The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-10-22
FROM BRYAN'S HOME.
Political Notes and Observations
from the Popocrat Candi-
dates Own City.

1.asincss men are studying the money
question. MIR. 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 miSeads his follow
crs and misrcpreScntS the business men.
/ 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 frcc-silvcr literature, have read
both sides of the question. until at the
present time the business men OF the
nation are thoroughly informed from a
business standpoint and from a nOnpar
tiSan standpoint on the money question.
1t j. probably true that the politicians
that oppose silver are moved by prejudice
and Self-interest to a certain degree just
as the politicians who favor free silver
are moved by self-interest to a certain
degree: but the business men, the men
who are managing the business concerns
of the country. the bankers, and the
financicrs have made 1t a part of their
business to read up on the money ques
ton. to become thoroughly informed, and
they have passed upon the question from
A business and not from a political stand
Doint Mr.. Bryan. recognizing the NOR
al force of the business judgment of the
country and knowing that this business
Judgment condemns free coinage as
dangerous thing. seeks to dlscredit the
business mind of the country by denOunc-
iny II as ignorant and dishonest on the
money question. Mr.. Bryan processes
20 desire restoration of the Industries
of this country. At the same time he
dcnounces the business men of the coun>
Try and proposes Il plan which he knows
they are afraid Of.
The threat of free trade in the cam
paign of 90 and in the election of 80,
frightened the business mind of the coun-
try. first into diStrust and doubt and then
into a 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
it and is afraid of if. 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
j. ROW going all over the United
States, the circulating money of the
country is disappearing from active use
faster than all the government mints
could coin new money if they were now
under free coinage law.
La boring men are 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 lahOring man and his words are as
sweet AZ 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 he taken up and carried into eXecu-
ton only when the business mind of
thp\Country is assured by the election of
Mckinley that there is to be sound
business pelicy i'll the government of this
nation.
George Groot. chairman of the Nation
al Silver party, speaking at Lincoln.
Neb.. on September s. from the steps of
the state capitol building. with Mr.
Bryan sitting near him. denounced the
bankers the enemies of society, and
declared that the fnanciers of Wall
street should be hung to the telegraph
poles. On the evening of September 4.
in front of the Hotel Lincoln. in Lin
coin. Neb., Ignatius Donnelly of Min
nesota denounced the bankers and the
hnanclerS of this country as the enemies
OF the people. enemies of prosperity.
and declared that their influence upon
this country ought to be set aside. Now,
what do the followers of Mr.. Bryan ex-
pect TO happen to the laboring men and
to the farmers of this country when
they. by reason of their superior num-
Der. have voted out the banker and the
business man and have voted in this
new system of finance? What force
will take the place of this business
mind force when it has been displaced?
When the country has struck down it's
present bankers. its present fnanciers.
ats present business men, its present
managers of industries and commerce.
when the common people by a majority
vote have paralyzed this business power.
what other force will take its place
and form plans for the employment of
labor. for the carrying on of commerce
and for the management of all the indus
trial forces which give vitality to the
material body of the nation:
On the afternoon of September g in
front of the state capitol building at
Lincoln. Mr. Bryan. after denouncing
the business element OF the country be-
cause it is against him in this contest,
congratulated himself that the laboring
men of the country believed in him and
that enough of the farmers believed in
him that these two elements united i'll
this election would enable him to sweep
the country in November. This he char
acterzes a victory of the people, beca use
It will bring them better times. 1t may
be very pleasing to Mr. Bryan when ne
looks out into the faces of laboring men
and farmers who applaud such speeches
as this, but what reason have these Ia
boring men and farmers to expect bet
ter times through the election of Mr.
BRYAN. when he himself admits that the
business men of this nation regard his
election as 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
to bring it about There must also be
capitalists who believe in the future and
who are ready to invest money. There
must DE banks and these banks must not
only have funds, but they must be will