The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-27

very different proposition would be prs
scented from thai which is involved In this
canvass
Eject on Existing Contracts
TIE question here is not = change IL
the standard Of value applicable TO future
transactions. an honest change. but II IS
a change in the standard. and The ma king
OF tnat standard applicable to existing
contracts tapplaase). and accomplishing
the ROBBERY Of ones fellow citizens. (Greac
appaaase-t x Is Just as well that we should
bear these distinctions in mind because the
Distinguishing feature OF popalissis ora
tory Is that with a very slight confusion
or terms u can establish confusion OF ar
gCMent that the Intellect OF man cannot
unraSei tLaughter.t Nothing !s more
common, Tor instance, than for Populist
TO confuse the expression price and The
expression value and yet nothing Is more
distinct than those two expressions Any
man may change the price of things by
legislation No man can change the value
OF things except through the labor OF man
and the concurrence OF God Almighty.
tApplause-J 4 change In the standard OF
value applicable 10 future contracts would
hurt nobody seriously. It would present
question OF convenience. X would present
a question OF policy on which men might
differ, but ii would not presenS question
OF morals on which honest men cannot diff
fer and on which Democrats are bound by
their eonscienees. Great applause.)
Gives an Illustration.
Now, 10 show you just wha. the effect
OF reduction OF the standard OF value on
future contracts might be. and how little
II woald affect the trade OF individuals,
you have but 10 Iikeu il 10 a change IN
the standard by which lengths are meas
ured. the standard Of Hneal measurement.
Suppose somebody should pass law
through the legislature of the state OF
Illinois oecreeing that in future the yard
measure should consist of Is inches. That
would not hurt anybody particularly.
When You want certain quantity OF cloth
You just order twice as many yards YOU
order now. and you pay about the same
for il. Where 20 yards would suffice under
the present measure you would order -
yards. and yon would have just exactly
the same amount OF cloth, and you would
probably pay exactly the same price for
II Bat on the other hand IL they should
increase the yard measure TO seventy-two
Inches, where you order ten yards of cloth
now you would order five yards of cloth
then, and you would pay about the same
for IL. and You would. get exactly the
same quantity OF cloth.
Nobody would be hurt, further than the
disturbance in the measurements. which
would always be an Inconvenience. But II
y 4
cloth with the existing measurement. and
before the cloth was delivered the legssla-
ture of Illinois should change the yard
measure from thirty-s.x inches TO eiSh-
teen inches and decree that all existing
contracts should be settled according 70
that measure. then. instead OF ten yards
for which you paid. you would get five
yards from the dealer, and you would
have been cheated hy the law which
changed the contract which you had
made. tGreat appiause) II, on the other
hand, they provided that the yard should
consist OF seventy-two inches and make
the new measure applicable TO existing
contracts. why then you would get twice
as much cloth as you had paid for and the
cloth dealer would have been cheated out
OF just one-haf the cloth which the law
had compelled him 10 deliver TO you.
Amounts 10 Cheating.
THE same thing is exactly true If YOU
change the standard OF value by which
debts are measured. If a man owes you
for Ia bor for goods. for anything OF value,
So. and before that debt became payable
the government of the United States de-
based the coinage so that dollars would
be worth one-haf what they are worth
today you would be cheated out of just
one-iialf the debt that was due you. And
since every laboring man is always cred
itor for one days work at least, usually
for week or two weeks or months
work and all the lahorers of this country
are creditors every year 10 the amount OF
over two billions of.dollars fappiause), a
fraud practiced upon the creditors of this
country will fall with the heaviest hand
upon laborers and producers, who are al
ways the chief creditors,
Now, MT Bryan will tell you that IL Is
very necessary 10 Increase the quantity
OF money. that you must have more mon
ey. more dollars than are circulating to-
day. Well / don't exactly see why. |
would rather have one active dollar than
ten idle dollars.
Just look at the way money works ac-
cording TO your own experiences. my
friends. Take little village where the
operations OF economic laws plainly
visible TO every body. where the poPula-
ton is so small that we all see just how
every man does his business There you
End. for instance, the railroad company
pays of IT'S men on Saturday night.
Those men go TO the grocery store with
the dollars which have been paid 10 them
and settle their bills.
Next week the grocer pays a freight
bill 20 that railroad. and that grocer uses
the same money which the railroad paid
70 the laborer and the ,ahorer paid 10 the
grocer and within another week that
same money is paid out TO the lahorer
again. and II goes the same road and comes
back again, and il IS a great deal better
that the grocer should need more freight
and force the railroad company TO en-
p'oy more money and men and make
those dollars more active than II would
be 70 swell the currency and leave the
vaults ef the treasury choking With un-
used money. while trade ia frightened
from the market. labor il unemployed.
and business inactive. Great applause
and cheeriag)
who WIN Get the Doilarsf
when Mr. Bryan tells you he wants TO
reduce the value or a dollar. or he wants
TO circulate a cheaper dollar than Is the
standard Of salue Ia the country today.
does he tell sou how we are going TO get
any more dollars than we are getting
nowr Does he propose that these extra
dollars which are 10 be coined shall be
taken 10 the steps OF the treasury at
Washington city and thrown upon Penn
sylva1la avenue 70 De scrambled for by
the favorstes who happen so be in front
az the huildiu=s N-aughfer1 Does he
propose 20 send few csr.oais 10 Chicago
IN order "a make the Fourth OF July In
teresting by throwing their contents
through the streets 81 the city, How are
these extra dollars to he circulated with
cut labor Unless they are earaedg And
who Is there Who has ever found = scarc-
IT'S OF money v her confidence existed and
credit was sound ard men trusted 10 the
honesty ana integrity OF the American
peoplsF (Applauss.D
"Bat had almost FORGOTTEN the great
argument Of the Popalists. the one which
Er. Bryan has amp kfiea SO that Il now
nav ~ called his stock argument laugh
ter1. the central point about which all
others revolve- which with its picturesque
1ess and his slequence has 50 marked 70
thai al ather arguments seem common
place 20 his hearers. and that = the in
ffuenre of England upon this country.
tEsraaf ta,IP her u SINS be