Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-23
GAGE TO GomPERs.
Secretary of Treasury on LABOR
Federation's Condemnation.


WASHINGTON, December 22.-seere-
tary Gage has written the following letter
to President Gompers. of the Federation
of Labor:
'I have read with care the resolutions
adopted the goth instant, at Nashville,
by the convention Of the Federation OF
Labor, which recite 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 a measure that if adopted as a law
will only the more firmly rivet the gold
standard on the people Of the country
and perpetuate it's disastrous effects In
every form.
Resolved, That we pronounce the
Gage bill an undisguised effort to retire
oar greenback currency and all govern
ment paper money with a view to th'
substitution 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 been measured
as to price for the last sixty years In
this country-is inimical TO the interest
OF the laboring classes I'm the United
States. then i think it inimical TO all
classes. In other words, do not believe
that the exploitation of one class by an
other. either through false weights, par
tial laws. or a bad monetary system
can be made to work for the permanent
benefit Of the exploiting class Itself, OF
for the general fweal, even were 1t de-
fensible on any ground of right or justice
which it Is not. Granted, therefore, that
the permanence of the gold standard Goi
which / argue) works in this evil direc'
tion, then your resolutions of condemna-
ton are we'll founded, and I am justly
charged, either with an ignorance which
constitutes me a foolish adviser, or with
a perVersity OF motive, which makes me
an evil adviser.
II have right to disavow the charge
Of perversity of motive or evil intent,
since there is nothing in my whole life
as relating to my fellow-men, either In
word or deed, from which the possession
by me of such a characteristic can be
inferred, much less demonstrated. But
ignorance often unconsciously works as
deep injury as evil intent might do, and
of the sin of ignorance Of it be possibleJ
l must confess to be a possible victim
classify me as separate from my fellow
men generally. whether they be con
sldered as individual units or as con
! gregated in groups. Ignorance is a rela
| tive, not an absolute term, since few arr
! totally ignorant and none is absolutely
wise. nor does the number constituting
! the group change this fact, since the WIS
| dom Of a group however large, canno
be greater than that of the wisest mar
| in it. This remains true, whether TIL
| subject matter involving knowledge anC
| Judgment be astronomy, physics, OF
| finance. The condemnation, then, IN
volved in the resolutions referred TO, i
| measured by the just or imperfect ap
prehension Of questions relating to none
tary science held by the wisest men Wit
support them.
Laying these general consideration
| aside. let me say 10 you, and through
you to the great body you so honorabl!
| represent, that If, instead Of denuncia
tory resolutions, which are not argu
| ment you or any one on your bendl
| will show that the views 1 entertain AM
advocate are other than salutary to IN
great economic body Of which we ar
| all independent members, will abandon
them without hesitation. My preseh
| conviction. the honest fruit Of SINGER
study and reflection, is that a break
| down on our present money standarl
| would be a most disastrous blow 10 al
our commercial and Industrial interests
and that upon the wage-workers as
class would be entailed the most serlou
effects of the disaster. Believing TINS,
| must so bear witness"