Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-09-25
eOURKE COCHRAN ON BRYAN.
The Eloquent Ex-Congressman Exposes tn
Free Silver Fraud on WOrkingmen.


The Eloquent Ex-Congressman Exposes the
Free Silver Fraud on workingmen.
IN his great speech in Madison Square
Garden, New York city, exCongress-
man Bourke Cochran said in reply to
Presidential Candidate Bryan:
If everything in this world or in this
country, including labor be increased
in value tomorrow in like proportion,
not one Of US would be affected at all.
Ii that was Mr.. Bryan's scheme, he
would never have a Populist nomination
to give him importance in the eyes Of
this community. If that were all that
he meant, hc would not be supporting
&, and / would not be taking the trou-
bic to oppose it. If everything in the
world be increased 10 per cent in value,
why, we would pay 10 per cent in addi-
ton for what we would buy and get 10
per cent more for what we would sell
What, then, is it? 1t is an increase in
the price Of commodities and allowing
labor to shift for itself If the price Of
commodities be increased and the price
Of labor be lcf. stationary that means
cutting down If the rate Of wages.
If. instead of % dollar which consists of
given quantity Of gold equal to q hun
dred cents anywhere IN the world, with
the purchasing power Of hundred
cents, the iaborcr is to be paid in dol
lars worth 80 cents each, he can only
buy half as much with days wages as
he buys now. If thc value Of this Popu
list scheme, then. is TO be tested, let the
laborirg men OF this country ask Mr.
Bryan and his Populist friends a simple,
common, everyday question, Where
do | come I'M:
Mr.. Bryan him.l Il has a elimmering
idea Of where the J borcr will come in,
or. rather. Of where be will go out
There is one paragraph in his speech
which-whothcr it was the result Of an
unconscious stumbling into candor or
whether it was a contribution made in
the stress Of logical discussion l am ut
tcrlv unable 90 say-that throws flood
Of lighturon the whole purpose underly-
ing this Pcpulist agitation. Wage carn-
crs, Mr.. Bryan says, know that while q
gold standard raises the purchasing
power # tine dollar it also makes it
moro dihiclir to obtain po,scS9ionol the
dollar. They know that employment Is
less permanent. loss Of work more prob
able and unemployment less certain.
If that means anything it means
that a cheap dollar would give him
more employment, more frequent en-
plovment. more work and chance to
get re employment after he was dis
charged. II that means anything in the
world 10 q sane man, ii means that If
the laborcr is willing to have his wages
cut down he will get more work.
If it were true that a reduction in the
rate Of wages would increase the chance
of employment l would not blame Mr..
BRYAN for telling the truth, because,
however unpalatable the truth may be,
| conceive it the duty Of any man who
attempts to address his fellow citizens
never to shrink from a statement Of tie
whole truth. whatever may be the con-
sequences 20 himself But, as matter
Of fact a dimmution i'm the rate of wages
does not increase the scope Of employ
ment
There cannot be an abundant product
unless labor is extensively employed.
You cannot have high wages unless
there is an extensive production IN ev-
cry department Of industry, and that l.
why | claim that wages are the one
sole test of a country condition-that
high wages mean abundant protection,
and abundance necessarily means pros
poritv. Mr. Bryan. ON the other hand,
would have You believe that prosperity
is advanced by chcapaning the rate OF
wages, but the fall i'm the rate Of wages
always comes from q narrow produc-
ton. and narrow production means
there is little demand for labor in the
maIEet When, after the panic of 1913,
the price Of labor fell TO 90 cents a.day,
it was harder TO obtain work than when
the rate of labor was s., and the differ
cnce between tho Populist, who seeks
to cut down the rate Of wages, and the
Democrat. who seeks 10 protect it, Is
that the Democrat believes that high
wages and prosperity are synonymous
and the Populist wants to cut the rate
Of wages in order that he may tempt
the farmer TO make war upon his own
workingmen.