The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-08-21

BoURKE COCHRAN.
morality. Ibelieve that if he himself
understood the inevitable consequences
of the doctrines which he breaches that
his own hands would be the very first
10 tear down the platform on which he
stands"
He declared that Mr.. Bryan's elo-
quence had fallen fat in New York.
but nevertheless the platform he stood
on remains unaltered and that be
openly defended the. what Mr.. COch-
ran called, the Popuhstic program OF
Oyerthrowing the integrity of the sn-
preme court
On the money question he said,
If Mr. Bryan could show me that by
any means known To heaven or on earth,
wages could be increased, | will be ready
TO support him, because know of no test
of prosperity absolutely lntaIlDie except
the rate of wages paid to labOpsrs.
When we come to fiEd how Mr.. Bryan
expects to increase the wages of labor We
find ourselves lost in a mass of contrndio
tion No man can tell how or where or
when the wages of the wOrkingmen are
To be increased, but anyone who examines
the scheme can see that the inevitable
tendency, the inevitable consequence of
dcbaSement of the standard of value must
be q reduction in thc rate of wageS-and
that is the conspiracy in which the Popu
lists are engaged.
Now Mr. Bryan tells us that he wan T.
10 cheaper the dollar that he wants To
increase the volume of money l do not
believe that any man whoever lived could
quite understand a POpulist's notion OF
what money Is, further than that he be
leves it Is a desirable thing 10 get ana
that he is not very particular about the
means by which he can get his hands
on IT,
Nothing is more common than the mis-
take that money and property are identi-
cal They are not. There may be very
large volume of circulating medium and
very great poverty. The issue of paper
money simply is no more an increase oi
wealth than the issue by an individual OF
his promissory note would show an In
crease OF his property As matter of
fact an increase in the coinage Is no proof
of AN increase in property, but may be a
strong proof of IA decrease in wealth. II
is not the volume of money, but the
activity of money that counts
The basis OF sound trade is sound
money, (appiause). which IL intrinsically V
valuable, money which like the gold coin
age of this country the government can
not affect II II tried TO. | can take a Slt
gold piece ana. I can defy all the power oi
all the governments of this earth to take
5 cents of value from it Having earned
It by the sweat of my brow, having earned
II by the exercise of my brain, having
earned it by the exchange of my com
modities, l can go 10 the utterTnost end,
of the earth and wherever present it iS
value will be unqueStIoned and un
challenged That gold dollar, this meet.
ing, the Democratic party, the homes;
masses of this country without distinction
of party divisions, demand shall be paid tC
the laborcr when no earns IL, and that nC
power on earth shall cheat him of tht
sweat of his brow
1t is perfectly clear that the purpose OF
the PopuliSt il 70 put up the prices of Ger
tain commodities Mr.. Bryan's Language
Is that he Is going to improve the condi
rinnS pf the vaprla pf this a.
not suppose he claims he can multiply tht
number of chairs upon this platform OF
upon this floor, although he has shown his
capacity 10 empty them. If he Is going
TO work any change in the conditions oil
men he must increase the material posses
sion of some part OF the community Now
ifhe got possession of the government to
morrow he would not cheat one singl,
thing of value by any exercise of govern
mental power In the world No power
ever yet exercised by tyrant OF 10y consti-
tutiOnal monarch can cause a barren field
to become fruitful, can cause two blades
of grass TO grow where one grew before
So - '.'- her the stones that com
pose this building and ia Sc them into a
stately templc dedicated 10 political dis
cussion. No, it requires the labor of man
wealth. If Mr.. Bryan is going Co enrich
somebody the thing which he means tC
bcSIOw On him hC must take from some
body else. Who Is TO be despoiled and
WHO II 10 Dt tilTlCNtu ny tnc exercise Ol
the new sch" ne of government. lCries
OF silver ni..e owners
My friends the silver mine owner Will
get cheated with the rest
a government can never be generous be
cnusc II II be generous to one IL must be
oppressive to another. But his financial
scheme contemplates an increase in the
price OF certain commodities. We art
coming now pretty close 10 the woodpile
behind which the African is concealed
Now II everything In this world or In this
country, including labor be increased In
value tomorrow In like proportion, not
one OF Us would be affected at all. i
everything be- Increased 10 per cent In
value, we would pay 10 per cent In add
ton FOR what we would buy, and get II
per cent more for what we would sell, sn'
we would be exactly in the same plac
we occupied before Therefore IL il fal
TO assume that IS not the lame and i'm
potent conclusion which this Populis
revolution conteInplates. What then is 1t
1t Is an Increase In the price of com
modities and allowing labor to shift rs
Itself If the price of commodities be In
creased and the price of labor be left sta
tionary, why that means a cutting dow
OF the rate Of wages. If instead OF dol
Tar which consists of given quantity o
gold equal 70 100 cents anywhere In tn
world, with the purchasing power of 10
cents, the labOrer Is TO be paid In dollar
worth 80 cents each why he can only I'm
half as much with a days wages as h
buys now. Wageearners Mr. BRYAN saws
know that while gold standard raise
the purchasing power of the dollar. N ais
makes il more difficult to obtain poses
sion of that dollar. They know that EN-
ployncnt is less permanent, loss of wori
moro probable and unemployment les
certain II that means anything it mean
that. cheap dollar would give : hin
more employment, more frequent employ
ment, more work and a chance to get n
employment after he Was discharged.
that means anything Ii means that il tn
laborer y willing To have his wages GU
iowa no Will get more work But
diminu.ion in the rate OF wages does no
Increase the scope OF employment
The more abundant the product tn
higher the wages. There cannot be al
abundant product unless labor is exten
sively employed Mr.. Bryan wouId hav
xou believe that prosperity is ADVANCED b,