The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-10


POPCLIsT ORGAN AByUREs SILVER.
For tricks that are vain and ways
that are mysterious the heather Chinee
has close second In the common. ordi-
nary Populist organ of the state o.
washington A journal of this stripe
published UP in the Chehaiis valley,
which was red-hot for fusion and all OF
the abserdifies and inconsistencies Of
the Eilensburg platform q few weeks
ago. but which now proposes to let the
Democratic end OF fusion shift for itself
at least until another campaign Is In
sight--comments on Gov. Rogers asser-
ton that the money question should be
the issue In 1900 by saying that if the
governor means "the great question Of
money" he fs right but IL he means free
silver he is radically wrong.
This organ of reform. which but a
short time since was for free silver
without the aid or consent OF any other
nation on earth, now asserts that free
silver would "unsettle business beyond
question and probably result In a dis
astrous panic" The Republican pre-
dictions, 1t says, would come true.
Our esteemed contemporary does not
claim TO have seen the light since the
election; 1t speaks In clarion tones thet
indicate that II has known all along
just what effect the free and unlimited
coinage of the poor mans money would
have on the poor man.
The st-Intelligencer has always
contended that the supporters OF free
silver. as a general thing, are as insin-
cere as this moulder Of opinion in the
Chehalis valley has shown itself TO be
by it's change OF front. Very few peo-
pie honestly believe the free coinage OF
ton got into politics in 1896 because the
Democrats had to have an issue. AS
soon as the Democracy can find a ra-
tional issue to take it's place they will
abandon II. The Populists never did
take any stock in free silver except as
fusionists.
There are several amusing features OF
this renunciation of silver by our Popu-
list contemporary. 1t says. for in
stance that free coinage OF silver would
impose a great injustice on the creditor
class. 1t forgets. apparently, that all
true reforms are genuine only becausa
they will do vast amount of justice te
the debtor class. and that If they have
tors they are like the alluring cocktail
with the lemon peel left out. 1t says
also that the free silver crowd is not an
aggressive lot~-a statement that comes
under the head of things that are I'm
portant II true. 1t says further that
free coinage would discredit the "true
economic theories of money, as ad-
vanced by both the Populists and Demo
Gratis" That is tn say. we presume.
free coinage would discredit l6-to-1 and
the fiat paper theory. We Imagine ii
would.
We have given here In substance the
comments Of our populist contemporary
on Gov. Rogers opinion. We pointed
the moral and adorned the tale In the
beginning. but II may be that we were
wrong there. II may be that the com
mon. ordinary Populist organ Of Wash
ington. instead Of being full Of tricks
that are peculiar. is merely unfortunate
In not knowing what II Is talking about
when Il reaches the financial question.
In either case we are justified In saying
that such leadership Is dangerous IN
follow. Doubtless an early aprrecia-
ton Of this fact by the voters had as
much 10 do with shortening the life OF
the fusion party IN Washington as any
thing else