Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-08
GOV. BRAKES "IF."

on many occasions. Recently Gov. Drake,
of Iowa. said:
IF we can get the farm products to
moving at a profit, so the farmers can
furnish business for the railroads and
purchase from the merchant, they in
turn viii patronize the factory, and the
factory and railroad give employment
to those now idle, and they can then
purchase necessities for their families"
1t cannot be denied that Gov. Drake
has laid down a correct proposition. The
only thing standing between the country
and the return of prosperity is the lack
of a way to "get the farm products to
moving at a profit" When that ques-
ton is solved we are bound to have re-
turn of prosperity, and with prosperity
we will have confidence.
Just as long as "the farm products
moved at a profit the country pros
pered. Why? Because the farmers could
and did furnish business for the rail-
roads and purchase from the merchants"
The merchants in turn "patronized the
factories" the factories and railroads
gave employment to those now idle" and
those now idle "then purchased neces-
saries for their families
Correct you are, Gov. Drake. IF we
can get the farm products to moving at
a profit, so the farmer can furnish bust
ness for the railroads and purchase from
the merchant they in turn will patronize
the factory and the factory and railroad
give employment to those now idle, and
they can then purchase necessities for
their families"
Only a few weeks ago Gov. Drake and
all the voters of the United States had
presented to them an opportunity of do
ing something to remove that "if," which
appears to be in the way. Gov. Drake
and an apparent majority of the people
agreed with Mr.. Mckinley, who said
during the campaign: 1.-THE way to re-
store prosperity is to open the mills and
not the mints"
The state in which Gov. Drake resides
was at that very time flooded with a. cir
cular letter issued by the president OF a
large railroad corporation appealing to
the employees of the road to vote against
Mr.. Bryan, pointing out to them that
Mr.. Bryans doctrine meant higher prices
for farm products" Admitting, if you
please, that the election of Mr.. Bryan
would result in the very thing that Gov.
Drake says now must come about in or
der to. bring prosperity, the moving of
farm products at profit so the farmer
can furnish business to the railroads ana
purchase from the merchants
In face of these facts Gov. Drake help
ed to defeat Mr. Bryan.
But we are going to have prosperity in
this country and it is going to come in
the very way Gov. Drake points out. 1t
is going to come, too, when the farm
products" begin to move "at profit SO
the farmer can furnish business to the
railroads and buy goods of the merchants
who will in turn buy goods of the manu-
facturers. who together with the rail-
roads, will give employment to the peo-
pie who are now idle, who will then be
able to again appear on the scene as con-
sumers, because they VIII have employ
ment draw wages and thereby be en-
abled to buy of the merchants the neces-
saries of life for their families. When
will that time come? 1t must come dur
ing the administration of the party Gov.
Drake has aided in eecting or 1t will come
| during the administration to follow.
| The hopeful and reassuring feature of
| the whole business Is that both great
| parties set out at the opening of the last
| campaign committed to the proposition
! that something must be done to bring
| the very state of affairs that Gov. Drake
| shows can be brought about by getting
| farm products to move at profit"
| Each party offered a solution. Neces-
sarly one party won. The successful
party must now put its remedy to the
test. If 1t proves to be successful and re-
suits in moving farm products at n
profit well and good The country will
rejoice and the republican party will have
| redeemed it's pledge. If 1t does not prove
| successful and 1900 finds us where Gov.
| Drake sees and realizes that we are to-
| day, in need of something to get farm
products to moving at profit" then
| no excuse will be accepted. The people
| will march to the polls in such numbers
| as Hanna will find himself with the use
| of all the millions he may be able to COM
mand unable to overawe, buy, bulldose,
| deceive or mislead. The American peo-
| pie are in the fight for something that
will enable farm products to move at a
profit" in order that prosperity may fol-
low.