The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-09-27
COCKRAyS SPEECH IN CHICAGO.

| " by ne. but by the newspapers % this
] whole country. and even the chairman Of
| sss committee In an interview dictated In
this town declared that the one question
/ zateA hart DIR. Bryanfs candidacy xas ne
/ statement that debzseMent Of the coin
/ age would necessarily work reduction N
/ the rate o. wages paid the iaborer. ZAP
/ plause.
| "Now. I expected in rhe address which
! he delivered to tEe labor organizations
here last Monday that this question would
be treated as one OF the most important
arising OUT 81 bis canvass. ard challenge
/ any ma5-RepGbllcan. Democrat or Popu-
| IEst--to show ne one word In which he an
/ aercook an explanation 70 the laborsng
masses OF this country as 10 the effect
upon their condition of the debasement Of
/ the coinage which ne advocates. Gap
plause.D
and. my friends. tell you now that
he never will answer IL, because he never
! can. 1ApplauSe-) IL Nr. Bryan should
claim that the coinage Of a dollar CT baser
material than that which Is now the stand
ard OF value in this country. would bring
the standard of the silver dollar 10 a par
/ ify with gold, then there would be no
sense whatever In his agitation. IL would
mean nothing; we would all be Just where
we are tonight. and this disturbance Of
the atmosphere by over a hundred
speeches delivered in different parts OF the
country would have been a useless agi.a-
ton of air. tAppiause)
Effect on sons OF Toll.
III. on the other hand, he claimed it,
effect would be 10 increase the price OF
commodities without increasing the price
OF labor in corresponding degree. then,
the purchasing price Of wages being de-
creased, reduction In the compensate
OF the workingmen would by that fact Toe
/ accomplished. fAppiaaseD That would
hardly be profitable assertion to make
before Labor day demonstration. On
the other hand IL he claims that reduc-
ton la the value OF the dollar would in
crease the rate of wages paid TO labor in
degree exceeding the Increase in the
price OF commodities, why then the farm
er would want 10 know just where he came
In in that scheme OF beneiicenee. Great
/ laughter and applause)
SO, there being just three different po-
sstions which SIR. Bryan can take and
each one OF them being uncomfortable. ne
/ dasposes OF this entire question by saying
that the men who pfopounGed Il are agents
/ of syudicates. friends OF trusts. and gen.
(. orally contemplate characters. laugh
terD Now. that may be an answer ac-
earaing TO the light OF the Popuiist. II
never was an answer when Democrats
controlled their own affairs. Great APP
plause.)
But. my friends. II wages were a ques-
ton of philanthropy. IL wages were fea-
ture Of charity. then the motive of the
person who discussed them might have an
important bearing upon the whole charac-
Ter and language OF the argument, But
wages. as / have explained in another
place. are fixed by a law just as immuta-
Bic as the law which governs the progress
or the seasons or the state of the weather.
Wages depend upon production and on
nothing else, and 1 declared at Madison
Square. as | declare here tonight, that 10
me there Is no test OF prosperity except
the rate OF wages paid to labor. and tina.
he who can increase that would support.
no matter by what political means. en-
thusiastic applause and cheers.)
Declaims the Demagogue's Plans.
II DO not mean to be understood as max
ing the demagogae's profession OF special
affection for the men who works with his
hands. / merely meant then. as l mean
! now. to say that since wages cannot exist
except as a feature OF abundant produc-
I ton, and as abundance means prosperity
! / believe Ia high wages. because believe
| IL indicates a condition OF general happi-
| ness and general wealth. in which ! and
/ ali the rest of the community VIII share
the happiness, the wealth and the pros
| periiy of Americans. Great applause.)
And. my friends. IL Is hardly necessary
| to explain 10 you that Mr.. Bryan enters
/ this canvass with a total misconception of
the laws which govern the rate OF com
! pensation paid the toiler. with a total mis-
conception OF the circumstances under
which they fail. In that speech at Madi-
son Squire no practically declared that IL
the laborer would accept a cheaper dollar
he would get more opportunities 10 work
and a better chance OF unemployment
after he had been discharged. UaughterD
nf my fri IN
happen 10 be lahorers, ever know OF a
man who sought 10 reduce the wages OF
his workingmen who did not say about
the same thing as that? Do you think
that statement is original with Mr.. Bry-
an, UaughterD IL shows exactly the
same mistaken conception OF the laws gov
erning that branch OF production that he
shows wherever he attempts to discuss
logically and clearly the relations of men
10 each other In civilized community.
True Basis OF Wages
Wages. rs / have undertaken once be-
fore TO say. depend absolutely upon pro-
duction. II any man makes FIVE tables a
day and they are worth So and his wages
are 81 a day. what he actually gets is one
table. II by any means he can double his
productive capacity aud make ten tables
a day and bis wages are s.. two tables are
his share or his product Now. when he
obtains the one table for 81. there are just
four other ahleS which cof>.tsiute his sur
plus product. and which 20 10 repay all the
labor that was expended In preparing the
elements out OF which the tables were
constructed and the capital which set sill
that labor in motion. When ne manufac-
lures ten tables iav the demand for ma
tertai Is just twice as great. twice as many
men must be employed In preparing IT,
twice "a much capital must find employ
incnt IN setting that labor in motion: and
H..
wages. tina whole stream OF production is
sseliea hy the happy and prosperous con-
ditions Under which hts wages Aave been
raised tAppiausel
What j. true of one department Of In
dnstrv Is true Of al. Capital eau only OBJ
tain substantial returns. labor can only
tie extensively employed when production
Is abundant. and every mar finds Al easy
market for his labor. Nhcn. on fhs other
hand. the OutnHt Is restricted. nsanifesgtv
less men Will - employed IN preparing the
materials cut % which the table j. made.
less men vii! Re employed IN preparing the
bricks and stones eut or which buildings
are constructed. where there Is restrsc-
ton IN that department ~ Industry. And
50 through All elements % human acgIv-
ssy high wages are the mark % universal
activity and prosperity. and low wages
the mark az seAEnsnt trade ana general
suffering. tAppiause1
Eloau.ncc Of silence.
Nov Il must ~ plain thar when a
question a. important as this - pug 30 e
presidential candidate II emphasized ~
/ tire newspapers. Is recognized ~ the
Chairman 81 MS own committee. and The
eaniitatc remains silent. q Indicates ta
/ every thinking man thar tae gilence OF thst
candidate ~ mere eloquent than sil 1Ae
hundreds 81 speeches tsat - can make.
stsrsaf applause