The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-05
PROSPERITY

Per printed with display heading on
its editorial page an article which in
auired in large type: rs This Pros
perity? The Wages Paid in the Mills
OF Western Washington Mill Hands
Receive 500 Per Day and Are
Charged $3.50 Per Week for Board"
Then followed a labored attempt TO
prove true the assertion made in its
head lines On Thursday evening the
same paper, in it's editorial columns
criticised a letter from Tacoma, print
ed in an Eas.srn paper. in which the
writer told Of the general prosperity
OF this state, OF the fact that mo man
who is willing to work and able to
work need go without a job
Ordinary labor in logging camps
and lumber mills" says the writer.
lis paid sl75 to $500 per day" The
correspondent then predicted that the
Republican party would carry the
state in the coming election. Our Pop
uIist contemporary admits that the
statements made as to the prosperity
of the state are true. but In its own
Populistic style inquiries what brought
about this prosperity which all were
enjoying. and answers its own ques-
ton by saying that the fusion party
brought all this prosperity to the state
when 1t got control of affairs in 1896
1t is wholly unnecessary to point out
the glaring Inconsistency between the
two editorial statements, but we would
like to know which of them the Popu-
list editor believes to be true. II he
says that his last assertion that
prosperity really does exist in this
state. is true. why does he declare
constantly from the platform and in
the press that there can be no pros
perity under the gold standard? Is
there rank treason In the Populist
camp? There has recently been
brought to our attention a letter writ
ten less than four months ago to an
Indiana publication devoted to farm
ing and gardening. by our Populist
governor. which contains such as
founding admissions. coming from
the source it does, that we print it in
full:
Olympia, Wash, July 13-Arthur
ID. Mckinney. Managing Editor Up
to-Date Publishing Co., IndiannpO-
lis. Ind.-Denr Sir: Your letter Of
July Mt hand. In reply, permit me
to say that my time II so fully oc-
cupicd with official duties that I
ind II impossible to write an arr
ticle for your columns upon the
topic you mention. ! will say. how
ever, that the Washington farmer
IL Mt the present time more PROS
porous than for u number Of years
past. Indeed, L think I am correct
in saying that the state Of WASH
ington II at the present time tho
most prosperous Of MI the states.
Large wheat crops and fair prices
have very much encouraged the
farmers Of the eastern and grain
growing section OF our state, while
an enormous increase in the CONF
merce of Puget sound has given
rise to brilliant hopes Of CONNER
cial supremacy In the near future.
Yours very truly.
j. II. ROGERS. Governor.
Can 1t be possible that in the light
of the past two years experience me
Popuilsts of Washington have finally
concluded that prosperity and the gold
standard are not Incompatible. but
concomitant terms. and are preparing
to abandon the is To l fallacy? Either
this is the case or there is base trea-
son abroad. and Wheat Chart Jones
would better revise his speech ere IL
is too late The "desolation Of the
gold standard theory Is about TO be
stored away In the Populist attic.