Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-08-06
iBRYAN'S SPREAD-EAGLE NON
SENSE.

A careful reading or Mr.. Bryan's
"great speech" before the Chicago con-
venton utterly fails to disclose any
rational explanation Of the influence 1t
had upon his auditors, 1t did not con-
tain a new fact nor a new argument;
1t was full from beginning to end OF
assumptions, assertions, misstate-
ments, Oft-exploded economic fallacies,
flowers Of rhetoric and faulty reason
ing. Good vocifera ton, a pleasing
stage manner and an alleged personal
magnetism" do not constitute an ar
gument and they prove nothing. Dis
raell characterized Gladstone as mere
ly - sophistical declaimer Intoxicated
with the exuberance Of his own verbos.
ity." That "yerbosity" Is the distin-
gushing feature of Bryan's talk will
be the verdict OF intelligent readers,
though 1t clearly exerted marked in
fiuence upon the third and fourth rate
men comprising the large majority Of
the membeEs Of the convention, just as
sound and fury signifying nothing
SO often sways congregation Of color
ed people In a Southern camp-meet-
Ing. 1t Is claimed that Bryan really
owed his nomination to the closing
words OF his peroratlOn unless. as IL
also asserted, the convention bosses.
Ti.lman and Altgeld. had determined
upon this nomination three months
ago.. These closing words were;
I'VE shall answer their demands For
a gold standard by saying to them:
You shall not press down upon the
brow Of labor this crown OF thorns.
You shall not cruelty mankind upon 4
cross OF gold"
Carefully rercad these applaudcd
phrases and see whether, no matter
how faultlcssly delivered. they afford
a sufficiently substantial basis for
candidacy for the most responsible po-
iitical position on earth. The metaphor
reminds rs OF IN Irish member of par
lament. condemning the government
for It's policy concerning the income
tax: They'll keep cutting the wool
of tae sheep that lays the golden eggs
until they pump 1t dry"
This implied comparison Of the or
binary laborer to the Son of God savors
OF the grotcsquc, If not Of the profanc?
At best the smile Is an outrage upon
rhetoric. artf ~,ta
For. admitting the rhctorically alb
surd assumption OF torture and death
as metallurigical possibility, only In
the. unschoolcd imagination OF "boy
orators" is gold used in the manufac-
- 4,
could it be easier to be broken.
torn. and bruised on silver
rack or wheel than 1t would be to en-
dure crucifixi0n upon "a cross OF gold?"
The days for crucifixion long since pass
cd away If any one needed cruelty
ing to-dayia, plain cross Of pine would
best seryelfor the purpose. In an at
tempt 10. construct "a cross OF gold"
Would We ltat encounter difficulties
s;milar 70 tl,pse met by Aaron when
he buff ts golden calfg"
Logically, the challenge Is no less
obssfrl No onelis demanding gold
standard" as that standard has ex-
listed for over half a century and
il the outcome OF the commercial ne.
cessities Of the commercial world. and
Is not a product of legislation. national
or International, and Is matter out
side the province Of legislation, a mat
ter which legislation cannot change
any more than 1t can change a natural
law. Such demand wonli be as
senseless as demands that grass shall
grow. that the sun shall! shine, that
water shall run down hill. or that the
Dutch shall be permitted to occupy
Holland.
Historically, the insinuation Is no less
hype-critical. Is the best money Of
the world. money of highest as we'll as
OF universal purchasing power, a crown
Of thorns for labor?
II mankind is crucihed'' In 'gold
standard" England, France and Ger
many. what word will titly character
ize the workingmans condition in pow
erty stricken but free silver Central
America, Peru. Mexico and Japan?
Really Is not Bryan's iridescent and
widely haralded peroration simply
vocabulistic embodiment of the
quintesscnce- OF sublimated non
sense? From 1870 TO 1892 we en-
joycd one OF the most prosperous pc
RODS In the history or this country.
Labor, was almost universally employ.
ed and well paid. Our crops were
large and our home and foreign mar
kets all that could be desired, our for
elgn trade being immense. And this
prosperity was all based upon tire con
fidence which everybody felt that our
gold money, and our paper moheysse-
cured by 1t. constituted actual money
all over the world as well as at home.
The peoples of other countries had
the fullest confidence In our business
honor and integrity. What we need
to-day. above all other things, is
full restoration of that confidence un-
der which we might prosper as In the
years to which we refer. Breezy dec,
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