The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-09
Providence Board of Trade

Providence Board of Trade, Tuesday, March /,
1858, having been previously indorsed by the
sound money business men OF Rhode Island:
Whereas ordinary prudence requires that a ma
tion prepare for all emergencies in time OF peace,
and
Whereas the destruction of the Maine in Ha-
van aharbor has fixed the public mind as never
before upon the present unsettled and precarious
condition of the national finances, and
Whereas an interval OF time seems granted us,
in which to remedy existing defects in none
tary system, therefore be it
Resolved, That we heartily approve the prin-
ciples Of currency reform set forth in the re-
port of the Monetary Commission, appointed by
the executive committee Of the indianapolis
vention, and we respectfully and earnestly urge
upon Congress the speedy adoption of these
principles and their embodiment in proper legis-
lation at the present session OF Congress. We
do this in the firm belief that all classes of the
community will be benefited thereby, and.
further, we are persuaded that however strong
n nation may be in men and herosm, this nation
cannot take her proper place in case of real
danger of war. without such prompt adjustment
OF the national finances Will place credit
upon permanent gold basis which is the same
that is used by all other great powers among
nations. GEORGE Fl. WEBB,
Secretary.
March l, 1893.
Representative Knowles, after reading
the unpatriotic and cold-blooded propo-
sition, concluded to honor it with a re-
ply. The reply was sent yesterday 1t
is as follows:
House OF Representatives Z. s.,
Washington. d. c., March 9, 1898.
George II. Webb, Esq,
Secretary Providence Board of Trade,
Providence r. l.,
Dear Sir: Replying to your circular let
ter of March l, 1 beg to say that l can
find no language to express my abhor-
renee of men who will seek to take ad
vantage of the patriotism of the people to
force a financial system upon them which
means their enslavement.
In your circular you say: Whereas.
the destruction of the Maine in Havana
Harbor has fixed the public mind as never
before upon the present unsettled and
precarious condition of the national
finances.
/ beg to say that there IS no such
thought in the minds of any portion of
the people, aside from the shylocks and
robber classes who seek TO fasten upon
the people a system of financial slavery
which will reduce them to practical serf-
dom. You are the same class as those
who took advantage of the peoples pa
tTiotism in 1S61'65, to fasten upon the
toiing masses a system of bondage by
which you have absorbed the entire prod
uct of labor ever since the war You are
of the same class who stole a bill through
Congress in 1873 by which silver was clan
destinely demonetiZed and the gold
standard established. This class would
not hesitate to sell our country for gold
and would welcome to our shores foreign
armies and navies, rather than lose the
interest on their bonds. This is the same
class which is now trying to fasten upon
the struggling patriots of Cuba the $780,
900. 900 of bonds which the European shy
locks have taken from Spain in return
for the money they loaned that nation
with which to butcher the Cubans. Your
class would gladly see the Cubans eX-
terminated and the American people re-
duced to worse than Spanish despotism
rather than the shylocks should lose
their money.
You talk about going to war upon a
gold basis If you are not even more
ignorant than you are unjust. you would
know that no nation ever conducted a
war upon gold basis. AT the very first
scent of danger gold always hunts its
cowardly hole. In the war of the rebel
lion. gold was a more powerful enemy
of the Union and did us more harm
than all the armies and navies of the
rebels. 1t was worth most when our for
tunes as a nation were the lowest. 1t
was in open alliance with our enemies
the world over. 1t slew our people in the
rear while our soldiers were fighting in
the front. It's owners rejoiced at Union
defeat because Ii sent up the price of
their gold. OF course, the gold gam
blers would like to have this nation
placed at their mercy, so that they might
dictate the terms of both war and peace
But if you think the peoples representa-
tives will consent to such conditions, you
might as well disabuse your minds at
once.
Please give my regards to the Provi-
dence Board of Trade, and tell them for
me that men who would take advantage
of the present delicate and strained for
eign relations of their country to foist a
robber financial system upon the people
are, in my judgment, greater traitors to
humanity than was Judas Iscariot or
Benedict Arnold.
Very respectfully yours
FREEMAN KNOWLES.