Washington sentinel., 1900-03-24
The Salvation o. the Republic.

Editor Sentinel
The success of a republican form OF
government depends on the intelligence
and honesty ofthe individuals entrusted
with the franchise. That intelligence
Is based largely on their correct knowl-
edge Of the meaning OF terms, and their
mastery Of principles. The question OF
honesty depends on the groundwork
laid by the churches in intoxicating
the great basic principles of morality
taught by Christ. Unfortunately preach
ers nowadays devote much OF their
pulpit utterances to political harangues
and literary criticisms; and honesty in
politics as well Jas all other things is al
low ebb. II the churches. and espec-
iallV the Sunday schools, will stick to
the text, Seek first the Kingdom OF
God, and his righteousness, and all
other things shall be added unto you, ;"
politics and literature will take care OF
themselves,
AS TO the correct meaning OF terms,
not one person in ten Analyses the
meanings OF the terms which he uses,
and on which turns the most important
events OF lite. He is caught by mere
sounds and fury. which signify nothing.
Take the words protection" and
"sOund" money, and Expansion"
which have filed so large portion of
the political vocabulary. They are very
good words In the abstract. But how
about their concrete meaning in their
political sense. Il is the very reT erse OF
the original meaning. Protection means
that the masses OF the people pay more
for what they eat, aud drink, and for the
material with which they are clothed.
This because imported goods cOul be
had cheaper. But II is argued the
making Oi the goods at home gives
work and higher wages. These workers
are protected" But how about the
masses who buy the goods, They are
many, the workers are few. And as
other goods would have to be exchanged
for the imported goods, the same
amount Of work would go on anyway,
be imported. and therefore more ex-
ported. and therefore more work, and
therefore more demand for laboreTs,
and therefore higher wages. Now, saws
my friend, you are getting into the
Theory" Of free" trade. But answer
there is no theory in nv case at all. Il
you do not hamper trade bv laws, every
one will exchange freelv. Therefore
when you interfere with the natural law
Of exchange, you must have ''theorv .
Therefore the protectionist not the free
trader, is the theoTist,
Again, what is 'sound" money3
/, ke it to be every dollar that is as good
as every other dollar. And every dollar
that rs a legal tender for the payment oI
all debts is as good as any other dollar,
and is therefore ''sound' money.
And take the term double" standard
There never can be any such thing
There never can be standard Of money
For a thing that Is ever changing, as the
supply Of gold or OF silver. can never bc
a standard. Each OF them appToache:
a standard. And necessarily both com
bined approach more nearly to a STANDARD
than either one simply,
Another question enters here ahou
which there is much unnecessary con
fusion. A few bankers hold most OF tbs
gold Of the world. Suppose that instead
OF gold and silver the combined STANDARD
were COWS and sheep. Suppose all III,
sheep TO die. would not the cows be
come more valuable3 II one had agTeeS
to pay q debt in cows or sheep, and al
the sheep died, he would have to pay il
cows, and so would his neighbor, and
so on. Would he not have 10 give NOR,
loaves OF bread or days OF work for
COW to pay his debts with, and would |
not bear hard on him, and enhance tn,
value Of coWsI And is not the same tru,
oi golde And are not the holders o
gold interested in the slaughter ofsilver
And does not the haYdships come bacl
on the poor debtor after allr So mucl
for sound money.
Now as to expansion. Most peopl
unthinkingly think expansion is a goo
thing. Have they never heard Of tn
frog who burst trying to become as larg
as the Oxl Now expansion, even in rich
directions and on correct houOgeneou
principles, may be OF doubtful benef
There Is a time when nations like me
are just large enough. The spectacle (
] John Bull, with has bloats d face an