Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1894-10-12

having turned them over to be operated
by private corporations, finding that
private energy and economy resulted in
better service and at cheaper rates than
p%erfunctory government methods could
provide; that Germany owned and op-
Grated 80 per cent. of it's railroads,
France a portion Of hers, and that in
these densely populated countries Of
limited area, passenger and freight rates
instead of being lower than in the
United States averaged a great deal
higher; that the government of the
United States would not be justified in
expanding $1,000, 100000 or $1,1OO,OoO,-
600 in a speculative movement OF this
character, without a reasonable hope of
profit or advantage to the people by a
reasonable reduction in rates, az this
would be- a total change in the policy
and scope OF our government, without
any hope of compensatory advantages.
In speaking of the Omaha platform on
which every populist stands, or pro-
fesses to stand, be said: I'm their dec
laraJion of principles, they announce
that corruption dominates the ballot
box, the legislature, the congress, and
touches ven the ermin on the bench
the people are demoralized."
The speaker scored these unpatriotlc
and false declarations and showed the
absurdity of the populist position in
urging vastly increased powers to be
conferred upon this so called corrupt
and inefficient government.
In speaking of the silver question the
speaker showed conclusively that the
commercial ratio between gold and silver
had been constantly changing from the
dawn OF civilization to the present time;
that l n the earlier days of civilization
the ratio is believed to have been about
IL to l; that silver had declined until it
10Y stood about 26 to J.; that the decline
in the price Of silver must be attributed
largely to improved and cheaper methods
of production; that in the United States
alone the production of silver bullion
has increased from $4,000 a year in
1878 to S74,0O0,000 IN 1892; that the de-
decline in price was not 80 great as that
in copper, aluminium and n%umberless
other metals that had cheapened in price
by improved processes and cheapened
transportation.
He exposed the pop falsehood that
Ernest Seyd had purchased the passage
of the act of 1873 by congress, and
showed that Sayre was a bimetallist and
had protested by letter against striking
the silver dollar from our coinage; that
he was not in this country after 1856,
and that John Sherman had voted
against the law of 1873, while Populist
Stewart of Nevada, and Dan Voorhees,,
the Democratic Nestor of Indiana, had
voted for it. The populist contention,
that the price of property and products
of the nation would not benefit the Door.
but must result in widening the gulf be-
tween the rich and poor, as those who
own and hold the property must reap
that benefit, was clearly shown, the idea
being that under the populist conten-
ton those who owned the property
would receive the increase, and The poor,
having nothing, could not profit by the
increase; and, rs the populist party
claimed to contain all the poor people,
they would, according to their own argu-
ment, be comforting no benefits upon
themselves.
He showed that the civilized and an
lightened nations of the earth did not
believe in the free coinage of SILVER on
the old ratios, but admitted that the
populist might point with pride to China
as a free silver country, but suggested
that 5 or 10 cents a day for labor and
the low price of products and property
in that country give little hope that the
free coinage of silver in this country
would add to the value of labor, produce
or property. ...
He showed that the republican party
alone had been the firm and consistent
friend of.silver, and of every other Amer.
lean interests, and was moving on
rational lines to promote the use OF
silver as money.
Turning his attention to democracy he
compared their promises with their per.
formapces, showing that they protested to
favor the free coinage of silver, and
upon the first opportunity offered, struck
it down; how they favored the repeal OF
the state bank tax and failed to carry
out their pledges; how they denounced
and then adopted Reeds rules for count.
ing a quorum; how they brought Amer.
lean craftsmanship and diplomacy into
contempt throughout the civilized world
by their detestable treatment of the pro-
visional government and republic of
Hawaii, trailing the American flag in the
dust which had been raised to preserve
the peace add protect the lives and prop
erty of a people who had a right to ex-