Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-25


good as gold Now that we are threatened
with another kind of currency and have
another kind Of tariff law, a stop has been
put to all growth and all prosperity. Why
should the wage-eurner turn to them for
relieR Why not stop agitation and return
TO protection? Is not that the sensible way
to do? Surely, those who have got the miner
and mechanic and farmer into the hole are
not the ones to look to to pull them out.
INIILlNO1S.
Chicago is another point which will give
Mckinley and protectlou an overwhelming
majority. Hercd taade partial canvass OF
all industries ihatNpaid over Sl,0OOOOO In
wages during the last census year What
was the result7 Forty per cent less persons
employed; from " to 25 per cent less wages
paid. And almost unanimously less con
sumed. This is the great point, the stop
page OF employment reduces the capacity TO
buy. To reduce the capacity to buy means
decrease OF consuming power, and this
does not hurt one but 1000 different indus
tries. The merchant feels IT, because he
sells less goods. The provision man feels It,
because the same amount OF food is made
! to feed n greater number of people. In
fact, everybody but the sheriff and the pawn
| broker are. hurt by this underconsumption
| and II observations such as | have made
| count for anything the underconsumption
| throughout the United States at the present
| time is something stupendous. II should be
| borne in mind that in ordinary prosperous
times 900 persons are engaged in the
| gainful occupations; that is. in producing
wages with which they buy things The
| income or earnings of this body OF work
| ers cannot be far short of $4,000. .OOO,O
| reduction OF 10 per cent or OF 20 per cent
of this vast sum is sufficient to imperil our
| industries. reduce the consumption of our
| farm products and raise havoc from one
| end of the country to the other. While this
is the real complaint from which we are
| suffering. the fanatics have been stirring
| the people in another direction and blandly
| telling them that we want more money.
What we really want is more work, more
| open mills, more open shops, and more Tat
| pay envelopes, and, above all. more conf
dence in the future of American enterprises
| and ability to pull out of the present dis
astrous condition into prosperous times
| again.
| IN NEBRASKA.
| | had a good chance to look over the
situation in Mr.. Bryans own state, and l
| do not see how he can carry 1t. There Is
| too much secession. to begin with, about the
| Chicago platform to suit the old-time re-
publcans and veterans Of Nebraska. That
feature OF the platform upon which Mr.,
| Bryan Is running is distasteful to them.
They are also afraid Of his associates-such
| as Tillman, Altgeld. Waite, Donnelly, CoNey,
Watson and Fred Williams. Another great
hindrance to Bryans carrying Nebraska is
that there are $4,000 farm and home owners
who own their farms and homes free of all
indebtedness Here we have a creditor class,
to Offset which $4,000 farms and homes are
| incumbered. Nebraska reached It's highest
| prosperity at the time when gold and the
goldbug and the money changer were
| "ravaglng" the state. During this period
Nebraska quadrupled its population, its
wealth and it's productive powers Its public
| debt decreased during this period, and its
farm mortgage debt is only Si7 900 on a
total valuation of farm ~ of over $780,
900 O00 and the uninC/hbered farms arc
valued at S14IDoo0oe, II will be seen that
the debt (befng $f7 0OO.0OO) is about one
third of the valuation. The danger line OF
debt is two thirds of the value. Therefore,
even the incunbered farms of the state are
far from the danger line.
Another reason why Nebraska will not go
for Bryan is fthe fact that they are pre-
pairing for the great Transmissssippi and
International Exposition at Omaha, and con-
gress has already appropriated 100000, and
they expect $500 600 more. Nebraska knows
that Bryan cannot by any possibility be
i elected. II would Se the height OF folly,
therefore, for people to run the risk of plac-
ing the state, in the category Of the re-
4 pudiation states merely for the fun OF in
dorslng n young Lincoln attorney for the
presidency. So far as | can observe from a
patriotic point OF view. or from a selfish
point of view there would be no use OF Ne
braska voting Dor Bryan. 1t will. therefore,
give its vote for Mckinley and prosperity.
All that Nebraska needs is little share OF
the general prosperity of the country.
IN COLORADO.
Denver and the state of Colorado found
to be one of the strongest arguments pos
sible against the theories which are so
| vigorously advocated in what is called the
storm center of the silver craze. The people
| here have a truly wonderful city. Public
buildings and opera houses that would lock
| well in London. Paris or New York. 1t is
indeed the thirty y-six-year-old wonder Of the
United States. The greed-driyen gold hunter
land silver hunter too, for that matter)
4 hoo af,,I,y h.ap her hut hp hos
behind him something besides wrecks and
yawning gulches. Indeed, when my mind
reverts to the hundred millions or more in
vested in irrigation, and the enormous sums
invested in railroads, buildings, factories
| homes and other improvements, / had al
most said, he has left more than he has
taken away or course the silver sentiment
is rampant here. And why not? 'Haye they
not tasted in a greater degree than any
other industry the real direct benefits of
legislation? Has not this government, in the
various legislation since the Crime OF 1873"
given these silver miners. this silver trust,
II you please, $16l ,000. 900? Is that not the
difference today in the value of the silver
which the government bought and its value
as bullion today 1854, 900, ,000)? Why should
men who have pocketed sl6l.0 900 of our
taxpayers money feel any compunctions at
getting little more from the same source ?
But the present scheme ia too stupendous.
| II will cost too much to benefit such few
| ana the people Will never consent TO 1t.
Colorado. however, need not trouble herself.
| know of no state that is better situated
and that has a greater variety OF re-
sources than Colorado AS her profits from
! silver decline, her gold production seems
to go up, and there is no limit to her min
eral wealth and the richness of her soil
| when irrigated. With general prosperity
Colorado will be all right and the people who
| are today shouting for the hoy orator of
| the Platte" will be breaking their necks
four years hence to continue republican
control and thus insure another four years
of prosperity with which to start the new
| century. ROBERT p. PORTER.
CROWDS HEAR REED IN WICHITA
| Maine Man Speaks Twice on the Need
| of "a Sound Currency.
WICHITA Kan, Oct 24.-Hon. Thomas
B. Reed of Maine arrived here today and
was greeted by possibly the largest collec-
tion of people ever assempled in Kansas.
Nearly 1000 nonresldents came in on ex-
curslon trains5i These included eight bands
OF music. Mr.hReed made two speeches in
the interest of Congressman Chester |. Long
! OF this district, Delegate Flynn OF Oklahoma
and the entire Tepphlican cause. One speech
| was in an imITneGSe circus tent to about
1000 men, AND" the other speech was at
| the Auditorium To $500 women. One of the