The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-30
GOMPERS HITS BACK
AT LYMAN ]. GAGE
Defends the Position Taken by The Fed
GRAFTON Of Labor.
RETIREMENT OF GREENBACKS
Not in Keeping With the Interest Of the
Hage-EarnNrS.
SURRENDERlNG TO THE BANKS
Those Rights Which Belong to the People, and
If Promulgated Into Law viii Ben
eft the Few and win
nure the Many.
RE IREMENT OF GREtNBACK
SURRENDERING TO THE BANKS

Washington, Dec. 29.-Sanuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation of
Labor, has replied in an open letter to
Secretary Cages recent letter taking ex-
ceptions to the resolutions passed by the
federation with reference to the Gage
financial bill. Mr. Gompers says in part:
"You take exceptions both to the position
which our organization has taken on your
bill as well as the language employed.
Even if you are justified in the one, you
certainly mlsapprehend the other. sub
NIT that you will seek in vain for single
denunciatory word either in regard to your
motives, your plan or your bill. We real
ize that denunciation is not argument, but
to declare our position and the statement
of fact in regard to the most impor-
tant and far reaching measure affecting
and changing the financial system of our
country, can by no means be construed
as denunciation.
Against the Plan.
'"Those resolutions declare against a plan
for more thoroughly committing our coun-
try to the gold standard, a plan for de-
stroying our greenback currency and sub
shutting bank notes. plan in fact for
weakening the control of the national gov
eminent over that most important of all
measures, the measure of values and
strengthening the banks, plan aiming at
what you call currency reform, and which
we call bank monopoly
"That you should take offense at these
resolutions 1 regret. for the right to ex-
press disapproval of the acts of their serv-
ants is one of the rights held sacred by
the American people.
1--WE do not charge you with ignorance
relative or absolute or allege any evil
purpose or a perversity of motive on
your part as implied in your letter. nor
upon re-reading the resolutions, will you
find them either condemnatory or denun-
ciatory, as you say they are. The resolu-
lions are declatory of the views of the
American Federation of Labor and are
entirely impersonal, for, of all men in pub
lie life, we have the greatest respect for
your probity and integrity.
The Wage Farmers.
1.-THE wage earners of America repre-
scented in the American Federation of La
Dor believe the position you have taken
In regard to the retirement of our green
back currency is antagonistic to their in
terests and they are opposed to your plan
for more thoroughly committing this coun-
try to the gold standard.
= Evils Grown and Growing.
'fuu ask wha; evils have resulted from
our adherence to the gold standard.
answer that the evils are those that have
grown and ever must grow from a dishon-
est measure of values, a measure of values
that interferes with the Just distribution
OF wealth, that deprives some men of a
part of their earnings that is rightly theirs
and confers it upon others who have
earned it not. Any measure of values that
thus forces an unjust distribution of the
products of labor, that deprlves the pro-
ducers of the fruits of their toll cuts down
wages and profits, thereby destroys the
incentive to enterprise, leads to industrial
stagnation, enforced ideness, distress and
public suffering.
Products of Labor.
1.-THE products of labor are divided into
three general shares. One share goes as
interest and rents to the money lender and
landlord, to capitalists who do not pro-
ductively use their own capital, who seek
to avoid the risks of production. A second
share goes as profits to employers; a third
share goes as wages to wage earners. The
interest charges and rents are to great
degree fixed as profits and wages are SUBJ
ject to great fluctuations. This being so,
it Is clear that anything that reduces the
total money value of the products of labor
must increase the share of the money
lender and creditor, though nominally
fixed, and decrease the share to be di-
vided among employers and wage earners
1t is equally clear that to increase the
value of money must decrease the value Of
the products of labor. and therefore enrich
the creditor at the expense of the debtor.
Bearer Money.
NOW, If our adherence to the gold stand
ard has caused money to grow dearer, you
must admit that the gold standard has
done injury to our people, brought distress
to wage earners and employers and dis
couraged enterprise. Our adherence to the
gold standard has caused money to grow in
value. and, of course forced the things
measured in money to fall In price.
Appreciation of Gold.
"TIowever, 1t is not alone to a cheaper
ing of the labor cost of production, but also
to an actual appreciation Of gold that the
fall in prices since 1872 has been in great
part due And this appreciation has grown
out of the demonstration of silver, which
has increased the demands for gold.
This is a question that every producer
can answer. Has the fall In prices curtailed
my earnings? If the fall in prices has been
duo only to general improved methods of
production. lessening in the true cost of
productionf he has suffered no loss from
such fall Moreover the fall in prices since