Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1896-08-20

how, with eloquent voice anu ili'lilci
it produced the effect that Its author
intended. At New York Mr.. Bryan
adopted different tack. At Chicago
he had proved his power Of oratory. Al
New York he essayed to prove his
grasp of the subject. Abandoning al
attempt at effect on his hearers, he read
carefully prepared brief OF his case
fit is disappointing, it is because his
case is weak, for he made clean pres
entation of it. The silver men regard the
document as very valuable to then
cause, while the oddities echo McKin-
ley's remark after reading it, 'If this is
the best they can do we shall have nc
trouble in disposing Of them.'
4 In our opinion Bryan made a mistake
| in Judgment. He should have met the
expectations of the Madison Square
Garden audience by short and clo-
quent speech and should have reserved
his labored effort for his formal letter
of acceptance that is yet to follow. He
would then haveprcserved much Of the
prestige that he had gained, which he
has now lost.
His notification speech, while cover
ing the ground thoroughly, will make
few voters. Instead of striking out
boldly it is rather weak defense of a
very radical position. The speaker
started out by saying that every plank
of the Chicago platform was right and
dcfensible, but he made no mention Of
many of its most salient points. Con-
corning the tariff, he had nothing to
say. The thrust at President Cleve-
land for quelling the Chicago riot he
did not allude to. He tried to explain
that the covert threat to pack the SUI
preme Court in the interest of an in
come tax doesn't mean what it says.
He said nothing about the proposition
to abolish the national banking system,
or to prevent contracts in gold, or the
government control of railroads. He
devoted his attention almost exclusive
~ to the free silver issue. He added
nothing to the familiar stock argu-
ments of that side. His effort might
easily be mistaken for one of Senator
Stewards windy deliverances. He made
assertions without proof and incapable
of proof. 1t will not be difficult for his
opponents to refute them.
He claimed that the worlds stock of
money had been reduced, which is not
so. Instead, it has been considerably
increased. Taking up the different
classes who, he alleged, would be ben
Gifted by free silver, he first instanced
the farmer. Because farm products
have declined he seeks to make the
money standard responsible. He said
nothing about the vast increase in pro-
duction and the many improvements
that have been introduced whereby
production and transportation are
cheapened. Concerning wage earners
he admitted that while their dollars
would buy more than under free coin
ago il would be easier to get them,
Few will be lnisled by this iallacious
argument. Wage earners know from
experience that because their employ
ers are getting more for their products
it does not follow that they will gratui-
tously advance wages TO correspond.
While prices of goods that wages buy
would double at once under free coin
age, wages would rise only as fast as
they could be forced up by concerted
action of employees and would proba-
bly, never reach the present relative
level. Bryan's argument that holders
ofinsurance policies and bank deposit
tors would not suffer is even lamcr and
conyinces nobody.
After arguing at lcngththat the pres
cnt dollar is too dear and that we need
a cheaper one for the benefit Of the poor
debtors, he turns squarely and makes
the following remarkable statement -
perhaps the most persistent mis-
that we have to meet Is
the charge that we are advocating the
payment of debts in 50-cent dollars. AT
the present time and under present
laws Il silver dollar when melted loses
nearly halfits value, but that win not
be true when we again establish mint
price for silver and leave no surplus
silver upon the market to drag down
the price Of bullion. Under bimetal-
ism silver bullion Will be worth as
much as silver coin, just as gold bullion
Is now worth as much as gold coin, and
we believe that silver dollar will be
worth as much as gold dollar
If this is true, how is any class to be
benefited by free coinage except the
nine ownersp If the silver in silver
iollar is to rise in value from 53 cents