Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-02-25
ADDRESS TO POPJLISTS.

AhO SohSlfi"Ny Va SOAu ohu
monopoly is nearing its elimination.
Every advance it has made during the
last twenty-five years has been by
adroit and stealthy processes. These
would have been impossible if it had
not had its agents and confederates
holding positions of public trust in
the legislative, executive and judicial
branches of the government. Neither
the benefciaries nor the tools of this
conspiracy have any particular politics.
In name the late administration was
Democratic. The present administra-
ton is called a Republican one, but it
has ingloriously practiced and de-
Tended the periidious policies of its
predecessor.
"At length the selfish and brutal
interests behind this conspiracy deem
themselves strong enough to dispense
with the caution and duplicity hitherto
necessary to their success. The ad-
ministration boldly avows its indorse-
ment of their scheme against the
liberty and prosperity of the United
States. In q few weeks it has for
mulated and sent to Congress bill,
the leading purpose of which is, in the
words OF the Secretary OF the Treasury,
to commit the country more thorougly
to the gold standard
"This country has during the past
twenty-four years suffered enough Of
the blighting effect of the gold stand
ard, SO far as fraudulent legislation
and executive usurpation have been
able to establish it. 1t is now boldly
proposed to legalize what has been
done in defiance of law, and to use the
power secured by false pretenses from
a long suffering and too trustful peo.
pie to put upon this infamous design
the stamp of alleged popular au-
thorization. In the pursuit of this
purpose of committing the country
more thoroughly to the gold standard,
the plan of this administration is to
retire the greenbacks and other nom
interest-bearing paper money of the
government, then issue interest bear.
ing gold bonds and to increase the
powers, privileges and profits of ma
tional banks. This achievement would
turn over the duty of supplying the
peoples money, the very life-blood of
business, to selfish, heartless and
irresponsible gold syndicate and its
American agents and allies.
at must be remembered also
that this foreign gold syndicate and
its allies have, with the connivance, if
not the assistance, of our government,
captured and to-day control every in
strument of commerce in the nation
Iu framing the constitution, our
patriotic forefathers, with jealous care
and with prophetic wisdom, provided
that commerce should be regulated by
Congress, but this tremendous power
has been abdicated by Congress in
favor of the gold trust and the bank
ing ring.
money is the first great instru-
ment of commerce, but the gold ring,
not satisfied with controlling our
financial system, has captured the
other instruments of commerce, to
enable it to keep the gold standard
yoke upon our necks and to more
thoroughly subjugate our people and
dominate our government.
"In the accomplishment of this end
these evil influences must shackle
opinion and muzzle discussion. They
not only subsidize the press and at
tempt to seat their well.paid allies in
our legislative halls, on our benches
of justice and in all other departments
of the government, but whenever
college faculties are susceptible to
pretended generosity or inverted
philanthropy they certainly maneuver
for other service or silence.
"This divine right of kings is to be
succeeded by the right OF millionaires,
who propose to run everything, not
only the instruments of commerce and
our industrial system, but also as far