Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-09-29
FROM RRYAh'S HOME.
Political Notes and Observations
from the Popocrat Candi-
dates Own City.
HIS PLATFORM ANALYzED.
A Constant Appeal to Class Preju
dice in the Interest OF Sill
yer Mine Owners.
Business men are studying the money

Business men are studying the money
question. Mr.. Bryan has seen fit to
tell his audiences over and over again
that the business men of the country are
against free silver partly because they
don't know anything about the question
and partly because they are dishonest.
In this Mr.. Bryan misleads his follow
crs and msrcprcsents the business men.
1t may be true that what is called free
silver agitation started first among the
farmers rather than among the business
men, but later the business men have
read the frce-silver literature, have read
both sides of the question, until at the
present time the business men OF the
nation are thoroughly informed from
business standpoint and from n nonpar-
tisan standpoint on the money question.
l. rs probably true that the politicians
that oppose silver are moved by prejudice
and sclf-interest to certain degree just
as the politicians who favor free silver
are moved by self-intcrest to certain
degree; but the business men, the men
who are managing the business concerns
of the country, the bankers, and the
fnanciers have made it part Of their
ton, TO become thoroughly Informed, and
they have passed upon the question from
q business and not from n political stand
point. Mr.. Bryan, recognizing the NOR
al force of the business Judgment OF the
country and knowing that this business
Judgment condemns free coinage as a
dangerous thing, seeks TO discredit the
business mind Of the country by denounc-
Ing Il as ignorant aud dishonest on the
money question. Mr.. Bryan processes
TO desire restora ton of the industries
of this country. At the same time he
denounces the business men of the, coun>
Try and proposes a plan which he knows
they are afraid of.
The threat of free trade in the cam
paign of 80 and in the election of 90,
frightened the business mind of the coun
try, FIRST into distrust and doubt and then
into panic, the effect of which is still
on. The question above all others at
this time Is how TO remove this business
depression from the business mind. Mr..
Bryan says that free coinage will revive
The Industries, but at the same time he
admits that the business mind is against
II and is afraid of it. The effect of this
threat of free coinage is to make every
capitalist hide his money. to make every
banker afraid of investments, to make
every dollar creep into the darkest corner
OF the safety vault, and by this process of
money hiding and money boarding which
Ia now going on all over the United
states, the circulating money of the
country is disappearing from active use
faster than all the government mints
rr&g-~coiD new money il they were now
under free coinage law.
Laboring men arc crowding around
Mr.. Bryan TO hear his speeches and
many of them appear TO be pleased
with what he says. He talks kindly to
the laborng man and his words are as
sweet as honey. But the thinking labor
Ing man knows that so long as industry,
that is, the mind force which is man
aging industry, is afraid of free coinage,
that all plans for the enlargement of in
dustry or the employment of labor are
suspended, pending the discussion of
the money question, and that these plans
will be taken up and carried into execu-
tlon only when the business mind of
the country Is assured by the election of
mckinley that there is to be n sound
business policy in the government of this
nation.
George Groot, chairman of the Nation
n Silver party, speaking at Lincoln,
Neb., on September 8, from the steps of
the state capitol building, with Mr..
Bryan sitting near him, denounced the
bankers as the enemies of society, and
declared that the fnanciers of Wall
street should be hung TO the telegraph
poles. On the evening of September Z,
in front of the Hotel Lincoln. in Lin.
coin, Neb., lgnatius Donnely of Min
nesota denounced the bankers and the
hnanciers OF this country as the enemies
OF the people, enemies of prosperity,
and declared that their influence nDon
THIS country ought TO be set aside Now,
what do the followers of Mr.. Bryan ex-
peet to happen TO the aboring men and
10 the farmers of this country, when
they, by reason of their superior num-
Der, have voted ont the banker and the
business man and have voted in this
new system of finance? What force
viii take the place of This business
mind force when 1t has been displaced?
When the country has struck down its
present bankers, its present fnanciers.
Its present business men, its present
managers of industries and Commerce.
when the common people by majority
vote have paralyZed this business power.
what other force will take its place
ana form plans for the employment of
labor, Tor the carrying on of commerce
ana Tor the management of all the indus
trial forces which give vitality to the
material body of the nation?
Oh the AFTERNOON or september in
front OF the state capitol building at
Lincoln. Mr.. Bryan, after denouncine
the business element of the country be.
cause II Is against him in this contest.
congratulated himself that the laboring
men OF the country believed i'm him and
that enough of the farmers believed i'm
him that these two elements united in
this election would enable him IN sween
the country in November. This he char
acterizcs victory of the people. because
II will bring them better times. 1t NAV
be very pleasing to Mr.. Bryan when he
looks ont into the faces of iaboring mon
and farmers who applaud such speeches
AS this, but what reason have these Ia
boring men and farmers TO cxpect hot
Ter times through the election of Mr.
Bryan, when he himself admits that the
business men of this nation regard his
election as a menace to business and
prosperity? Can you revive business by
doing that which paralyzes the hope and
courage Of business men? When the
industries OF the nation revive, there
must be some mind force in the country
90 bring il about. There must also be
capitalists who believe in the future and
who are ready 10 invest money. There
must he banks and these banks must not
only have funds. but they must be will
ing 10 invest these funds. and they must
believe aud have confidence before they
can consent. Mr.. III. an admits that
they are not conscnting now; will they
consent after election?