The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-03-18
Mr.. TOWNE IN ANSWER.
THE ORATOR Defends HIS FREE
SILVER VIEWS.
He Confesses That He Is u supporter
af Fiat Money and Gives Unre-
strained Rein To His Feelings
Seattle, March II, 1898.

Seattle. March II. 1898.
10 the Editor: / do not often permit
myself the luxury Of dispute with news
paper Ihe newspaper always has the
last Woru. and, when IL IS gold standard
newspaper, frequently finds an easy
descent from the courtesy OF honorable
discussion 10 the vile manners Of the
oiacksuard. In this last particular your
paper Is evidently bad at least as the
character OF its caGso demands Your
statement In an editorial of this morn
ing. that He III wilifuIiy nsisStates facts
and peryerts history" is a fair sample OF
the amenities of debate as understood and
| practiced by your class. Fortunately the
demonstration which II clearly affords,
VIZ, that yen lack the argument and the
ability 10 meet us bi-meialiists in fair dis
cussion. is some compensation for the OK
Tense which gentleman instinctsvely
takes at the grossness and insolence OF L
bully.
/ have no confidence that ii / had pro-
ceeded 10 comment on each OF your obser-
Tations on myself or my speech YOU would
give space 10 the communication. There
fore. in spite OF the temptation OF your
numerous exhibitions OF both ignorance
and in-manners. let me come to the ques-
tons propounded by somebody in oregon.
which. you say, have no, attempted. and
viii not attempt. TO answer. / suppose
that even you will have the decency 20
print my answers after having challenged
me TO make them. There is no difficulty
whatever about the questions. and should
have been glad to answer them before
this II they had happened 10 come 10 my
attention. Here they are:
81. Are you. Mr. Towne. IN favor o. the
dollar OF the smallest purchasing power
-. Are YOU glad thai in 1919 our labor
Ing people have had 70 pas higher prices
Than usual in recent years for their -four
'.5. If you answer No. afYrmatively.
explain to our laboring people why you are
glad tina; their dollars have had less p'lE-
chasing power in -four and beef. why You
are glad that their labor buys less than
usual OF bread ana meat.
Il. Ii i has been good thing for labor
ing people nay dearly for their meat ami
bread. wouldn't 1t be a still better thing
II they were 10 receive dollars of smallest
purchasing power in payment OF wages, 80
they would have 10 pay still more dearly
FOR bread, meat clothing. groceries. etc?
-. II II would be a good thing for day
laboTers 10 receive dollars Of smallest pur-
chasing power for their work. and pay
dearly for the neceSSaries OF life would II
rot Ia Il good thing for all wage-el rners
and salary workers TO receive cheap pest dol
lars for their services and pay dearest for
everything. they wear. eat or USE
IS. Explain to day laborers and wage
eaTners how there can DC Il general rise IN
the average level Of labor-namely. the
buying power Of wageS-if we shall de-
ttgd&" the NdgDe OF tRs dollar 10 Inc lowest
purchasing power. and thereby raise the
prices OF the necessaries and comforts u
life 10 the highest possible point.
-. II YOU answer No. negatively. Mr.
Towne. please explain 10 farmers why vo1
are not glad that they are receiving good
prices for their. wheat. cattle. mutton,
wool. hay. etc.
l. No. an. not in favor OF the "dollar
OF smallest purchasing power" and never
ola iy,11, Il Art 10 II
tahlish is dollar thar shall approach as
near as possible TO Constanc. Of purchasing
power; that shall mean a nearly as can
be the same equivalent Of products yes
;erday. today and tomorrow. and not. az
The gold standard provides. one that con-
tinuaily increases In purchasing power.
:, / am nor in favor OF higher prices
that result from scarcity OF product. ana
therefore am no; glad that our laboriug
people had 10 pay higher prices for bread
and meat, while having 10 more money
than before TO buy with. Please remember
that IT is YOU. not t. that is defending the
present system, under which the farmer
cannot get higher prices than for many
years past except at the expense OF the
poor mans necessities. and under which
the consumption OF wheat has in a few
years declined from over six bushels per
capita 10 a little over three bushels. even
at the low prices.
s. As L 10 nor c3tsgpfft3tS answer NO.
affirmatively. | am not Obliged to an
swer No. 8 At all. but have already an
swered II substantially In answering No. ..
4. and 6. These questions are ali found
ei upon the unwarranted assumption that
laborers are benefited by falling prices and
by a dollar that constantly calls Tor more
and more of the products OF their labor
whereas every member OF an organized la
Dor assembly can tell You that when prices
are falling money Will not engage iu en-
terprise: that when money runs away
from productive employment 1t ceases to
employ laborers: that iaborcrs out Of II
job cannot buy products. however low the
prices may be; that money seeking invest
ment a. making things causes several jobs
to seek one Iaborer. and wages go up: that
money idle because falling pricas forbid
Il 10 be riSketi means several lab0rcrs seek
ing one Job and wages go do1n cease
entirely: that labor has always been able.
al least for the last generation, since IL has
been well organized 70 secure for itself
liza increased wages a share Of advancing
prices: that while by combination labor can
prevent 10 a considerable extent fail OF
per diem wages az an accompaniment Of
falling prices il is powsrless ~ increase
the number Of days or work. that tatistics
Of day wages that do not mention the days
work lost IRE misleading. That II 3 mans
wages are s. day and he gets one days
work a week. his wages are really s. =
week; that lalSring man pays debts with
his surplus. and. even assuming the alleg
ga doubling OF his expenses (which We
deny fer prices would not double nor any
thing like ~ under bi-metaiism. he could
look with some degree OF eauanimi;y upon
an account Ike this On gold standard
" Wages. s. q day; expenses. - cents, sur
Plus. . cents. mortgage on little home.
son, number OF days work To pay off
mortgage. 2Fa Under bi~metailsIn-
Wages g. a day; expenses. Sl59. surplus.
81 cents. number of days work Ia pay or
the mortgage 100. net saving 10 laborer
in paying hts mortgage under hi-wetal-
ism. $50 days work TIE laboring men
know. what evidently you DO not. that the
established facts. az shown by reliable
data mot the partial and d0ctoFed ones OF
the AldricA report. which have been laugh
ed out II countenaDce BY the competent
statistical authority OF the woridB are that
under bi-rnetaIiism wages rose n the Uni
ted States from 1850 10 ISIS about % per
l@nt., ana under the geld standard have
fallen since 1873 80 as % leave the net gain
over lss8 only II per cant. and that every
~.