Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-08-17

cent dollars the soldiers were paid IN
p The old soldiers would as loyal
e uphold every dollar ever issued b
this government as they had the flag
} Applause. They would prefer pen
: siOns under n money system tina
would restore general prosperity +,
pensions under gold standard tha
would crush the industries Of The
country they had fought to preserve
The speaker" again resented tn,
lmputatlon that the supporters OF
Bryan were hostile to wealth. The
producing classes OF our country were
interested in protecting wealth and
property. They would say TO the men
of wealth, keep your wealth, enforce
your gold contracts, take II need be
the property that must pass into your
hands, but let us make IL possible TO
create new wealth out of the bound
lsss resources Of our soil and our labor
and give us just money system
founded upon labor and not cons
family appreciating measure Of values.
(Applause.)
THE REAL PROBLEM
In this campaign was found in the de-
pressed condition OF agriculture. Un-
der constantly falling values of farm
products the produce Of the soil could
no longer meet the fixed charges on
land. The farmers OF our country
were compelled to pay their debts un-
der the gold standard and sell their
products In competition with silver
standard countries. We exported S47,-
100000 worth OF silver bullion at half
price last year TO be converted into
coins to buy wheat, wool, hides, meats,
cotton and other staples in the silver
standard countries with which our
farmers had 70 compete in the mark
cts of the world, We were giving
England the cheap silver club TO beat
our own brains out with. Under this
competition the farmer could not pay
his interest, support his family and
educate his children. lie could not
employ labor at cash wages but labor
Ing men were forced into the cities
where not half OF them could be EN-
ployed but were fed at the soup-houses
and only the worst evils could follow
such a condition.
wAGE-EARNER AND BIMETALLIsM.
That policy is best for the wage
earher which will lead TO the greatest
demand for his services.
Wages aud profits of business come
from sale OF products. II products
bring low prices or are produced at a
loss labor will suffer. Falling prices
are not beneficial to employed or em-
ployer.
Whatever cuts into the profits OF in
dustry throws~age earners out of en-
ployment on factory and farm.
In 1872 acreage OF cereal crops was
6s, ,2sO,l ,l97, value 1874, so, ,450, average
value per acre sl2.sl. In 1895 value of
cereal crops was Sl,0l7, ,3l6, ,036, value
per acre s6.7s, ,orS6.03 less per acre than
In 1872. Total loss by decline in va
lues s0OO,OO0,OOO. Decline on all crops
81, 800, 600 900 as measured by prices la
1872. Under this fall In prices farmers
cannot consume products OF American
factories. Distress OF both farmer
and laborer is greater than ever after
twenty years of falling prices.
With the fall In prices that has
taken place In twenty years debts
have become doubly burdeIsome. The
debt or mortgage contracted ten or
twenty years ago takes twice the pro-
duets of labor TO pay IL or. We have
reduced the national debt one-half
but have contracted the debt-paying
power of products more than one half.
The disparity between money and
debts and money and products Is far
greater than the. disparity of gold
aud silver.
The people must create and own the
money of eur country instead OF being
owned by IL, Money must be the
sci want Of the people, not their master