The San Francisco call., 1896-10-20
WHEAT GETS INTO
LOCAL POLITICS
THE Calls" Cartoon Ad-
mitted to Be a Strong
Argument.
California Democrats Have Little
to Say on the Silver
Side.
BRYAN's PET THEORY FAILS.
Silver Does Not Control the Price of
Cereals, After All-Bimetallic
Opinion.
BRYAN's PET THEORY FAILS.

Democratic politicians are greatly per-
turbed by the remarkable and from their
standpoint the entirely reprehensible posi-
ton of Wheat in the present campaign.
Mr.. Bryan and his adherents have been
counting on Wheat as one of their prime
supporters. Everywhere in Mr.. Bryan's
highly advertised lecturing tour he has
told the farmers to look out for their
wheat interests. asserting to the view that
the price of Wheat is almost exclusively
governed by the price of silver.
Other campaign orators took up the
hint and put the case a little stronger
than Mr.. Bryan did, backing their asser-
tions by the marvellous figures OF the cam
paign statisuician.
just as Wheat was being extolled as the
bulkwark of the Democratic party, and
consequently the palladium of American
liberty, what does it do but desert the
Democrats, simultaneously throwing its
immense vote-controlling influence into
the balance for she Republican party.
The political cartoon in yesterday s
CALL, representing Mr.. Bryan's fright and
discontinue at the apparitlon OF Wheat
selling at 81 so in gold, with silver still de-
pressed. called forth favorable comments
in every direction. Even the Democrats
were compelled to admit the strength and
cogSncy OF the argument.
When Republicans were asked for their
opinions they simply smiled and said:
I'VE have no need of an argument, the
situation speaks for itself and for us.
There's the Wheat"
Gavin McNab and w. Fl. Afford, chair
man of the Democratic State Committee,
were asked if they had any explanation OF
the Wheat problem at this time. Both
declined to tell their views for publica-
ton. MIR. Afford said: 'There is a good
answer to be made to this Wheat proposi-
ton, but it is not a subject that | would
care to discuss offhand, or to discuss at all
without sufficient time to give it the study
and attention which it deserves"
George w. Baker, one of the leaders of
the California Bimetallic League, said:
"This sudden rise in Wheat cuts no figure
as against the argum ent presented by the
friends of free silver. 1t is due entirely to
causes that do not relate to the price OF
silver or the price of anything else except
Wheat. There has been a failure of the
Wheat crop In India and our Wheat is be-
ing shipped there to feed the starving mil
lions of that vast country"
A suggestion was interposed that no
definite information had been received
from India to the effect that there was a
widespread failure of the cereal crop.
"May be not" assented Mr.. Baker.
POSSIBLY the news has not been cabled to
this country, but it must be true. for if the
crop there were not failure California
would not be shipping Wheat to Calcutta.
1t would be like carrying coal to New
CASTLE"
E. P e. Troy of the Democratic State
Campaign COMMITTEES took a rosy view of
the Situation. He thought the advance
in Wheat values is partly due to tie wide
spread and deeply rooted belief of many
that Mr.. Bryan is sure of election, and
that this is but discounting somewhat in
advance the rise that would inevitably
come not only to Wheat, but to all other
staple farm products as soon as remone-
tization OF silver is assured.
Mr.. Troy confessed, however, that the
demand for Wheat from India, Australia
and England was the prime cause of the
present upward movement. "The re-
monetization of silver would be power
full factor in the advance in the price of
Wheat" said Mr.. Troy, ''but it is not the
only factor. We are glad 10 see Wheat 60
up, no matter what is the cause. Just
wait till silver is remonetized, and you'll
see an additional boom that will do your
heart good.
In the meantime the Republicans are
making the best of the argument, and let
it be known that they are counting Wheat
IN the Republican column.