perversty of motive which makes me an
evil adviser
II have right to disavow the charge
of perversity or evil purpose, since there
is nothing in my whole life as relates to
my fellow men, either in word or in 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 0f it be a
sin) must confess myself to be a possible
victim. This confession however, ought
not to classify me as separate from my fell
low men generally, whether they be con-
sidered as Individual units or as congre-
gated IN groups. Ignorance is relative
not an absolute term, since few are totally
ignor t. and none is absolutely wise. Nor
does the number constituting the group
change this fact, since the wisdom of
group, however large, cannot be greater
than that of the wisest man in it.
"Ths remains true whether the subject
matter involving knowledge and judgment
be astronomy, physics or finance. The
| condemnation than involved in the resolu-
| tions referred to is measured by the just
or imperfect apprehension of questions re-
lating 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 instead of denunciatory resolu-
tions, which are not argument, you or any
one on your behalf will show that the
views l entertain and advocate are other
than salutary to the great economic body
of which we are all dependent members
I will abandon them without hesitation
My present conviction, the honest fruit
of sincere study and reflection, Is that a
break down in our present money standard
would be a most disastrous blow to all our
commercial and industrial interests, and
that upon the wage workers, as class,
would be entailed the most serious dfsas-
ter. Believing this, must SO bear witness"