The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-03

ne POruEislS ana Dry al AchioSidS
and Silver Republicans are in this fight
In defense Of a great principle-the free
dom Of this country from the tyrannieal
rule Of the gold thugs. bond sharks and
bank n1onopolists." observes a Populist
editor up at Vancouver, whose hysterieal
temperament and Iurid style Of writing
have done much for him-have, in fact,
secured him the office OF lieutenant gov
ernor. an office which. in this common
wealth. is a silent but effective rebuke
to all those who hold that there can be
no reward without labor.
This, then. is the principle for which
the army OF reform" longs to fight,
bleed and die. A PROSTATE country.
groaning under the rule Of the gold
thugs and the prosperity of the farm
ers: bleeding at every vein while the
bond sharks greedily await their prey,
and hundreds of employers want labor
ing men at increased prices; imploring
protection, while the bloodthirsty cor
poration cormorants encircle the air
overhead and all records in the COM
mercial and industrial world are broken
IA suffering country. We saw. must be
freed.
Freedom is the watchword of all true
"reformers. Two years ago at Ellens-
burg there was great gathering Of
''reformers." all Populists. Bryan Dem
ocrats and Silver Republicans. To help
along the noble and ennobling cause Of
freedom in the state OF Washington, the
''reformers" pledged themselves. il per-
mitted, TO reduce taxation in the state:
to reduce salaries of executive, judicial
and legislative officers; to reduce
freight. passenger. telephone and tele-
graph rates; to provide for non-interest-
bearing warrants. receivable for taxes;
to furnish free text books for the public
schools; to make it felony for public
officers to use railroad passes; to fix
minimum freight rates, not to exceed
those OF the Helm bill: to divide the
state into congressional districts; TO re-
peal the state election law. They were
given chance and did not do any of
these things. Practically all the ''re-
form" Legislature accomplished was to
pass new revenue law. not by any
means an improvement on the old, and
to pass bills designed to make the in
vestment OF money in this state a
hazardous venture and the collection of
debts as difficult as possible. The leg
islature drew its pay and went home>
leaving the country enslaved.
Now, IA an election approaches there
is to be another meeting at Ellensburg
for the purpose of completing the work
so auspiciously undertaken two years
ago. The condition of the downtrodden
and oppressed is more appalling than
ever. and the monopolists, cormorants
and venai vampires are doing more
deadly execution than heretofore. 1t
is dark hour for the cause of human
ity. and freedoms noble bird shrieks
while Mark Hanna plucks out her tail
feathers. 1t is q magnificent opportuni-
~ for all genuine liberators, whether
they be 16-to-lers, sub-treasuryists or
fiatists: whether they be for socialism,
free riot or initiative and referendum
Our overpaid and underworked friend
at Vancouver is on the right track. If
he and his associates can't hold their
Jobs on the issue OF freedom OF Wash
ington farmers. milibands. logsers and
fishermen versus the enslavement of
the same, they can't hold them on any